#5 – april 6: therapy hamster

I had written about the experience of losing one hamster days before Christmas, and bringing home another nearly identical golden Syrian hamster for my son. Wooly 2 was a good first pet. C enjoyed feeding him every morning and being responsible for changing his water. If Wooly was awake, he’d stand on his hind legs, … Continue reading #5 – april 6: therapy hamster →

#3 – march 21: we can still laugh

Friday morning, both our children reported having had bad dreams. My husband had to go to our younger son’s room in the wee hours to comfort him. We don’t have the news on and we try to keep our worry from them, but our kids are always listening and as most children are, they’re sensitive … Continue reading #3 – march 21: we can still laugh →

What Happens in a Pandemic: Coronavirus Chronicles

#1 - March 15: social distance I’m beginning to lose track of the order of events, both nationally and personally, because the situation has been so “fluid” as they say, the information flowing fast from multiple sources and changing sometimes by the hour over the past month. But this was the week that my immediate … Continue reading What Happens in a Pandemic: Coronavirus Chronicles →

A Tale of Two Woolys

My younger son C is nothing if not persistent. This trait was apparent very early on, well before words – if he wanted something, he let you know it again and again and again. So, when he started asking for a pet about a year ago, I knew deferral wasn’t going to cut it for … Continue reading A Tale of Two Woolys →

Invisible Milestones

This was the second year in a row that our kids didn’t trick-or-treat together. Up until last year, we’d had a tradition of trick-or-treating in the neighborhood just south of us, three long streets of single family homes, fully decorated, and abundantly supplied with candy. We’d meet up with my older son’s friends and their … Continue reading Invisible Milestones →

The Waiting Room of American Healthcare

We noticed the minor skin blemish on my son, but didn’t think much of it at first. I was thinking it’d go away on its own. But when it didn’t, and over the course of a few months seemed to change and then seemed slightly infected, my husband finally took him to the newly opened … Continue reading The Waiting Room of American Healthcare →

Rethinking Tiger Parenting

It’s easy to focus on play and creativity when your kids are young. I was sure I wasn’t going to be a stereotypical tiger parent, signing my kids up for every academic opportunity and expecting 110% effort at all times. But now that my older child is heading to middle school, the stakes feel a … Continue reading Rethinking Tiger Parenting →

Speaking of things that are died

This is a piece I wrote almost 7 years ago. I sent it out to a couple of publications focused on motherhood, got a little interest from one, but I didn't persist when they passed on it. Father's Day 2019 seems an appropriate time to post here. My four-year-old son S was eating a peanut … Continue reading Speaking of things that are died →