Image credit: Photo by Bob.Fornal on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons If you had asked me, before Austen was born, if nearly every detail of my life was fixed in routine, I would have said no, and I would have thought that was quite true. After all, I had free will and all that. If [...]
Posts under ‘feeding difficulties’
A Spoon Is Not a Spoon
Image credit: Photo by skinnylaminx on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons As I write this, I have a cup of tea beside me, and I am trying to get myself to drink it. I'm not hesitating because I don't like tea or because I think it will be unpleasant. I'm hesitating because I'm trying to [...]
If My Son Ruled the World
Image credit: Photo by go to /theworldsaddress/ instead on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons I was looking through Austen's school papers this week and found an exercise he had done describing what things would be like if he ruled the world. He had filled in blanks to complete several sentences, one of which read: "If [...]
If Your Child Doesn’t Just Eat…
Image credit: Photo by Proggie on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons I started my day off on Tuesday by reading Lisa Belkin's reflections on what she's learned in the eighteen years of parenting since her son's birth. I thought, "Wow, that was lovely and touching and resonated with me in so many ways, I can't [...]
A Tale of Two Mothers
Image credit: Photo by Omar Eduardo on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons As featured in the New York Times blog Motherlode I A mother and her son are in line at a grocery store. They boy looks like he’s about nine or ten. The mother looks a little tense as the boy starts to fidget [...]
My Subconscious Makes a Joke
After several days of being up too late, I decided to take advantage of my husband's weekend presence at home and send him out with the kids while I took a nap. I fell into a light sleep, listening to the kids alternately giggling and bickering as they got ready to leave, then slipped into [...]
My Son’s Gimpy Fin
This has been cross-posted at Two Women Blogging. Now, I may not be one for much crying, but I did cry (I'll admit it, I did) the first time (ok, ok! few times) I watched Finding Nemo. Even before I lost track of my son a few times, I related so much to the anxiety, [...]
Wow. Really? I’m a Good Mama?
Photo credit:Image adapted from a photo byKRISnFRED on Flickr In the mothering world, compliments are hard to come by. Oh, sure. You'll hear, "Your kids are so cute!" But that's not really about you, or even (usually) your kids. It's one of those generic statements, like "have a nice day" or "how are you." You [...]
Just a Routine Checkup
Photo credit: Photo byNick Atkins Photography on Flick A few weeks ago, my son had his annual checkup. Because I am perpetually disorganized, and because insurance only pays for one checkup a year (meaning each must be scheduled at least one year and one day apart), my children's checkups keep moving further and further from [...]
Mama’s Day in Haiku
Mama's alarm ringsat 6:15 each morning(if kids aren't up yet). Mama smacks the clock.Nine minutes later, it rings.She tries to get up. Mama's out of bedby 6:30 each morning,asleep on her feet. Mama checks e-mail.The light of the monitorhelps open her eyes. She checks the backpacks,lays out the clothes, pours the milk,gets breakfast ready. At [...]
