It’s nothing new to say that dinners with toddlers can be frustrating. See this post and this post and this post and this post and this post. But sometimes (dare I say, lately, often) it can be lovely. I grew up eating as a family around the table, and since our children have been in […]
I make wishy-washy New Year’s resolutions. To write them down would simply be overwhelming. There’s so much I want do do but mostly, I just want to do better. But if I were to write them down, “do better with my blog” would top the list. Gosh I was terrible last year. I love to […]
This picture was taken at 5:22pm. Sophie woke them up at 6pm. They immediately started crying. We whispered softly to them. Scratched their backs. Dinner was already on the table, on their plates, parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, their favorite drinks in their favorite cups. They started screaming. And then kept screaming until 6:55pm. Whenever […]
Dinner was late tonight. Andy was at Target with the kids, I was at Trader Joe’s (thankful to be solo on my trip, given the whining I heard in the background when I talked with him on the phone). While at Trader Joe’s, I picked up sushi for dinner on a whim. I don’t know […]
Tonight Sophie and I went to get haircuts. At 6:42pm I received an e-mail on my phone with the subject line: “Dinner is going well.” I opened it and saw this: And at 6:48pm I received another e-mail with the subject line: “Even better now.” And then there was this: We’re having a rough week. […]
At dinner. Owen: “Knock knock.” Me: “Who’s there?” Owen: “Joke.” Sophie: “Did Owen just say, ‘Knock knock who’s there joke?’” Me: “Yes.” Sophie, laughing: “That’s funny.” “Family jokes, through rightly cursed by strangers, are the bond that keeps most families alive.” —Stella Benson
dinner alfresco Sophie solo kite flying for the first time apple picking throwing bad apples in the cornfield teaching the art of swinging a baseball bat James to Pop Pop: “Hat, please.” He wore it for the entire game. “Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well.” —George R.R. Martin
It had been a trying day. It was one of those days in which the tiniest bump or the smallest “no” or the wrong song prompted tears. Every diaper was a “seriously? again?” diaper. No one ate well. No one napped well. A toy no one was playing with became the toy everyone wanted to […]
While ripping off Sophie’s latest easel painting in order to pull down some fresh paper, my mom suggested using it as a table runner. It’s perfect. The table is a cheap Ikea pine number with deep scratches on it (Tucker). The painting covers much of the surface nicely and serves as a fun conversation piece. […]
![The kiddos at First Unitarian Church are collecting books for students at South Avondale School to help fill the free bookstore our church sets up at the school regularly. If you have gently used or new books you'd like to donate, please let me know and I’ll come by and pick them up! We mostly need Pre-K/K (board books, concept books [ABCs, shapes], not lots of large hardcover picture books), early readers, early chapter books and blank journals. Because of the importance of children seeing mirrors of themselves in these books, diversity is key. Thanks!!](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/vp/1b0de463b3b6651ce328e04c69eefb61/5DAF8772/t51.2885-15/e35/p320x320/65600510_490323258372040_2015424398939439067_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com "The kiddos at First Unitarian Church are collecting books for students at South Avondale School to help fill the free bookstore our church sets up at the school regularly. If you have gently used or new books you'd like to donate, please let me know and I’ll come by and pick them up! We mostly need Pre-K/K (board books, concept books [ABCs, shapes], not lots of large hardcover picture books), early readers, early chapter books and blank journals. Because of the importance of children seeing mirrors of themselves in these books, diversity is key. Thanks!!")
