I was annoyed the first time Hamlet attacked loved on me. "Hamlet!" I barked, then stopped. He clearly didn't know he'd surprised and hurt me. What if it was just love? After all, it wasn't unlike the father-son roughhousing that took place nightly.

The next time he jumped on me, I took it like a man. "Oogh!" I groaned. He laughed and used my bent knee for a toehold. Never mind that I was five months pregnant and trying to put… Read More

We live in New England, so when a nor'easter blew through that was said to rival 1991's "Perfect Storm," we were ready. Or so we thought.

We lost our power around 10:30 in the morning, shortly after Dora ended, so Hamlet wasn't too upset. We spent the rest of the day chasing him around the house for fun, if only to distract him from the fact that we had no power, and eating what we could scrounge from the fridge,… Read More

I dreamed the other night that I was going to a writing conference. I was really excited about it, because it represented my return to the adult world. I identified what I'd do and with whom I'd go.

Then, a few hours before I was set to leave, I got cold feet. I couldn't figure out why. It wasn't because of a fear of flying, or nervousness about the conference; it had something to do with leaving the kids behind, but… Read More

Rain Dog stayed home sick yesterday.

It was a pleasant surprise to wake up and find him still here, even if the day proceeded as usual: get the kids up and dressed, take Hamlet to preschool, take kids shopping. When Rain Dog joined us for lunch, that made another pleasant surprise.

Less pleasant was when 3 p.m. rolled around. That's the time I look at the clock and think to myself that I only have to entertain the boys for another hour… Read More

I can't help being paranoid. I come from a long line of mothers who used mass media to (on a good day) warn their children about the perils of everyday living or (on a bad day) threaten them with natural laws that seemed to favor Mom's rules.

Anyway, I can't help being paranoid. I'm not one of those moms who won't let anyone hold her baby; I'll gladly take the break, and I'm lucky enough to have kids who have no… Read More

A round of antibiotics recently left wee Boris with a diaper rash that soon turned to a yeast infection. We went through this with Hamlet when the introduction of meat to his diet changed his gut flora. The solution: treat with an antifungal cream overlaid by barrier rash cream. It worked in 48 hours. Easy, right?

Well, for most people. I, on the other hand, must overcomplicate things.

For one thing, there was the ear infection that had… Read More