My Deepest, Darkest, Mommy Secret.

Okay. It’s not REALLY a secret. But it should be….because admitting this will surely and most deservedly make me the object of great scorn and derision. Here goes… Sometimes, Ali still gets a pacifier to sleep. Yes, yes, I know I tried to take it away. But… Here’s the deal: she’s three and a half […]

April Fool’s Day: aka National Child Trauma Day.

So I’ve been trying to think of a good blog April Fool’s joke for weeks. And I’ve got nothin’. My inspiration has just completely flown out the window, along with any small amount of organization, neatness, and stay-on-top-of-everything-in-life-ation that I usually have. I LOVE April Fools. I really love practical jokes in general, as I […]

The Ingenuity of Bedtime.

I’ve always been glad that Ali’s never been a fit-pitcher about bedtime. But what I’m starting to realize is that by using sweetness and toddler-logic, she’s WAY more conniving than that… It starts early, as she senses that the time of bed is approaching. “You’ve got five more minutes on the trampoline, okay?” Her wheels […]

Bracketology and Geography

I’ve always pretty much despised Basketball, but I’ve been REALLY looking forward to making my bracket this year. Although I used to always keep up with Chris’ bracket for him (because I’m a geek and I love to count things), last year was my first ever attempt at making my own bracket, which I did […]

The War On Embarrassment.

Ali’s a pretty shy little kid around people she doesn’t know, so I figured that she wouldn’t be one of those that was constantly embarrassing me by making loud observations in front of strangers. And I was right, at least about the “constantly” part. However, we have definitely entered the stage of embarrassment. It all […]

Parenting and the Art of SpellTalk.

SpellTalk (n): A language that parents use to hide the most important parts of conversations from their kids. Unfortunately, kids eventually learn this language so that they can spy on their parents, so parents must find a new and original way to secretively communicate. When do you use SpellTalk? 1. When you’re talking about something […]

When Daddy’s in Charge.

While I was having fun making pottery last weekend, Chris and Ali had some Daddy/Daughter time, which is always ripe with a few good tales. So today, Chris is guest blogging to share a couple of short stories from their day. It Takes Guts To Be a Parent. There are sensitive subjects that you have […]

The Soap Operas of Mommyhood.

I’ve felt a bit under the weather this week, so I’ve been very, very covetous of Ali’s naps. But alas, her naptime is my only opportunity to get two jobs and three blogs attended to, so me napping is not exactly an option. HOWEVER, I have discovered a little power nap solution that has been […]

If You See Me Stopping Exceedingly, This is Why.

One block from home, nearly 2pm. I’ve hit my pre-naptime wall of energy and ability to carry on conversation – ready for Ali to go to sleep and me to not have to say a word for a few hours and recoup, all while getting work done, of course. Not that Ali’s been any trouble […]

Rachel and the Very Chewy Mistake.

I don’t chew gum, nor does Chris. Yet Ali is completely fascinated by it. Not with the someone-blowing-a-bubble part, or even with the chewing-it-endlessly-until-your-jaw-falls-off part. She’s never tasted it. Her obsession with bubblegum is with the stuck-under-the-table type. Her favorite hobby at any eating establishment is to get under the table and inspect the bubblegum […]