I had never heard of Shout Ultra Gel stain lifter before my baby shower for Hamlet. Then, my cousin gave it to me as part of a game. (Sort of a mad lib in which you unwrap products whose names are the words in the story. You know, "If you need help, give me a Shout.")

Anyway, while my cousin, then a nursing mother of 2 (now of 4), gave me no added information, I'm sure she knew what… Read More

In spite of its many benefits and rewards, attachment parenting remains a profoundly demanding philosophy. It encourages the constant contact that young children need and that breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and babywearing foster. Those of us who choose the AP way, in other words, pretty much have our children physically attached to us 24/7. And while we wouldn't have it any other way, choosing such a philosophy can lead to burnout.

Mine came this past weekend. On Friday, all… Read More

Ever since Boris was born, I've found the idea of 64oz. per day laughable. What happens is that I'll think it's time to get a glass--but then I get distracted. Often because Hamlet wants something ("Right NOW! Please.") or Boris gets fussy. Even when both boys are calm and non-needy, so focused am I on accomplishing housework or writing work that I don't think to drink until I'm thirsty, which some nutritionists believe is a sign of dehydration.

However, … Read More

We haven't done too many playdates, for a variety of reasons:

First, we live in the middle of nowhere. It's hard to meet people, much less people with children Hamlet's age--and who I want to hang around with. Second, I'm an introvert. I'm quite happy home alone, sharing companionable silence with whomever happens to be around. Third--and final--my social skills, while not altogether lacking, are a bit stunted. So when I finally did pull together a playdate for my little extrovert,… Read More

As the granddaughter and great- granddaughter of FDNY firefighters, I take fire safety seriously. However, as a mother, I know how hard it is to do everything the NFPA says you should. However, there is really no excuse not to have working smoke detectors. Why?

Hamlet is just at the age where he understands "good" fire and "bad" fire. Even though the NFPA recommends having--and practicing--a family home evacuation plan, we haven't felt it wise to pursue this just… Read More

Both Hamlet and Boris have had intolerances to cow's milk protein. Hamlet was intolerant of soy protein, too; I haven't yet been brave enough to test Chinese food on Boris.

How do you know? In our case, both boys' sensitivities made their reflux worse. For four months, Hamlet threw up once a day and cried a lot. Boris would have done the same, had I not recognized the early warning signs--and cut dairy from my diet when he was 2 weeks… Read More