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Dad on a Lark Blog

by Rand Richards Cooper

Lark (lärk): noun. 1. a carefree or spirited adventure. 2. a harmless prank

Dad on a Lark Blog

Lark (lärk): noun. 1. a carefree or spirited adventure. 2. a harmless prank

The Dawning

Posted September 05, 2007

In the beginning was the Word, the Bible tells us. But parents of a 1-and-a-half-year-old know otherwise. In the beginning is the Wail. Then come the Shriek, the Laugh, the Demanding Grunt, the Gibberish ... And only then -- at last, when you've waited and waited -- the Word.

Today is the day Larkin exploded into language. What a marvelous moment it is.

For months, she's been on the brink. Along with "Mama" and "Dada," she had a list of five words… Read More

Here We Go Again

Posted September 05, 2007

Every morning when we bring Larkin down from her room, headed for breakfast, we pass a series of objects along the way, and I quiz her on them. Where's the diver? (The poster of an Olympic diver in the upstairs hallway.) Where's the window? (Over the stairway, bright with morning light). Where's the big bird? (A hand-carved eagle my parents bought 50 years ago in Arizona, now hanging on our landing wall.) Where's the light? (The stained glass chandelier.) Where's the fan? (The living room overhead.)

Larkin… Read More
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Babyphiles and Babyphobes

Posted September 05, 2007

Molly and I made it through our 30s without children, and our circle of friends included couples with kids and couples without. We never thought much about the difference. But after Larkin was born, suddenly it loomed large.

On the one hand, I was amazed by all the baby-lovers who came out of the woodwork -- a cadre of women who just wanted to be around babies, the way some men want to be around athletes. Like Elizabeth, a colleague of Molly's and… Read More

Baby on Board!

Posted September 05, 2007

The SUV zoomed up close behind me, veered out to pass, then cut back in. It was massive and menacing and way too close. It was threatening my baby. I hit the horn. "Hey, you big fat cumquat!" I yelled, as Larkin chattered on in her car seat, oblivious.

Back in our pre-Larkin years, I resented those Baby on Board bumper stickers. What, I'd say, am I supposed to drive more slowly just because you have a baby? Is your baby's life somehow worth more… Read More
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The Monkey Wrench

Posted September 05, 2007

As I sit down to write this, I'm in a hurry. But I'm always in a hurry. The hoofbeats of all the things I haven't done thunder after me, a posse that never stops.

Since Larkin arrived, Molly and I are perpetually behind. Laundry piles up. Bills pile up. The yard grows thick as a jungle. A light bulb in the bathroom burns out, and we don't replace it for days. Who has time to replace light bulbs? We have a cleaning woman… Read More
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The Princess and the Peas

Posted September 05, 2007

What to do when your child becomes a finicky eater? With Larkin, quantity isn't the problem. The girl puts down enormous amounts -- but of about five things only. She eats oatmeal, Cheerios, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes (bottled, BeechNut brand), fruit, and peanut butter. That's her comfort zone, and you nudge her out of it at your own peril. No meat of any kind; and just try to get something green into her!

It's funny, because this is a toddler who otherwise… Read More
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About Me

I began as a fiction writer (my first novel, "The Last to Go," was made into a really bad TV movie, starring Tyne Daly), then branched out to other writing. By now I've written for over 50 magazines, including "Glamour." "The New York Times Magazine," "Bon Appetit," and "Commonweal." Away from my writing desk, I'm a chess fanatic and hopeless basketball addict. Oh yeah, I'm also the family cook.

My next blog update: December 24, 2008

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