I Didn’t Have Kids to Become a Sitcom Mom.
I didn’t have kids so I could yell at them to pick up toys, and books, and to put on their shoes before the school bus comes. I didn’t have kids so I could...
Category: Storytelling.
It’s Just 15 Minutes to a Grown-Up, but Not to Kids.
She sits in my lap and we read this same book three times in a row. Each time we finish it, she says, “Again.” My throat feels dry. My head aches dully. I want...
I Know Kindergarten Isn’t a Big Deal—Except For It Is
I’m putting on a brave face, but I don’t always feel brave. I’m holding so much inside that I have to be careful to not snap at my family for no reason. What I’m...
In One Day Two Random Acts of Kindness Reminded Me That Good People Still Exist.
It’s too easy to forget that good people still exist in this world, especially with all of the scary things we see, read and hear in real life and through news. But they do....
When Being a Good Role Model Feels a Lot Like Being The “Bad Guy.”
The sun sets lower in the sky, and it glares through the large picture window in the living room, and onto the girls’ pink-and-white, chevron-patterned teepee. The intensity of this brightness smooths my oldest...
I’m Hoping My Kids Remember More of What I Do Right.
We went to the zoo again, and I think we were there for maybe an hour. Maybe. We left because I couldn’t handle it. It was crowded, and I felt thankful for our membership,...
Learning How to Parent from the Other Side of the Room.
There are two kinds of people: those who pretend that incredible—and wildly fake—desserts can be made with a rice cake, and those who eat the actual dessert that inspired this pathetic creation. I am...
How a Mother’s Heart Lets Go. {Part 2 in The Caged Girls.}
Part 2: The Caged Girls. She sat alone in a chair, her legs folded neatly beneath her. Her heart felt not so neat. She contemplated the day, how she had reacted to her...
The Importance of Routine.
The place of silent rituals in our daily lives: Her backpack is too heavy and keeps sliding down off her shoulders. It’s nearly the length of her entire body, or it seems this way as I...
Gratitude for Uninvited Guests.
This weekend, a man who grew up in our new-old house visited unexpectedly. My husband was outside working on the couple acres of lawn that the house sits on, up at the top of...
