Category: Truth in Parenting
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Back story: We’ve been working on cleaning up the disastrously cluttered basement, and have unearthed some forgotten projects. Paulie hung up a swinging cocoon chair for Felix, taking two or three attempts to find a spot to anchor it securely in the old lathe and plaster bedroom ceiling. He left one rather sizable hole. The…
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Next year, I might give the kids gifts on Thanksgiving. By that day the kids have outgrown last years jackets and are down to one glove between the two of them. My resolve to hide their new coats, gloves and hats is gone before the pumpkin pie is. This morning, Felix was distressed that he…
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My favorite ritual is nail night. Charlie pulls up a chair and plays salon. The first time that he asked “Can I tell you about my day?” I thought oh can you ever! Sometimes it’s his actual day, but more often it’s a pretend day, all the yummier. Charlie: “I went on a journey with…
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In a valiant effort to reduce our TV time, we’ve designated nightly themes—Monday Movie Night, Tuesday Game Night, Wednesday Art & Crafts, Thursday Cozy Book Time, etc. We love TV, and our iPads and our phones and I don’t feel any shame in that. We consume what I think is the very best in education…
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I have an email account for Felix just for the purpose of two apps, a by-product of Covid remote school. Sometimes I look at it to see what it’s like to have an empty inbox. To feel the cool, fresh breeze against my brain. The nothingness, the sweet calm. No one asking “Did you get…
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Charlie asked me to explain Daylight Savings Time to him on the walk to school today. After fumbling and failing miserably as we walked across the school yard, I said “Shush we’re walking through all the sixth graders and I still have anxiety.” I then proceeded to explain Anxiety with the knowledge and confidence of…
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I’m taking a watercolor class this morning. I don’t like school. Cancer has been hard, but school was my first trauma. Charlie gave me some drawing advice: “Remember to do as many details as you can”. Mom said I’m going to love it. A Saturday morning watercolor class during breast cancer treatment, a middle aged…
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LAudubon Center 2020 St Joe 2021 Another October. Last year, during the diagnosis, I wasn’t sure there would be more Octobers. You can see it on my face, I thought I was possibly leaving my kids. In the days following the diagnosis, we walked the soggy beach, my camera thumping against my hip, tears in…
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Marking time can be a delicate and dangerous thing for me; as another season passes and annual events return, my emotions range from contentment to despair. Felix once asked me, at about the age of five, the meaning of “bittersweet”. After I explained it, he said “Oh, I know that feeling.” And I know that he…
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We went to the pool today. I had enough energy to do two things, which is a lot. Charlie, who is afraid of the shower, spent an hour directly under the spray nozzles getting drenched. Felix showed off his head dunking, bubble blowing and dog paddling. The bike riding continues to be a success, and…
girl at large 