A Mindful Life

On Saturday, Claire and I went to Lakeshore Learning to do a free craft. I’d forgotten they offer these every Saturday, which is okay, because every time I visit I am lured by all the tempting teacher goodies, craft supplies, and games. But we went, and Claire made herself a T. Rex, and after that [...]

Kids are cute, babies are cute, puppies are cute. The little things are cute. See, nature did this on purpose so that we would want to take care of our young. Made them cute. Tricked us. Then gradually they get older and older, until one day your mother sits you down and says, “You know, [...]

Ah, the capriciousness of a preschooler’s opinions! When Claire is going through particular physical developments — such as learning to use scissors, cutting with a plastic knife, and so on, I’ve noticed our relationship hits an emotional roller coaster. Just last night as I tucked Claire in, we enjoyed the sweetest exchange. Me: “Night night [...]

I overheard Claire singing a made-up tune while she was looking at the Olivia book while on the potty. I took notes. Sometimes it even rhymes! The stanza breaks are mine based on when I heard her pause. My Sunshine Girl is not only a scientist, but also a lyricist and composer! I can hardly [...]

In the past couple of months, Claire has fallen in love with teeny tiny toys. Miniature dolls — Lalaloopsy, Strawberry Shortcake, Squinkies (OMG Squinkies!!!), and miniature accessories are the rage. For example, I came across this flower fairy tea party set up on the sofa in Daddy’s spot this afternoon. Here is Claire playing: This [...]

We’ve been busy climbing and splashing and creating! Claire had a total of three weeks of swimming lessons. She is still shy about getting her face in the water and going under water, but she had a blast with her teachers. She very specifically insisted on lady teachers “because they are more gentle.” (She had [...]

The lull of summer has me reading a lot but writing little. This blog has become a pictorial daybook with a few quotes tossed in for spice. Well, I blame the summer, but evidence shows that this is the trend my life has taken for the past year. Somewhere along the way I feel I’ve [...]

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It’s always our self we find in the sea. – e.e. cummings Headed out to the beach: Getting cozy in the sand (she also made sand angels): Barely able to stay still for a photo-op with Mommy: Racing the waves: The sky was gray but [...]

We’ve been busy lately. There have been little-girl sleepovers, outings to the park, and a field trip to pick strawberries. So, without further ado, let me show you the results of our latest outing. We start at this and this: We picked nine pounds of strawberries! And proceed to this and this: A sticky, boiling [...]