A Mindful Life / Kathryn Petro Harper » Humor

Why Having a Toddler Is Like Being at a Frat Party

Kathryn — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:28:33 +0000

There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub.
There’s always that one girl, bawling her eyes out in a corner.
It’s best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.
You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone’s going to start banging on the door.
Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.
You’ve got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.
There’s definitely going to be a fight.
You’re not sure whether anything you’re doing is right, you just hope it won’t get you arrested.
There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.
You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.

Little Miss No Nap

Kathryn — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:54:04 +0000

She’s not been napping this week… but the ride home from the store proved too soothing.

What Did You Do Today?

Kathryn — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 03:51:58 +0000

We had fun with shaving cream and food coloring!

Hunger Makes the Best Sauce

Kathryn — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:10:25 +0000

So the common wisdom says. Apparently everything tastes good to the hungry palate.

But when sick, it’s hard to know one is hungry, because smell and taste are linked so closely; even a growling stomach feels muffled to some extent. Tonight I was able to taste my dinner. It was lovely.

I can mostly breathe, smell, and taste again. Almost 100% back to healthy.

And here is Claire, pretending to be a fire-breathing dragon. She’s become much more cooperative with the breathing treatments, especially if she has her father’s fancy phone to play plinky-plink on. Tomorrow we switch to the treatments being twice a day instead of every six hours.

Hundred Acre Wood Meets Michelangelo

Kathryn — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:55:57 +0000

After nap Claire decided to bring many stuffed animals downstairs. She lined them up on the couch and told them stories, and then she lined them up on the floor and pretended they were watching television. There was one arrangement that caught my eye. I was feeling absurd, and this configuration of Piglet in Pooh’s arms reminded me of La Pietà.

Yes, perhaps I’m irreverent, but when you spend all day with a two-year-old I think there’s an explanation.

Last Movie of 2009

Kathryn — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 03:34:55 +0000

Happy New Year!

Is It Even Possible?

Kathryn — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:11:27 +0000

The conception of two people living together for twenty-five years without having a cross word suggests a lack of spirit only to be admired in sheep.

–Alan Patrick Herbert

My Favorite Girl In the Whole World

Kathryn — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:11:32 +0000

Happiness abounds in the ordinary. Of course, it helps to have a good night’s sleep.

Have Fun

Kathryn — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:15:47 +0000

This is a neat idea. (See the movie here if it doesn’t embed.) More fun videos here!

The Early Bird

Kathryn — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:50:49 +0000

OMG, I haven’t got my child enrolled for preschool this fall! Nearly every other mother I know whose child is about to turn two has taken care of this. I haven’t since I thought we’d be moving and wanted to see where we’d be before I pursued this.

Oh no. My child won’t be ready for kindergarten! (Never mind the fact that I never went to preschool, and I did just fine.)