Reality Bites

Umm ... hi. So ... as I mentioned recently, I have a little problem. Well, it's kind of a big problem for me. It's carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists, and we all know what aggravates CTS - typing. Guys, this CTS is "severe" in one hand, and it's not going to heal itself. In …

It’s Tough Living in Legoland

Way in the northern rural-suburban stretches of New Jersey, settled in a cozy two-story yellow house, sprawled across the plush swaths of rug in the library room, lays a quaint and peaceful little town called Legoland. Tourists might enjoy a visit to the city's awe-inspiring cathedral... Front towers! A rose window! Flying buttresses! Clerestory windows! Pews …

Why Am I Still Griping About Daylight Saving Time?!

Why am I complaining about something that happened on Sunday? Something I should've gotten over by now? Because my kids haven't gotten over it, that's why. I'll be honest with you; I dread Fall Back and Spring Forward every year now that I have kids. (And also honestly, Fall Back used to be my second …

Toddler Talk Tuesday: A New Toddler and Her Words!

Hi guys! Umm ... so I've missed two regular Monday posts in a row. Yikes. I'm sure nobody noticed (except my parents and in-laws ... am I right?), but I'm disappointed in myself because I prefer to maintain personal discipline with my goals, even for hobbies. Buuut.... There have been two recent changes here. The …

I Can’t Wait For My Kids To “Grow Up So Fast” – Here Are My Top 10 Reasons Why

That expression! "They grow up so fast; enjoy every minute!" Do I enjoy every minute? Of course not. No parent does. If they say yes, they're lying the biggest lie a person can make. I will never enjoy changing a diaper or cleaning up spilled meals (although I do have a perma-clean dining area floor …

Toddler Talk Tuesday: Happy Halloween and … Taunting?

First off, Happy Halloween! I hope you and your kids are enjoying a very spirited holiday (see what I did there?!). Squish has been wearing her Elsa costume for the past 6 weeks ... every day (yes, I've washed it), and Puff has worn her costume all of 0.75 seconds - and never will again. …

Why I Can’t Make it as a Millennial Parent

I've made a few mistakes as a parent so far - I mean, who hasn't? - but I feel like a biggie lately has been being out of touch with what a parent does nowadays. I'm not one to really spoil my kids, and I hate the whole "don't touch my precious snowflake" mentality, so …

Toddler Talk Tuesday: Parlez-vous Français?

My girls are at the point where they have short conversations together, even if it's just "Morning!" or "Are you playing with that?" and then "No, done!" etc. It's cute to watch, especially because it often includes a lot of deadpan unintentional humor - hilarious to us but difficult to capture on paper. Hopefully soon …

The Only Phonics Song You’ll Ever Need – Plus Our Fave YouTube Videos

We don't have a lot of screen time in our house, but when we do, it's usually television. And it mostly involves a princess, especially Sofia the First. Yeah, we should probably have Squish watching all educational TV, but ... we just didn't start out that way, and it's hard to change direction two years …

Oh, Great Pumpkin, Where Are You?!

Decorating for Halloween is NOT like decorating for Christmas. I can't get into the Halloween spirit no matter how hard I try. What happens is the house looks half-assed (like much of what I do in life, as I judge it) ... don't you think?   Basically we made paper spider, ghost, and bat decorations …