Natural as Possible Mom

Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper, $22.39 at Amazon.com Pros: Easy to use and clean. Stores easily. Makes delicious popcorn. Comes with a 25-year warranty on all mechanical parts. Manufactured (mostly) and assembled in the U.S.A. (Lid assembly pieces are made in China; Pot is manufactured here in the States as per Wabash Valley Farms customer service.) [...]

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When I was a little girl I was a spy. I spent most of my childhood listening in stealth mode — to my mom on the phone, to her talking to her friends, to adults. Until this weekend, I thought I knew why. I’ve blogged about this before. My dad died in Penn Station sitting [...]

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While I admire Little Girl’s spirit, it also makes me scratch my head sometimes. Here is a list of wacky, maddening things she’s done over the past year. Drew on the bathroom wall with deodorant. Big, round circles, which have yet to fade even with lots of washing and scrubbing. Stuck Big Girl’s DS stylus [...]

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Today is a snow day here in New York. Hubby got up and, because he takes a train to work, was able to go off to the city. Me? I was at home with both kids. No babysitters in sight. We did a bunch of stuff to keep busy and have fun. I had Big [...]

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Two stories to write before I go to bed, but I wanted to blog about my girls. What I am truly loving about them right now. We’ve spent a lot of quality time together lately and I am blown away at how cute and sweet they are. Big Girl: How she laughs with her whole [...]

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It’s cold here in New York — too cold for a two-year-old who doesn’t like gloves or hats. This is why, every morning this month, I’ve sending Big Girl out to the bus stop by herself. Ever the helicopter parent, I park myself in front of the window so I can watch her obsessively until [...]

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For anyone wondering: My day didn’t get a lot better on Friday until the kids were asleep. Big Girl lost it at religion over scrapbook stickers. She was asked to leave the table. She was crying on the couch as her friends and classmates left. As much as it killed me, I kept my mouth [...]

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The notebook lay open on the counter. I didn’t recognize Big Girl’s scrawl so I picked it up for a closer look. There, on the page, was the following: “Bring it tomorrow and you said if you don’t I could punch you thank you good night.” WTF?!? I called Big Girl into the kitchen. What [...]

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I recently had the occasion to work with a large group of 6- and 7-year-olds. We were working on a craft. One of the little girls wanted to tell me a story. I will paraphrase it below: “You know how some kids get left back? Well, there’s this big, fat, smelly, stupid kid. His name [...]

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Yesterday I got to dance studio a little early to pick Big Girl up. The class ends at 6. Little Girl and I got there at 5:40. We sat down on the chairs and watched through the door. Sitting right next to us was a little girl in a ballet outfit. Her class got out [...]

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