To My Baby Boy/Big Boy On His 5th Birthday

Dear Mattykinz, It seems ridiculous to think of it now but when I first learned you were going to be a boy, I was filled with worry and apprehension. I’m not really into cars, dirt, sports, bugs, or pretty much anything that is typically associated with raising a boy. And even though I know those […]

To My Baby Girl/Big Girl on Her 5th Birthday

Dear Lilabeans (aka My Lil’ Puddn Pop) It was this exact time 5 years ago, at 7:04 pm, that you came into the world and made me into a mother. Barely six pounds, so tiny and scrawny, and a terrible feeder and sleeper, you were just so unbelievably clingy and…needy, as I suppose all babies […]

The Great Birthday Gift Debate

I didn’t even know there was one! But I recently attended a workshop with other mothers of young children in which the focus was how to keep their play spaces organized, functional, and conducive to learning. And during the discussion, one mother raised the question of how to handle the onslaught of toys their kids […]