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As we approach having two children, I contemplate how SuperBoy’s natural inclination toward independence will play out. He will be almost 2 years old by the time his sister arrives. And although he loves to do things on his own, and we encourage him, on the whole, he is accustomed to having assistance with most things. Slowly but surely AA and I have been working on independence in particular areas: feeding himself, picking out his clothing, getting things ready for a diaper change (and putting them away), brushing his teeth, and self-selected play. 1) Feeding himself. He sometimes spends breakfast on my lap, eating his oatmeal & yogurt & fruit combo while we read the paper or a magazine together. Yes, his favorite subscription is…
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We enjoyed such a magical weekend: trips to the River, a little friend’s birthday party, a sweet and peaceful afternoon family nap, glorious weather, and lots of good food. But what about those weekends when your partner is working? Or you’re working? Or your child is tantrum-city? We’ve had our fair share of those kinds of weekends too. With a 21 month old, and a 35 week pregnant mama, here are a few things that have helped AA and I support each other, even while each of us is in dire need of a break. 1) Let go of all non-essential activities. For us, I’m the majority time-with-kiddo-parent. That means the few hours AA sees J at night, and those precious weekends, are truly gem…
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This is part 8 of our Birth & Parenting Series. Part 1 (Thoughts From a Mother of Four) is here, part 2 (Mother of Seven Shares Her Empowering Birth Stories) is here, part 3 (First-Time Mother of Twins) is here, part 4 (How First-Time Parents Braved a Placental Abruption) is here, part 5 (Childbirth Collective Doula Film Premiere) is here, part 6 (First-Time Mama Bravely Faces Transverse Baby & C-Section) is here, and part 7 (Homeschooling Mama Shares Her Path to Schooling) is here. For the first time, we have the privilege of hearing about birth from the father’s perspective. This dad helped his wife welcome their little girl into the world at a local birth center. His story shows how crucial partnership and support are through this beautiful and difficult process…
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Gardening is one of those wonderful family activities we love to do. It teaches J about stewardship, caring for the food we eat, having fun in the dirt, and doing something productive and delightful with us. Talk about nourishing the whole person of the child! I remember when he was still an infant and in the sling and I was out weeding two summers ago. It was heavenly. And then last summer he would wobble around in the tomato patch and try to put things into his mouth that didn’t belong there (i.e., sticks, compost, etc). Even if you don’t have a backyard, you can still do a considerable amount of gardening if you have a windowsill or even little terrace. Fresh herbs? Yes,…
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Chop, Boil, Puree. That’s it. 1) Chop. My dad worked in a slaughter house for years to put himself through school. He still likes to answer his phone with phrases like “City Morgue. You stab ’em, we slab ’em.” Or, “You slice ’em, we dice ’em.” I don’t know that there’s a correlation between the former employment and the City Morgue (animals v. humans, not such a big stretch), but I always think of those phrases when I’m chopping a bunch of anything. As an aside, my dad will eat any meat product, despite the fact that he knows what nasty stuff goes into those no-brand hot dogs. Sigh. I worked with a bag of organic apples from the Coop, and just washed, sliced, and…
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So we’re down to six weeks out, give or take a bit. It’s not a due date, right? It’s a “guess” date. They always say that in Blooma yoga classes (haven’t been? Hello?! prenatal support group, work out, and affirmation session!). And I like that. So instead of saying “I’m due April 16.” I say “I’m due sometime in April. My birthday is the 10th, AA’s is the 3rd, my brother’s is the 21st, so she could come and squash any of our birthdays 🙂 But truly, my beloved readers, how do the logistics of two children work? J is good about (and happy to) play by himself often. He thrives in our Montessori-esque set ups, with access to all sorts of exploratory toys,…
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