Category

mothering daughters

• mothering daughters, Sally

  Heavy Foreshadowing

  02.02.12 | Permalink | 6 Comments

  I have spent the last eleven years waiting for the day my little ducklings would drift off into other rooms rather than playing and singing and chattering always a few feet away from m;, a few feet from dinner prep on the kitchen island, a few feet from the nursing chair as I read, a [...]

• daughters, Family, motherhood, mothering daughters

  What would Marilla do?

  01.26.12 | Permalink | 5 Comments

  I am getting old. I am the mom in the book instead of the coming-of-age heroine. I am Mrs. Bennet clucking over five husband-less girls. I am Marilla Cuthbert, mopping the kitchen floor, weeping, after seeing Anne off to Queens while her pretty bosom friend goes on a picnic with cousins. I am the comfortable marriage and [...]

• motherhood, mothering daughters

  Maybe I’ll let her drive at thirteen

  12.08.11 | Permalink | 11 Comments

  Every birthday and Christmas for the past two years, I’ve offered to let Avery get her ears pierced. Every time she has declined, asking instead for books and swim stuff and roller blades and, this year, a punching bag. This morning we had a bra crisis (note: best to own at least two of the acceptable variety at all [...]

• Family, mothering daughters, Susan

  “At least she’s not a sociopath” i.e. Things You Never Thought You’d Say Before You Had Kids

  09.10.11 | Permalink | 2 Comments

  Girl drama in the neighborhood this evening. Callie walked down the street and found Beatrice* reading a note from Hero* after an unspecified fight. The note called Beatrice “pissy.” Callie (who has previously liked both Beatrice and Hero equally) helped Beatrice write her response and delivered the second note. I heard about it when Hero’s [...]

• homeschool, mothering daughters, Sally, school

  Why I haven’t given up on public school

  09.08.11 | Permalink | 6 Comments

  This year I didn’t go through my usual cycle of Spring = Daydream of Homeschool; Fall = Boot Them Out Now. We had a great summer that was a little crazy with our basement finishing project, and we’re still sucking the marrow out of the warm days and cool evenings. We’re on a hiking-to-waterfalls kick [...]

• faith, mothering daughters, movies, sex

  “You look good wearing my future”

  03.18.11 | Permalink | 7 Comments

  I still remember the metaphor Donna Martin used in the TV show Beverly Hill, 90210 to convince the parents that sex education is a good thing. She says: what if there’s this swimming pool and you do everything you can to keep the kids out of it, you build a big fence and you keep [...]

• mothering daughters, Sally

  Probably can’t claim to be 25 anymore

  01.29.11 | Permalink | 2 Comments

  Avery is 10 today. I could write some tear jerker about how she was the one who made me a Mom all those years ago and how sweet she is despite remembering (and mentioning often) how I whacked her with a hairbrush when she was four. But I’ll just say I’m glad my baby ticker [...]