More than a Mother
Exploring the landscape of modern motherhood and more
An End to Rationing Joy
A few people reported that they found my last blog post depressing. "Is it just the end of hope??" one asked, but that wasn't what I meant, not exactly, and I'm sorry if you, too, found depressing the idea that normalcy is a fallacy. I hoped that by calling out our...
Dispelling the Myth of “Back to Normal”
January is one of my favorite months, even with the rain, even with the dreariness, even with the promise and delight of the holidays over. In January, I get four weeks off...when no one else in my family does. The deliciousness of having weeks on end of paid reprieve...
Reflections from the Dark Time
In Norway, this time of year is called the M?rketid, the dark time, and the Norwegians, who are used to it, light candles at four pm and have dinner early and snuggle into their warm houses. Or, if it?s snowed, they put on their skis and head to the lighted trails...
My Two Year Old Bites. Does That Mean He’s a Bully?
A few weeks ago, I wrote an honest?and a little scary?post on Facebook about my fears that my son Sam, who was then almost two, would be labeled a bully. He was deep into a biting and hitting phase, and I heard another mom at the playground tell her kid to be careful...
Family Vacation: Same Crap, Different Location
Ah, family vacation! We had a long and windy summer, you might even say a lazy one. Instead of filling L?s weeks with expensive camps, feeling frugal, I emptied out the calendar and kept him home a lot of the time while Sam went off to daycare as usual. Mostly, it...
In Praise of Childcare
I feel like I could write this entire blog post in one sentence, and that sentence goes like this: I am so effing grateful for childcare. But since you've all come to know me as a bit more, well, verbose, hear me out. When L was born, I proudly stayed home from work...
Gorgeous Summer Meals
Ah, summer! The other day in the car we listened to this Robot or Not podcast about whether it's better to have changing seasons or nice weather all the time. The New Englander in me immediately said "seasons," though if I'm honest, I haven't terribly missed those...
National Poetry Month Interview with Me!
This terrific blogger named Jess Witkins interviewed me about my new poetry collection,?Little Prayers. There's a book giveaway, too. Here's a teaser: Jess: Why do you think poetry is important today?? Me: I think poetry asks us to tap into a different part of our...
Spring Break is For Lovers, OR: What I Learned About Wisdom When I Had a Few Days Off
Ah, spring break?scantily clad humans cavorting in tropical places, drinking too much. Or: if you have children, a chaotic trip to Disneyland. No?Legoland. Or, if you're me, an entire week to yourself. The way our calendar works, my spring break falls a week before...
What the Fork Is For Dinner?
My friend Mattison sent me this video the other day of her parents preparing a feast for Chinese New Year. Immigrants from China via Vietnam, they worked for hours?days?weeks??preparing the food. The level of food prep is astounding. There are scenes of her mom...
About Me
I'm working from the premise that motherhood is not just all diapers, tantrums, and setting limits. It's interesting. Okay, sometimes. My new poetry collection is out from Blue Light Press!
