toddlers

It’s a Jungle Out There

Sitting in the petri dish of a playground at a nearby fast-food chain, I watch my grandkids jump around like just-released-into-the-wild baboons. Like every other adult in the room, I hoped this stop would be a fun diversion, a place the kids could play while I read War and Peace. Kids on playgrounds are fascinatingContinue reading “It’s a Jungle Out There”

A Sixth Sense

When my oldest daughter turned 15 and my youngest daughter turned 3, strange things began to happen. The TV turned on and off all day. No matter how often I shut the kitchen cabinets and drawers, they were always open. I’d put toys and books away, and the next minute they were on the floor again. IContinue reading “A Sixth Sense”

A Brief History of Children

When silly, old Eve chose wisdom over nudity in the garden of Eden, what was her punishment? That she would be fruitful and multiply. In non-biblical words, she was doomed to have children. Seems like the penalty didn’t really fit the crime. Did she understand, as she grew rounder and larger and moodier, that a parasitic growth wasContinue reading “A Brief History of Children”

Things That Make Me Happy

I’m a pretty happy person. I’m realistically optimistic and usually expect the best. But I can also be a bit moody (“What the hell does THAT mean?”) and can get gloomy if I find myself doing the same thing over and over again. I’m also pretty good at cheering myself up. I have lots of go-toContinue reading “Things That Make Me Happy”