PregnancyFamilyEducation Blogs
July 31, 2008
Slowing down
On my way home from Trader Joe's with T. yesterday, I contemplated why my approach to life has become so fast-paced lately. What sparked this off was the fact that as soon as we arrived at Trader Joe's, at 10:05 exactly, I found myself switching into high gear: quickly unbuckling T. from her seat, walking too quickly to the entrance to the store, with T. lagging behind and pulling on my hand.
"Mama, you walking too fast!" she complained, and I was. [more]
July 30, 2008
Lunch, anyone?
It's no secret that I have had a long and tumultuous relationship with school lunches--not the kind you buy, even, but the kind you have to pack, five times/week. When L. first started preschool at age three, he had not yet developed his food aversions and the rigid eating patterns he has now. Things were still bad, but he was a "picky" eater--a trait shared by many of the other kids at preschool. At three, L. would still eat peanut butter sandwiches, vegetarian hot dogs, and macaroni and cheese. [more]
July 29, 2008
Yin and Yang
We've suddenly slipped into a different pace around here. It's a quieter house, and the hours stretch ahead, marked definitively on each end of the day by school drop-off and pick-up at 3:00. T. missed her brother yesterday, but she has an extra spring in her step, we think; that glow that kids get when they can play at being an only child for a while. We're already enjoying the one-on-one time with her, but with pangs of guilt now and again. Should we be having fun? I ask myself at the pool, while we toss T. into the air between us and watch her dive and laugh. [more]
- Tags: Social and Emotional Issues, Siblings, School Daze, Parenting, Moms, Dads, Children
July 28, 2008
Mixed
I think you can do everything you possibly can to get your child (and yourselves) ready for back-to-school day, but when the time comes, it's still difficult and bittersweet for all of you--at least that's the way it is at OUR house. On Sunday L. spent the day in his room, playing with his Playmobil and nurturing a healthy case of Back-to-School-Denial, with a capital D.
July 25, 2008
Vacation's end
Yesterday's column took a lot out of me to write because, after six full days at the beach surrounded by family and many small children, I officially not only have a clear case of vacation brain, but mommy brain, too, which I thought I had recovered from when T. turned four. But it's back--in full swing, causing me to do things like forget how to string a coherent sentence or two together--unless the sentences are things like "stand back from the water!" or "Get your swimsuit on NOW!" or "No, no, no! Don't put sand there!" [more]
- Tags: Summer, Parenting, Moms, Family Travel, Children, Beach, Activities for children
July 24, 2008
Mirror image
On Thursday last week I bought T. a new swimsuit. I hadn't intended to buy her one--she has three already (two of them were gifts). But we were in the evil mega store to buy some last-minute supplies for our beach trip. There, on a rack, was a cute skirted swimsuit with printed red cherries on it--perfect for T. and her strawberry-blonde complexion. And it was only $9.99! She didn't even have to try it on--it was a 3T and I knew just by eye-balling it that it would fit. Sure enough, back at home she tried it on, turning this way and that way in front of the mirror. [more]
July 22, 2008
Beach week travel truths
When I told people this past week that we were heading out of town for a week at the beach, I got lots of oohs and aahs about how fun it would be, and lots of sighs of envy. But then when I went into the details and dropped in the bit about how we were going to a family reunion and would be staying in a beach house with seven other families, everyone I talked to shrank back, holding their hands in front of them in horror (or as if they were warding off some evil force).
A family reunion? [more]
- Tags: Summer, Parenting, Moms, Holidays, Family Travel, Family Entertainment, Dads
July 21, 2008
Five postcards
Yesterday L. told me out of the blue that one of the things he likes most about vacations is that he gets to wake up early with me and have special time with just me. We both tend to be early birds, and we both find it hard to sleep in when we're away from home, in a new and exciting place, with the day ahead of us filled with promise and places to explore. Being here at the beach with my little family makes me think about all the different "postcard" memories from the growing list of vacation dawns I've shared with L.: [more]
July 18, 2008
If tomorrow is Saturday...it must be bagels!
We're all about traditions here at Professor Mom's house: Sunday is always pancake day (if you want a great buttermilk pancake recipe check out this one, courtesy of my friend), but if it's Saturday, it's often Bagel Day. This week we even made a batch of salt bagels at home, even though it wasn't Saturday--we're just crazy that way. They were wonderful. [more]
July 17, 2008
3,2,1...school!
I know most families are just starting their family vacations this month, but for us, July is back-to-school month. L.'s school is not a year-round school, but they have a quirky calendar. He gets out earlier for summer vacation, but heads back at the end of July instead of the middle of August. This schedule works well for us, actually. While I always feel that tug of regret that summer is over and that we'll be back to the challenging ups and downs of school again, it's nice to get the going-back part over with before Scott and I have to return to work ourselves. [more]
