Is it normal to feel, at the age of 38, like you are just starting to figure out how to live a good, satisfying human life? Since coming out of my reproductive coma, I’ve been wandering into a particular state in which I feel like I can see and understand all of the things. Or… Read More Chambers of knowing
A couple weeks ago, I was doing what I usually do on a Monday morning: sitting in a room full of upholstered chairs with other allergy sufferers, applying ice packs to my arms while waiting the mandatory 30 minutes after getting my allergy shots. I often bring a book to read, but this time I… Read More I'd choose anaphylaxis over depression any day of the week and twice on Sundays
Alternate realities are helpful for the sake of comparison. I know, because I’m currently living one. My house feels twice as big, my brain half as full. I slept till nine effing thirty this morning and ate pizza and jellybeans for dinner last night. This is my life without children. For one week, both boys… Read More My week as a starfish or living at home without children
My awesome friend Jenn commented on the post I just wrote about Valentine’s Day and the tragicomedy that has accompanied it through my relationship with AJ. She wrote, Good points, and relevant to all sorts of expectations, not just holidays. You didn’t mention, have you ever done anything for AJ on Valentine’s Day? As a… Read More A p.s. on Valentine’s Day
I’m an idealist. So I often fantasize about someone knowing the Exact Most Perfect Version of what I want and presenting it to me on a platter at the precise time when I most need it. Shockingly, the result of this practice has been a fair amount of disappointment. Even when my family would scratch… Read More Giving up the Valentine’s Day ghost
I fear antibiotics the way that some people dread spiders or snakes. I actually had a nightmare when I was pregnant with Cal that I might need them during his birth and woke up in a cold sweat. Before I go on, let me also mention that I love antibiotics. When I got an infection… Read More How our family survives cold season
Woo hoo! Had to share this lovely post responding to my recent post championing Elisabeth’s call for picture books with varied female characters and a gender balanced cast. Whew. Were you able to connect all those dots? Hope so. I don’t have much time to preen my writing because A. is back to work today.… Read More Truly feminist picture book recommendations and paternity leave is over
For Father’s day, I’d like to celebrate the two fathers I know and love best: the one who co-made me, and the one who I helped to make. Here’s my dad the day I was born. This man, as you can see, takes the fatherhood gig very seriously. And yet he can still chill out… Read More Happy Father’s Day to the two I know and love best
A and I just celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary this week. (Yep. Still obsessed with faceless wedding photos.) We have this little ritual on our anniversary of writing down our best and worst times from the past year and our goals for the coming months. While we were out to dinner (what a JOY it… Read More How our relationship was swallowed whole by a baby
Stephanie Mackley 