Parenting is not rocket science, but this is one not-technical mama's experiment in raising curious, adventuresome explorers.
Somehow I never got around to documenting our weekend trip to Beijing last fall. Yes, you read that right. We flew halfway around the world and back for a long weekend, and so spent a little more than 48 hours in the city of Beijing, China. This was a grown-ups-only trip. We're not that crazy. Any guesses …
Help! LEGO organization is becoming a problem! While mostly I try to remind myself not to care too much about toys, they should be a learning experience in responsibility for the kids who love them--if they don't take care of them, say they throw them across the beach because they're mad about leaving and don't …
One of the few things many of us have been able to maintain even in stay-at-home orders has been getting out for a walk around the neighborhood. Maybe we didn't even do it all that much before a worldwide pandemic, but now we'll take whatever change of scenery we can get and take turn around …
I can't even remember the last time inspiration struck to write. Since whenever that was, it's like the world has been turned upside down and shaken for good measure. It's weird. We've been thrown off balance and had to redevelop our sense of normal and routine. There's a lot going on and I don't really …
Right around the time a certain little someone turned three some new defiant behaviors started showing up in our everyday routines. Suddenly he wouldn't want to get in the car or snuggle in for nap time. Getting him to put shoes on, eat his lunch, all kinds, would trigger this stubborn refusal. And while I'm …
Well, it's been ages. So long I've even kind of forgotten how to do this. Or why I do this. With so many other things that need doing, and that's basically my only excuse for not having written in so long, somehow all the things that need doing now as a family of five, this …
The other day we went the canyon in the afternoon. It was one of the last hot days in the forecast (well, we can hope!), and I thought it would be fun to splash in the cool water. And it was. The water was too cold to be inviting enough to get really wet, but …
Boredom. We have arrived at the age when I am subjected to pleas of, "Moo-oom, what can I do?" AKA "I'm bored." And I pulled up this excellent article from a few years ago to remind me what to do with this desperate entreaty. Nothing. Boredom is magical. I love the article's suggestion of saying, …
You know how they say firstborns are often rule followers? Ours definitely falls in line with that theory. He has a strong sense of the "right" way to do things and is quick to correct those around him. His high standards often lean toward perfectionism born of a sincere desire to get something just right, …
Everyone has their not-so-favorite stages when it comes to raising babies. Maybe it's potty training. Maybe it's when everything goes straight into their mouth. Maybe it's the drooling, teething phase. Maybe it's the blow-out every time they poop (okay, really though, does anyone actually like that stage?). Maybe it's the colicky evenings when they're a …
