My daughter's crying is boring a hole into my brain. Back when I first had babies and researched babies compulsively, I read an article explaining that a child's cry ignites in its mother the same neurological and biological stress response as an emergency siren. In other words, a mother alone in a room with a crying baby might as well be trapped in an office during a fire drill. Which is exactly as fun as it sounds. Before you jump to any conclusions, let me assure you that I have tried to comfort my daughter. I have snuggled her cheeks, offered compromises, attempted "redirection" ... [READ MORE]
[hashtag]Bellyache
May 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment
![[hashtag]Bellyache](https://lessonthefloor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/photo-31-296x296.jpg)
On Sunday morning I woke to the swish-swish-tap-tap of Babygirl's mosey to my bedside. I could feel her standing next to me, waiting patiently. As I willed my eyes to open, still blurry and bleary in the dawn, she whispered, "Here you go, Mommy," and thrust something towards my face. I registered the smell of mint. "What's that, Babygirl?" I whispered back. "Here, Mommy, look. I ate all your gum. But that's okay, right Mommy?" Suddenly I was focusing, confirming that the object in her hand was, in fact, an empty packet of Orbit gum. "Where are all the pieces?" I asked. "In my ... [READ MORE]
Celebrating a Decade
August 24, 2012 by 2 Comments
This week I am back on The Eagle's Nest, with a short bit about our 10th Anniversary, which happens to be today. Yes, I have been married a decade. A DECADE! Babyman is rather flustered that he is not receiving presents (my husband gave me a beautiful Mediterranean cookbook at breakfast). "Is it a special day for me?" he keeps asking. We continue to explain that it's a special day for all of us, because if Mommy and Daddy hadn't gotten married, then we wouldn't have our wonderful family. This does not explain the absence of presents, however, so he is consoling himself with the fact ... [READ MORE]
And So It Begins, Part 2 (How It Really Began)
August 15, 2012 by 1 Comment
Babyman started his new Pre-K the first Monday after our two-week family vacation in Tahoe. Babyman is not fond of change or shake-ups to his routine. He is, however, tremendously fond of family vacations in Tahoe. It follows that shaking up his routine just as our Tahoe vacation came to an end was something less than popular. We dedicated the ride home to hyper-enthusiastic Pre-K prep as only nervous parents can. We stopped along the way to get a back-to-school outfit and, most importantly, a snazzy Cars 2 lunchbox. The lunchbox, its utter coolness, its "I can't wait to show the ... [READ MORE]
Beginnings, Revisited
May 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment
"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]
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]
Fast Summer Seafood
August 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
In a post a few months ago I mentioned a new column in the San Francisco Chronicle called "Weeknight Dinners." I recommend checking it out. Amanda Gold is the mother of a six-month-old, a professional chef, and a writer for the Chronicle, and she gets it. My husband and I always place a premium on fairly quick dinner preparation on weeknights; by the time we get Babyman to bed and the apartment back in order it's often after 8pm, and we generally like to eat before midnight. Lately, though, ease has become ever more paramount as my due date approaches and we're both just trying to ... [READ MORE]
