school bus 3rd birthday party
Throwing a DIY Birthday party at home is a busload of work. But it’s fun. In fact, it’s pretty much The Most Fun.
good bye-bye summer
Wait, summer! Summer! Come back! Instead of lamenting all the things we didn’t do this summer (for example, we didn’t picnic, we didn’t barbeque even once though the grill’s replacement parts arrived long ago, we didn’t shed those extremely stubborn 7.2 lbs despite the semi-consistent-mid-day-melt-your-skin-sun-runs in the park <note overly-inclusive […]
why my hair looks like this (after baby)
First of all, thank you so much for not saying anything about my hair. Because we all know I’d prefer that it looked much much better than this. Any face to face discussion on the topic would be awkward and cause me to touch my head self-consciously, thereby making it […]
is there anything crazier than childbirth?
Ian, one day old /new What’s miraculous, crazy and painful ALL OVER? Childbirth. And it seems to me that every birth story has a good dose of surprise to maximize the mayhem. I recount a few of my biggest surprises during Ian’s birth over at Mommy Training Wheels, today. Check […]
maybe I’m not smart enough to be a parent (oops too late)
I don’t know how you’re feeling about your intelligence these days, but mine is definitely in question. I’m tempted to build myself up here by listing all of my academic accolades…I realize, however, that these are ancient and utterly useless when it comes to the kind of knowledge I am […]
why a water table is one of the best investments we’ve ever made
image source (fyi, I did not get paid for or compensated in any way for the following post.) Before becoming a parent, I’d heard of water beds, but not water tables. Turns out this is a completely unnecessary yet wonderful “invention” for those of us with toddlers who don’t have […]
there’s a carrot in my shoe and other developments
Announcement: the home tome headquarters have recently gone through a significant reorganization. This includes changes in both staffing and office space. First, we have a new CEO. He has been a strong candidate for this position for approximately 18 months and we he recently decided he is ready for the […]
thoughts while scraping gum off the bottom of my son’s tiny shoe
This is the most tedious micro-management project yet. Except less management and more tedium. But I must [scrape] get rid [scrape] of this glob [scrape with disgust from another angle] so he doesn’t spread someone else’s mouth germs all around our house. Then again, this gum does smell refreshingly minty […]
exclusive preview of the baby scrapbook I’ll never get around to
This is the scrapbook I bought more than a year ago when our son was still napping twice a day and pretty much immobile. (He is now 17 months old, napping once a day, and aspiring to move at the speed of light.) This book represents my high hopes for […]
on the fence
Let me share with you a frightening formula: corner lot + busy street + toddler who is clearly going to be an Olympic sprinter (as long as races are held on a zigzagged track) + no fence = fretful nights where sleeping is replaced by nail biting and days are […]
note to the babysitter re: gnomes
Dear Babysitter, Hello! Thanks for coming a bit earlier today so that I could attempt to call the dentist, the pediatrician, the gynecologist and the car dealership before work without a toddler hugging my knees and repeating “readyreadyready” 1,453 times with extreme urgency and a complete lack of specificity. (Ready […]
zebra-themed first birthday party
Why did I have my heart set on throwing a zebra-themed first birthday party for our little Ian? I’m not exactly sure: I do think zebras are magical and beautiful creatures. Zebras do populate many of his books. And we do wear a lot of stripes around here…But mostly I […]
titles of the last ten posts I haven’t had time to write and probably never will
1. The Joys of Motherhood Mitigated not Insignificantly by the Fears of Motherhood 2. How the Super-loud Clicking, Clanking and Clonking of our Baseboard Heating is Killing Me Not-so-Softly Despite 64,000 Attempts at Quieting It 3. The Spreading Crop of Grey Hair on the Right Side of My Head that […]
falloween 2013
Some crazy things are going on at home tome headquarters this Falloween. For one thing, our decorative grass, above, has turned a pleasing shade of brown and sprouted fancy, fall-ish tufts. Six friendly ghosts are calling our pergola home… Boo! After several years of searching/hoping for/dreaming about weird white mutant […]
what to do when a rabid bat is flying around your living room
1. First, it’s important that you sink into a deep, contented slumber, trusting that all is well with your shelter: the security alarm is set, the baby is asleep, and your tall, strapping husband is in a nearby room viewing yet another Sci-Fi thriller. (This is a predilection of his […]
10 topics for new parents to discuss on date night
Though it’s hard to get out of the house when you have an infant, it is extremely important that you go on a date with your spouse and communicate about things that matter. Here are some suggested topics of conversation: 1. Babyproofing and the inordinate number of unsolvable dangers in […]
this week’s top 8 food and beverage pairings
1. Bagel and Coffee 2. Muffin and Coffee 3. Peanuts and Coffee 4. Figs and Coffee 5. Avocado and Coffee 6. Cheddar Cheese, Grapes, and Coffee 7. Potato Chips and Coffee 8. Chips, Salsa, and…Coffee *Not sure if you’ve noticed a pattern here: coffee is a perfect pairing with all […]
solids, sort of
Maybe I’m lazy. Maybe I resist change. Maybe I’m seeing the light on this breastfeeding thing (which I did not like at first) and am realizing how convenient it is. Whatever the reason, it has taken me a while to make homemade baby food. Instead, for the 2.5 months that […]
