Smashing Assumptions
My children’s flute teacher retired from teaching last month, and the process of finding a new flute teacher has been fraught. Their relationship with their teacher was so close, the … Continue reading Smashing Assumptions
Category: Motherhood
Innocence and Experience
I piled the mail—opened and unopened—in a stack and set it on the shelf above the desk. Onto the cleared surface, I lugged my secondhand sewing machine, ecru and smelling … Continue reading Innocence and Experience
The Fine Print
My spouse, our kids, and I recently returned from a fantastic 3,000-mile road trip from New England to southern Florida and back up through the Appalachian Mountains. We spent an … Continue reading The Fine Print
The Childhoods of Trees
Have you ever seen a partially or completely hollow tree, still quite leafy and alive? This is possible because [the tree’s] “veins” are in the outermost layer of the tree, … Continue reading The Childhoods of Trees
Who Needs a Dog?
“What’s this water doing on the floor?” I ask, pointing at a small puddle a few feet in front of the toilet. “That’s not water,” my four-year-old tells me. “It’s … Continue reading Who Needs a Dog?
Advance Planning for Christmas 2014
This year when I asked my kids what they wanted to get one another for Christmas, they both chose homemade gifts. My son said he wanted to knit his sister … Continue reading Advance Planning for Christmas 2014
Classic Imperfect Happiness: Why I Don’t Care About Santa Claus
It’s less than a week until Christmas, I’m trying to finish reading two major works of classic literature by the end of the month, and I still haven’t finished knitting … Continue reading Classic Imperfect Happiness: Why I Don’t Care About Santa Claus
What’s Buttermilk For? A Four-Year-Old Weighs In
“Mommy, how do you make buttermilk?” my four-year-old asked at dinner the other night. I don’t have a smartphone, so I had to answer based on what I remembered from … Continue reading What’s Buttermilk For? A Four-Year-Old Weighs In
Ulysses for Eight-Year-Olds
My daughter read the cover of the book in which I had my nose. “Ulysses. What’s that book about?” This is a question she asks about every book I’m reading. … Continue reading Ulysses for Eight-Year-Olds
A Progression of Farewells
It was still dark when my son woke me up, crying. “Shhh, shhh, honey,” I soothed, stroking his hair. “Do you want to nurse?” “No, Mommy,” he said, “you don’t … Continue reading A Progression of Farewells
Outsourcing Sex Ed
The sex ed classes I had as a child were taught by the public schools I attended. In sixth grade, we were segregated by sex and went into separate rooms … Continue reading Outsourcing Sex Ed
Faking It
This post was inspired by Zoie’s post, “I Am A Fake,” on her blog, TouchstoneZ. When I was pregnant with my second child, I would wake up before my three-year-old and try … Continue reading Faking It
Imperfect Happiness 