Tag Archives: motherhood

A new tattoo to illustrate the ineffable

“Wow, you had a tattoo before it was cool to have a tattoo,” said Mike, the guy planning my inking session said. He clarified, “Okay, tattoos are cool no matter what, but 20 years ago, there were only a couple … Continue reading

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Raiding the cookie jar in 2013

When we were kids, back in the stone age, we’d sneak cookies or whatever snacks we could find around the house.  I suppose all kids do this, and always will.  But there is a new twist to the desires of … Continue reading

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A frigid winter’s night

What does believe mean? Believe — It means truth, without seeing, Knowledge without touching. What do you believe? I believe in love. Love? Well, you can’t see love. I can. A small hand reaches out to touch my face. It … Continue reading

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Double chocolate and banana tart: putting the pieces back together

For once, I thought I’d easily conquered not only the tart dough on round one, but also the entire multi-step process without incident, aggravation, mistake, or calamity. Surprisingly, despite the fact that I had to make an appetizer and the … Continue reading

Posted in children, family, food, mistakes, motherhood | Tagged , , , , , | 22 Comments

Hey, Veruca, find any lost notecards down there?

My students are busily engaged in writing research papers.  For 7th graders, this is a new process, one that requires a significant amount of time, effort and energy.  This year, I have been impressed by their dedication to searching for … Continue reading

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Dog lips

Monkey Man, Gorilla Girl and I were playing in the yard, when the neighbor’s dog, Stuie, came racing across the street — Stuie is a black lab/shepherd, and though still a pup, he weighs about 80 pounds, and he’s fast.  … Continue reading

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Gone bananas

The soundtrack of our life has lately included far too much Taylor Swift.  Monkey Man’s favorite is the Romeo and Juliet song, while Gorilla Girl loves “Fifteen” and “You Belong With Me.” In the car, Monkey Man exhibits his skill … Continue reading

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What do sick days and cotton candy have in common?

It’s been a while since Monkey Man and Gorilla Girl were sick enough not to go to school, but when it comes, illness seems to linger like the stickiness of remembered carnival cotton candy. Like cotton candy, though, and despite … Continue reading

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“Fever 103°” by Sylvia Plath

Pure? What does it mean? The tongues of hell Are dull, dull as the triple Tongues of dull, fat Cerberus Who wheezes at the gate. Incapable Of licking clean The aguey tendon, the sin, the sin. The tinder cries. The … Continue reading

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Snow covered in snow

A red berry bush covered in snow. Monkey Man has been reading Maisy’s Snowy Christmas Eve, and my favorite line in the book explains that on the journey to find the stuck Eddie, the friends find, “Snow covered in snow.” … Continue reading

Posted in experience, family, motherhood, snow, winter | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments