Remember how I was talking about what a good, adventurous eater Nora is? Thank God. Because this past month has been a tour de force of sugar. Between Susannah’s birthday, Nora’s birthday, P.J.’s birthday, Halloween parties, and Trick or Treat, it’s been a ridic month of sugar. Here’s a smattering of what she ate since this weekend (and I’m not even including pix of the opera cream cake and oatmeal choco cookies my mother-in-law brought to town): All I can say {Read More}
Nora Turns 4 & Keely Turns Mushy.
October 28, 2013 By 13 Comments
To My Darling Nora Jane, On your last eve of Threenagerdom, I’d love to tell you some marvelous things about yourself: You’re an adventurous eater; eggplant, blue cheese, mushrooms, anything Middle Eastern…but still look suspiciously at macaroni and cheese. (It’s pasta and cheese, Nora.) Despite your outward trappings of independence (locking the bathroom door, deciding just how your bangs and hair should fall- or be “stretched”), you still require that crazy beat-up Doc Bullfrog…inside out in a froggy ball…against your nose to sleep. {Read More}
Life With A Preschooler, Scene 1.
September 25, 2013 By 12 Comments
And now, a scene: KEELY enters and sits on the Time Out Couch next to NORA- the latter looking not at all forlorn. KEELY: Nora, are you ready to leave time out? NORA: Sure! NORA hops down and begins to run back into the kitchen. KEELY: Wait! Wait…can we talk for a second? NORA pats KEELY’s hand. NORA: I forgive you. KEELY: You…what? NORA: We shouldn’t get angry at each other. It’s not kind. KEELY: …Okay. But you threw a {Read More}
Back To School Isn’t All Fun And Games.
September 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Apparently, one kid at the table suggested the word “sad” and the hordes of impressionable classmatesall chimed in with ME, TOO! I asked Nora if she was really sad- she said, “Not really. I painted a great project!” And yes, she was this sad. “Whaddaya mean we’re just gonna LEAVE her here?”“Whaddaya mean I don’t get to PAINT A PROJECT?!”
Back To School. Now With More Feelings!
September 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment
I know a lot of you have been playing the Back To School game now for weeks… But now it’s my turn. With this kid. …And her Back To School helper. It’s her second year of preschool (which is what happens when you start with a Young 3s program)…but I’m just as emotional as if she were going off to college. For very short, very young people. Okay, I’m not devastated sad. Of course not. Just twinge-y. Saddish. Hormonal. And it’s {Read More}
Tea Parties And Time.
September 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“Mom,” she said. “You know what’s even better than doing your work?” Nora looked at me expectantly- and a tad impishly. “…Having a little tea party with the breakable tea set.” She nodded like she had just unveiled THE plan. And, in a way, she had. You bring the tea set, I’ll bring the braids. For weeks now she’s been asking to use “the breakable tea set,” the one she was gifted for her third birthday- and the one that, {Read More}
Tiny Shoebox Dollhouses. ‘Cause Obviously.
August 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment
The other day, the girls were playing with these miniature shoeboxes that their back-to-school TOMS came in (deeply discounted TOMS, I might add- because I love ’em, but 50 bucks for kiddo shoes? Yipes), and my budding environmentalist asked if we could turn them into something. We chose dollhouses, because good LORD there aren’t enough places in which the girls’ cadre of dolls can live/work/reside. However, I cannot resist dollhouses. And these shoeboxes are seriously teensy tinesy and adorable and just {Read More}
Sometimes You’ve Just Gotta Hula.
August 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment
And then there are days like the one where your formerly Shy Violet of a preschooler willingly raises her hand at the free concert in the park, right at the moment when the Hawaiian band asks for hula dancing volunteers… …And she runs up in front of the stage, grabbing the hands of two complete stranger “big kids,” asks if she can hula with them, and proceeds to do just that. And you see it: this transformation from a cautious {Read More}
