I feel like I’m in a weird in-between stage of parenting. I’ve got two big kids who are in full-day elementary school, and I’ve got two little ones at home with me. This one-foot-in-each-world is not unique to me, I know. But it’s tough on the sentimental side of me that wants to mark
This is Thomas’s birthday week. He turns four on Sunday, and we’ve been building up to his birthday in small, special ways — a happy birthday banner on the mantel, a special “T” balloon on his chair. Almost every day we gently explain to Thomas’s siblings that the reason we have different expectations for him
Last week my parents were visiting and we were all outside doing some yard work. Scratch that. I THOUGHT we were all outside. My dad went inside and he found Thomas in the kitchen, holding a worm in his hand, looking in the refrigerator. My dad backed Thomas out of the refrigerator and before he
I’m writing this on the eve of the first official day of my kids’ spring break from school. The break hasn’t even started and we’ve already more spilled drinks and danced nude in the sprinklers more than any MTV trip to Cancun. We don’t have any huge plans for the week. We’re going to eat
I’ve heard that great jokes are more about timing and delivery than the punchline. I don’t know if that’s completely true, but I do know that Thomas is really leaning into a nailing a good delivery. This is his favorite joke. We do this every day, several times a day. Every time he scream-laughs because he got
We were leaving the grocery store and Thomas didn’t have a coat on because, didn’t you know? Kids shouldn’t wear coats in their carseats. It’s true, and because it is nearly impossible to put a coat on a three-year old in any circumstance, imagine how hard it is to do in a grocery store parking
Last Saturday I cut Thomas’s hair. The night after The Haircut, we were all sharing our rose and thorn at the dinner table, Thomas’s thorn* was his hair cut. And the next day, he put his hand on his hair and said, “Mommy my hair is still cut, right?” And on Thanksgiving day, when everyone
We had four full days of Thanksgiving travel and festivities. We had a great time, and at the top of my “Thankful” list is all my relatives who bent over backwards to accommodate my rambunctious crew and their various eating and sleeping requirements. Despite everyone being amazing, the kids were out of their normal routines.
Thomas had a field trip to the pumpkin patch last week. It was a cold day, so I packed two jacket options for each child, hats, and a blanket just in case. A few days earlier my phone’s camera broke, so as I packed I made a mental note to ask one of the adults to take
Thomas tripped, and when he put his hand out to catch himself his palm hit a rock. He walked to me, holding out his hand, crying, and I did what all moms do. I said, “Thomas, come here. Let Mommy kiss it.” I took his hand in mine and as I drew it to my