"Why do I have to try new things? Why do you make me do this?" "Because it's part of life, Babyman. Trying new things is part of being alive." This was perhaps an unfair, all-too-world-weary response for my young child at the dinner table. However, in my defense, sometimes the whining and the arms-crossed refusal to eat get a little...old. Sometimes I want him to just take the damn bite, already, so we can all get on with our lives. Babygirl attacks her veggies with exuberance. The mere sight of her brightly-colored bowls being carried to the table sends her into babbling fits of ... [READ MORE]
What About Another Worm?
April 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
A lazy, sun-dappled Sunday afternoon chez nous, Babygirl power napping in the back, my husband resting on the couch, and Babyman and I were lying on the floor with several tubs of Play-Doh. He was mashing all of the contents together through the Play-Doh machine, generating one thick tube after another and then imprinting them with leaves and stars and trucks. I was trying to stifle my Type-A impulse to maintain the integrity of the different colors. (At this point, most of our Play-Doh is a sort of universal pinkish-gray, the result of all the colors being kneaded together over time. I ... [READ MORE]
A Contract
April 6, 2012 by 1 Comment
Panic alert: Babygirl is mobile. Stealth army crawl mobile and speedy hands-and-knees mobile. (Unless she gets tangled in the legs of her pajamas. Then she's just cranky.) Now, those of you with one child will recall how exciting this moment is. They can crawl! And soon they'll walk! And then someday they'll go to college! They're growing! Sniff sniff, wipe away a tear. Not wanting to detract from that excitement, I have to tell you: this second child's mobility is freaking frightening. There are two of them, and now they can both move. At the same time. In opposite ... [READ MORE]
Back on the Train Gang
March 7, 2012 by 1 Comment
I don't know if I've mentioned on this blog that for the past year or so my husband and I have been trying to cook about 2 vegetarian dinners a week -- our little version of Meatless Mondays. The CSA was the main inspiration behind this: we already have these great ingredients coming in, so let's make the most of them. Good for our health, good for our budget and all that. There have been some great successes, and some colossal failures. Honestly, I think my poor husband sort of dreads these nights because we don't always know what we're going to get. But still I persevere. My ... [READ MORE]
Mr. Crab Hands
February 27, 2012 by 2 Comments
"Okay, Babyman, I'm going to change Babygirl's diaper and then it's time to get in our school clothes." "Nooooooooo! It's not tiiiiiiiime!" "Yes, it is time. Very much so. Especially if you want to watch Thomas before you leave." "I don't want to do it with you. I want to do it with Mr. Crab Hands." "Babyman, I'm counting to three and I want you sitting on your bum with your feet out towards me or we are NOT going on a playdate." "But I waaaaaant to go on a playdate!" "Then you need shoes and socks. One...two... -" "Can Mr. Crab Hands tickle me while I get my socks on?" Mr. ... [READ MORE]
Vom on Mom
January 24, 2012 by 1 Comment
It's been a rather sneezy time around our household lately, and we have been hoping against hope that the sniffles would pass without incident. But last night around 10pm, we heard crying coming from the kids' room. It wasn't Babygirl. It was Babyman, hot and shaking and moaning: "I don't feel well...My throat hurts...My tummy..." And he tried to stand up in bed (not a good sign) so I reached to pull him towards me. As I started to pick him up, he coughed a deep cough and vomited all over both of us. "Oh, it's okay, get it all out," I whispered as he sobbed quietly. My husband, who had ... [READ MORE]
On Sleep, or the Absence Thereof
January 20, 2012 by 1 Comment
Babygirl woke up not quite crying at 2am last night (this morning?). She is nearly five months old and rarely wakes up in the night anymore, so we are always sort of indecisive on how to deal with it. (I should mention at this point that we are CIO people. It works for us. But it's not everyone's thing. I get it.) So last night we lay in bed and listened to the crackle of the baby monitor as she rolled around in her crib and debated just how badly she wanted us. You parents know the sound: whimper whimper...pause...whimper CRY! whimper...pause...CRY!...CRY!...whimper...silence. And ... [READ MORE]
