ways to get sh-t out of your carpet

I’ve been neglecting this blog a bit. There are a few factors. For starters, my child has been uncharacteristically easy lately. He seems to have developed a penchant for naps that exceed 45 minutes in length, hasn’t bitten anyone in months, and his tantrums have mellowed into something that would best be described as “episodes”. [...]

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things I said when I really felt like saying no

Yes, I say no. But no, I don’t always say no, exactly. Confusing, non? Yes! It started getting drilled into me when I was teaching elementary school a few years back. As a staff, we rewrote the school rules, framing them in a positive way, much to the delight of the new-agey administration and to [...]

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things that the kid me would totally want the grownup mom me to remember

I remember a phone conversation I had with my friend Holly a while back. When she answered, I could hear the distinctive sound of ice cubes tinkling in a glass. “Gin and tonic for dinner?” I asked. “Nope,” she said, slurping. “A Coke. Because I’m a grownup now, so I can.” Pause. “But maybe I [...]

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evolutionary explanations for exasperating etiquette

If there’s anything I truly love, it’s finding scientific justification for my child’s difficult behavior. Not only is it endlessly fascinating for a dork like me, but it allows me to blame something/someone other than myself for my child’s difficult behavior.  See, it’s not me, it’s MOTHER NATURE! So there! Here’s to hoping that these [...]

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words of encouragement for the new parents who aren’t exactly baby people

It sounds kind of mean, doesn’t it? I‘m not a baby person. It’s like admitting you’re not a “puppy person”. Nonetheless, I’m coming to terms with this aspect of my being. I can finally admit, now that my child is a fully certified toddler, that I am not really a baby person. It would appear [...]

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subjects that are, but shouldn’t be, susceptible to fellow-parent judgement

Earlier this week we hit the beach. If you’re envisioning warm breezes and palm trees swaying, think again. The Juan de Fuca strait and its windblown shores are about as toasty as Winnipeg in February, but hey, every kid loves to dig in the sand, throw rocks into the water, and climb driftwood, so we [...]

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