It’s been a rough start to the week, with February blowing out in a flurry of snow and ice and cold temperatures (nothing new here) and my head feeling like a drifting balloon due to the fact that I’m hyped up on Mucinex (thanks to my first big cold of the winter…woo hoo). I have …
Why It’s Sometimes Best Not to Expect Too Much
Upon embarking on any venture in life, most of us have some kind of expectation attached to the outcome of that venture. I decided to make cookies yesterday…I expected they would be delicious. (They were.) I went to a kickboxing class last night…I expected it would kick my butt. (It did. I can barely move …
Thoughts on Tantrums and Tree-Gazing (as a Distraction)
I think sometimes people (myself included) forget that even though you might have an “easy” (or a “happy” or “good-natured”) child, that same child is still entitled to her fair share of hard moments, toddler meltdowns, and general whiny-ness. And that those moments are okay. They are normal. They are part of growing up. As …
Ideal Mom Goal: Let Her Do It
A couple weeks ago, I talked about one of my “ideal mom goals” (which was to try and take Raven outside every single day). I’m here today to share another one: My philosophy of letting her do something if she’s capable of doing it. At first, as a brand-new mom, I was obsessed with reading …
This is How I’ll Measure You
This is how I’ll measure, you I think— In trips to the orchard, in the fall. This accidental tradition–started when you were still inside me, when I still had yet to announce to the world the news of your presence, when I still had yet to feel your tiny kicks and your baby hiccups– This …
Why I’m Glad I Worked Before Staying At Home
Telling people recently about my decision to quit and stay home full-time with Raven has gotten me comments from both ends of the spectrum– I’ve had moms who expressed sadness that I had to work my baby’s first year of life, who have told me that it must have been hard to miss milestones and …
Ideal Mom Goal: Go Outside Every Day
I have a lot of “Mom Ideals” that I’m constantly trying to live up to: – no screen time while Raven is awake! – fresh produce at every meal! – read books to her whenever she asks! (which is all. the. time.) – have enrichment activities with her each day! While I’m definitely not 100% …
Holding On and Letting Go
Those first few nights of being a mother, I set my alarm for every four hours out, full of paranoid panic that if I didn’t, my baby would starve while I slept, zombie-like, in various stages of new parenthood dreams. My own mother, upon hearing of this particular branch of insanity, had to reassure me …