The MotherVerse Blog: mothering out loud

Well, my two-week stint guest-writing at the MotherVerse blog is up today, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that it is extremely hard to find time to write as much as I would like. I have great intentions; I’ve got lots to say. But you’ve all been there, right? You know how it […]

Conventional wisdom says that parents should preserve a regular “date night” for themselves: a weekly or monthly evening out to connect with and enjoy each other–free, for an hour or two, from the constant demands of child-rearing. Sounds delightful, in an ideal world. What the magazine articles and relationship advice columns fail to address, however, […]

I went out yesterday with two fellow-mom friends, the monthly “moms’ coffee” date we plan for a weekend day when our husbands can stay home with the kids. And then I felt guilty about it the whole time I was there. Not guilty enough to come home early, of course; not guilty enough to not […]

Halloween’s just past, so you know what that means: the holiday onslaught is upon us. I saw my first Christmas television commercial of the season the other night, and since I was chowing down on Halloween candy at the time, I wasn’t quite in the holly-jolly mood. Our pumpkins are still sitting outside by the […]

I think I’m a pretty good mom. I’m home full-time with a one-year-old and a three-year-old, and the fact that I’m still sane, usually dressed, and relatively cheerful most of the time pretty much fits the definition, in my book. We all have our strengths, and mine include getting the naptime routine down to an […]

All of a sudden, it seems like my 14-month-old daughter understands absolutely everything anyone says to her. Tell her anything (“Go and get your jacket, Genevieve; Wow, a big truck outside—just like your red toy truck!; Can you pick up those sunglasses—no, the ones on the floor, over by the baby gate—and give those to […]