This past week Mary started summer camp — her first time ever doing something like this. (The first time any of my kids have done any sort of camp.) A few weeks before it started, she asked me, “Mommy, how long is camp?” I answered, “It’s just for a few weeks.” Mary looked down at her hands
One morning after I put Anna down for a nap, the middle two were distracted so I stole a few moments with David. He’s doing big kid stuff — working a 300-piece puzzle, drinking seltzer water, wiggling his two loose front teeth with his tongue. Moments earlier, I’d just peered into Anna’s mouth, checking to
If I could describe myself for the past few months, I’d say that I feel like I’ve been walking around like that kid Pig Pen in Charlie Brown. Except that, instead of a cloud of filth (or maybe, in addition to a cloud of filth), I have a haze of all the things I need
At seven months old Anna is in a rigid schedule of eating when she’s hungry, sleeping when she’s tired, and being held as much as possible. You might be shaking your head because I’m probably missing out on some serious sleep by not pressing her into a more defined schedule. You might be right, but
Mary Virginia doesn’t approve of my day-to-day look. T-shirt, ponytail, no makeup, usually un-showered. She’s kind about it, but she wouldn’t mind seeing me put a little more effort in my appearance. Maybe a clean shirt from time to time, a swipe of lip gloss wouldn’t kill me. It’s fine, I don’t pick anything that
Thomas was filling a cup of water one day, when some water splashed on his sleeve. (A quick aside: Thomas enjoys the privilege of getting his own cup of water ONLY because he is in the unique position of having a six-year old brother and a 6-month old sister. He sees his brother doing six-year
Last month we took Mary Virginia to kindergarten registration. Everyone told me that the second kid would be easier, but it was exactly like last year with David. I was just as emotional, just as uneasy, just as feeling like I was holding my baby over a cliff (dangling her above the outstretched arms of
A few weeks ago I bought this little patio set for our back deck. I love the design, and as it’s (finally) warming up, I’m looking forward to spending more time outside. In the summer I eat breakfast on the porch almost every morning, and the deck is home base for so much of the kids’
Two weeks ago we found a turtle. Or, rather, it found us. Judging by the way it swam right up to where we were standing on the bank, and by the way it fit perfectly in the palm of my hand, we immediately knew we were destined to keep this turtle. When my kids ask
I’m still pretty new to motherhood — I’ve only been doing this for six and a half years — so most of what I know involves pregnancy, babies, and little kids. So far, my current phase (four kids including one infant and one kindergartener) has been the most demanding. If my life was a sporting