Friday Sibling Face-off: Baby Sister Wins

So, as I talked about here and here, my four-year-old daughter Brontë is a force to be reckoned with. She’s sharp, melodramatic, and loves to be in control. She can also pinpoint your psychological weaknesses within seconds and mercilessly exploit them with her endless talking powers. Her baby sister Bridget is only two, which is a massive difference in […]

False Breakthrough in Potty-Training

Brontë: I need a toilet. Me (feeding Bridget): You want to go potty? Brontë: No, I just need a toilet. Brontë toddles off, returning with her Minnie Mouse potty. She puts it on the floor and just as I start to get excited, flips the lid down and stands on top of it. Using her […]

Why Sitting Up is Awesome

Bridget can now sit up all by herself and is really having fun with it. She lays on her back and pops up repeatedly like a little prairie dog. She must have killer abs. Part of the joy of having children is getting to see the world all over again with new eyes. Most things about the […]

Halloween Penguins in Baby Class

I’m not usually one to fuss about food presentation. Typically, I just want it to taste good, and that’s usually enough to keep me busy. But when my aunt’s new boyfriend brought a bunch of penguins to a family get-together, I knew I would have to copy it at some point. They are just so cute. […]

Victory! Youbeauty Changes Their Sexist Article

Those of you who have been reading my blog will know that I’ve recently had a minor skirmish with the editors at Youbeauty.com, part of Dr. Oz’s health and beauty empire. It all came about on Wednesday, when they published an article, “Pick Your Pregnancy,” about how you can increase your odds of having a son […]

Bridget Makes it Through an Entire Exercise Class Without Screaming

Today is a banner day. It’s the day Bridget made it through an entire exercise class without screaming. I’ve been taking her to work out with me at Herself Moms, in Roseville (there is also a Sacramento studio). I also took Brontë until she started crawling around so wildly that it was no longer feasible, […]

How To Sleep Like a Baby

It’s easy. Wake up every hour and scream your fool head off. Done and done. We have all been hoodwinked by the phrase “sleeping like a baby.” It’s supposed to mean falling asleep quickly, sleeping soundly without stirring, and waking up fully refreshed. It refers to the glorious sleep of the innocents… The complete slumber that only those untroubled by […]

The Great Mason Jar Experiment

Once you have children, you may look back on your former, childless life and wonder: How on earth did I ever think I was so busy? I had loads and loads of free time on my hands… Sure, you may have had a lot going on, but kids are a giant black hole of time suck. […]

My Kids Are Turning Into Cats

As mentioned in an earlier post, our cats like to babysit our children. Since John is gone at work most of the day, that leaves just me and four giant cats to raise the baby monkeys. I’m clearly outnumbered and think my kids are starting to go native. Case in point: Bridget loves apples (and I […]

Car Rides: The Sacred and Profane

She beams at the whirling scenery, the gentle hum of the engine, before drifting off into deep baby slumber… you would think she were riding a unicorn carriage off to fairyland.