Dry leaves whispering, my breath hangs white in the air as I wave goodbye.
Posts under ‘motherhood’
When Yelling Works
Image credit: Photo by Scream 101 on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons There's a reason I'm not a journalist. It's one of those jobs you always think about, if you're one of those people (like me) who has considered careers in writing. But I always saw two problems with it: 1) I need to let [...]
Lullaby
Image credit: Photo by Big Grey Mare on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons "Honey?" Mark has been putting the kids to sleep. I thought he'd fallen asleep with them, but now he pops his head into the living room. "Austen says his stomach hurts and he can't get to sleep. Can you come take a [...]
Scary
Image credit: Photo by BGLewandowski on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons I rashly went out Halloween costume shopping a few days ago. I'm not sure what I was thinking. Well, I know I needed to pick up a costume for my daughter — Yes, a few days shy of Halloween. I'm totally on top of [...]
A Problem Is a Problem
Image credit: Photo by Esther_G on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons Eight years ago, in spite of the fact that we were both exhausted by caring for our infant son, I found that my husband Mark was staying up later and later at night. He had to be up at 5 a.m. to get ready [...]
Janie Can’t Make Up Her Mind Haikus
Halloween creeps up… Janie stretches her arms wide, shouts, “I’ll be a bat!” “For certain, a bat! Unless I should be a witch. Or maybe a cat.” “I’ll be a princess! A vampire! A zombie! A princess zombie!” Mama thinks she’ll be whatever’s left in the store on Halloween eve!
Party Pooper
Image credit: Photo by jennifer buehrer on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons I'm a party pooper. I'm a downer. I'm no fun. I ruin other people's good times. (Because I totally have control over other people's good times, you know.) You see, yesterday Mark and I had plans to take the kids to a pumpkin [...]
In Which I Teach my Daughter a Lesson
Image credit: Photo by Alejandro Castro on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons It was true love, the moment I saw it. I was bathed in light and heard angels singing (no, really, that wasn't just the glow for the screen and the background music for the ad). There it was: The Beatles Rock Band, a [...]
Measuring Love
Image credit: Photo by tripp-e on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons My daughter Janie ran up to me today, curls bouncing and eyes sparkling, and exclaimed enthusiastically, "Mama, I love you the most of anyone!" Then she thought for a moment and (clearly not wanting to leave her other loved ones out of the picture) [...]
Footloose Haiku
A school carnival: swept in a wild, laughing throng we push through gym doors. Heads bent like flowers, a giggling daisy chain, girls walk with arms linked. "Hey, it's your birthday! I'll request a song for you! Do you like Footloose?" Like popcorn we bounce, squealing as one breaks away, rushing the DJ. Twenty five [...]
