Cordy, like many preschoolers, is a picky eater. Most days, it's hard to get her to eat anything other than a waffle, PB&J sandwich, Goldfish crackers, bananas, and mac 'n cheese. That is her standard daily diet, with occasional substitutions. I'm always trying to convince her that new foods are fun, but she remains unconvinced. Vegetables are the worst - aside from the occasional carrot she refuses to eat anything green or orange.

Making it worse is that she also… Read More

From the moment she could put together two word sentences, we've tried to stress the importance of manners to Cordy. She learned how to say thank you (or "fank ooo") first, mostly by listening to us always repeating it to her. "Please" was more difficult, requiring a long session where I held out on giving her a treat until she said please. It took over 20 minutes, and a small tantrum, but she eventually got the idea.

Since then, she's generally… Read More

Last week, Mira was inconsolable. While she's often grumpy, last week went beyond her normal demands for attention as she cried and fussed unless she was being held at all times. What little parenting expertise I have told me that this was a new tooth working its way out. In the weeks prior, she was drooling more and chomping down on anything soft yet solid in addition to her regular attempts at eating paper and carpet fuzz. And then, the… Read More

Mira is eight months old now, and I think this may be one of my favorite ages. We're past the days of colic, waking three times a night, and no neck support, yet we're not at the point where she can run away from me, talk back to me, or climb on things too high for her to be on. She sits up now, entertaining herself with a few toys scattered around her. And she's crawling now, too. OK, maybe… Read More

A recent study said that having children does nothing to improve the quality of your marriage. On the contrary, kids often put more stress and strain on the relationship. It makes sense to me. Kids are a lot of work, and marriage was so much easier before we had two little people who depended on us for their survival.

But a happy marriage and children are not exclusive to each other. My husband and I will have been married five… Read More

She's tired.

While she may be less than a year old and unable to tell me she's tired, her actions speak for her. The eye rub, the lack of focus, and her desire to cling to me all betray her. She fusses, burying her head into my shoulder when I pick her up. I hold her in the rocking chair, trying to calm her with a gentle rocking motion. She resists, and I realize this will be a battle.

I… Read More