We all have our crazy-makers. Mine is email, and phone calls, and thank you notes—basically any communication that I’m expected to follow through on. Sometimes I do alright with those things. I make lists. I set goals: Return four emails before bed! But sometimes I torture myself. My deepest weakness is a longing to please people. I want to be liked. I want you to not be mad at me. I want to be polite. And so, when an email sits in my inbox for two months, even when my excuse is pretty … [Read more...]
What is true.
May 9, 2011 By 13 Comments
This is what my husband brought to my bed yesterday morning. He knows that I would usually prefer an experience over a thing (though I’ll admit I like things) and my ultimate experience usually involves food. So, when it’s my birthday or Mother’s Day or some other type of needy Micha day, I get breakfast in bed and I milk it for all it’s worth. There was no way I was getting out of bed before 9:30 yesterday. I stayed in my covers and read my book. And it was awesome. Then, I thought, my … [Read more...]
How not to raise more than one child at a time…
April 7, 2011 By 16 Comments
About ten times a day I remind myself that billions of women throughout the history of childbearing have had more than one child at a time. Most were like my great-grandmother Mama-Mac, raising seven kids at once. On a farm. In a tiny house on the high plains with no heating or air conditioning. Scrubbing clothes by hand in tubs outside. So, I’m lame for holding any complaints in my heart…because I have a very easy, happy life. And I have only two children. What I wish I had is more … [Read more...]
How motherhood has changed me.
January 31, 2011 By 13 Comments
Micha, isn’t that what you’re whole blog is about? Okay. That’s fair. Perhaps this post should simply be titled, “How motherhood has changed how I watch movies.” Or, “What’s just not worth it anymore.” Or, “How my husband and I had a big fight last Friday night after I made him turn off our Netflix rental because I was sobbing (yes, seriously sobbing) in the kitchen.” I’ll say this: I’ve always fancied myself a thinker, someone who reads books or watches movies … [Read more...]
Weakness and Acceptance
January 21, 2011 By 10 Comments
There’s a point in pregnancy when you suddenly think: “Something’s wrong with me!” Of course, the something wrong is actually the reality that a five pound human has invaded your entire body and you can’t get away from him. He shows up in how you walk (here comes Ms. Puddleduck), in how you react to the world around you (emotional crazy-lady!), in how you appear (I promise my nose is not this big in regular life), and in your inability to keep from shouting “ouch!” at the check out … [Read more...]
Tiger Mother Thankful
January 18, 2011 By 4 Comments
Yes, of course I read all 18 thousand of the Tiger Mother articles last week. How could I not have noticed? My sweet husband has me set up for some major “mother” search engines around here. The thing is, I couldn’t think of what I needed to say about Amy Chua’s “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” and so I never wrote anything about it last week. What does this have to do with what I’m thankful for? It’s this: The great Hannah Rosin (I love everything she writes) and her article … [Read more...]
Late Night Smorgasbord
October 15, 2010 By 1 Comment
Dear Faithful Reader: I am a tired, pregnant woman, with a baby inside me that does not like that I'm awake (again!) past midnight. And I'm sorry to say that I feel like a failure of a blogger this week. I'm really hoping that next week I'll get my act together and be able to balance the whole working part time, SAHM thing. But so far, I'm a wreck who isn't sleeping much. That's why I will now list the really great things in my life this week: I know it's probably not possible, but I think I … [Read more...]
A Nighttime (Packing) Prayer
September 22, 2010 By 1 Comment
I love evenings. I love eating with my little family. I love reading or watching way too much TV (Last night? Guilty.). I love the freedom of rest after a day of completing tasks. But packing never feels completed. And I have a difficult time resting when I could be packing boxes. I’m not really sure why, but I have moving monster who takes over my body for the weeks prior and after a move. I can’t stop till its packed and/or put away in the new place. So, as I type this, I’m trying not … [Read more...]
What’s gonna work? TEAMWORK!
July 22, 2010 By 5 Comments
If you don’t automatically start singing the theme song to Wonder Pets when you read the above words, you either 1) Don’t have a toddler or 2) Are a much better parent than I am and don’t allow your toddler near the brain sucking powers of Nick Jr. But, alas, I’m a TV girl. I always have been, no matter how much smarter I know I’d be if I just turned the TV off and read in the evening. So, despite my attempts at “no TV before the age of 2!” it just didn’t happen. Now, that … [Read more...]
The Cynical Spirit vs The Childlike Spirit?
July 7, 2010 By 10 Comments
This past Tuesday morning I faced my hiccupping, wet faced two-year-old nose to nose. It was time for a serious talk. The problem? Week three of hysterics when faced with the prospect of his once a week drop off art and play time, aka “School” (something he’d loved before we went on family vacation last month). August’s teacher had said he could bring something “special” this week in hopes that it might help him overcome his anxiety. He and I had talked all week about how fun it … [Read more...]
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