At a recent doctor’s appointment, our pediatrician was rolling through some general healthy habits for five-year old kids. She was talking through recommendations about stuff like exercise, screen time, eating vegetables, drinking a glass of water with every meal and snack, and, hmmm, hey doctor? Any thoughts on the benefits of wearing a pair of
Back in September, around the time school was starting, I had a lot of conversations about kindergarten. When I told people that I wasn’t sending Thomas, they would inevitably say, “What are you doing?” “Nothing,” I’d respond. Preschool? No. Home school? Nope. And then there would be this awkward silence where they’d try to compute what I
School supply shopping for Thomas: a new hose nozzle. I called the school today and officially withdrew Thomas from kindergarten. I cried, of course. (I always cry.) I waited as long as I could. Hoping, perhaps, that on September 2 I would wake up with news that everything was back to normal. Schools would open
This week I’m registering my five-year-old for kindergarten. Like everything these days, the registration will be completely different. It’s truncated and sterile. I’ll wear a mask, there will be no colorful room with blocks and crayons, and I won’t even take my kid with me. (In fact, unlike the other two times when I showed
What do you miss? This is something I think about a lot. We’re 10 weeks into this and I’m no longer even considering things like soccer practice or our gym membership. It occurred to me this week that the thing I miss is being in relationship without fear. Remember running into a friend at the grocery store
Every morning, Thomas starts his day by slipping out of bed and silently making his way through the house. When he gets to my room, he opens the door without a sound and tiptoes to my side of the bed where he whispers, “Hi, Mom. Do you want to Beyblade with me?” That’s how I
Thomas was at the counter struggling with scissors. I watched him for a bit, then I offered to help. Thomas watched me easily cut what he’d been struggling with and asked, “Why did they work for you and not for me?” “Because I’ve been using scissors for more years than you’ve been alive,” I answered
Recently a friend gave us a big bag of hand-me-downs. They included a bunch of clothes for Thomas, and for Mary, several pairs of boots, some pajamas, one particularly gorgeous dress, and one pair of gold sparkly high heels that are just her size. When the kids got home from school, I had all of
You might not have heard of Beyblades. They’re these toys that spin sort of like a top. (Though, DO NOT CALL THEM TOPS IN OUR HOUSE. We have had many, many “Beyblades are basically just tops” arguments that have lead to me making a family rule that you are not, under any circumstances, allowed to
I’m not sure why, but I’m suddenly really aware of Thomas and Anna’s friendship. All of my kids have individual relationships, but each one has to be forged. Maybe I’m noticing their friendship because it’s just now really emerging. Anna is finally old enough to really play and be a part of Thomas’s shenanigans (which she