Another thing about three

It’s been said that having three kids means that somebody is always at a trying developmental stage.  This is probably true. However, to put a positive spin on things, this also means that the majority of kid-dom in the household are in a good phase.  So, that would be like…67%?  That’s passable.  Almost a B-, [...]

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What happens when Mummy naps (and Jamie doesn’t)

Generally speaking, if Jamie is up, I’m up.  But on Sunday afternoon, I was so wiped that I couldn’t stay on my feet a second longer.  So, after setting out enough activities to keep an entire preschool class busy and locking the safety gate (to keep Jamie upstairs, and Molly safely downstairs) I said: “Mummy’s [...]

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Sooooo sick

As in me.  I’m sick.  With a  “I want to crawl under a rock and hide” kind of sick. Be that as it may, there is no ‘sick’ in a Mummy’s world.  I’m still cutting up apples for snack, washing dirty dishes, nursing and wiping bums, and throwing in laundry in the never-ending battle to [...]

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Roll over, Molly

She did, this morning. Mike missed the big event by seconds.  She looked fine afterwards, he said.  Just a little surprised. Since “surprised” is Molly’s default expression, it’s hard to tell how she felt about the event or if she even noticed. At her 2 month appointment this week, the doctor asked if she was [...]

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On being a mother to three

I’d like to be the kind of mum that makes it look easy, mothering three. And there are moments when I really do feel like an uber-Mom. Tess and Jamie are giggling together, Molly is sleeping peacefully in her carrier, supper is in the oven and the laundry is marching itself downstairs to the washing [...]

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Silence: the impossible dream

Tess treated me to an ice cream cone for Mother’s Day.  She was beside herself with excitement as we drove to the store. “It’s just Mummy and Tess together!” she said, grinning widely.  “The boys and Molly are not allowed!” “It’s a Mummy and daughter date, right?” I said. “Right.” A kid’s CD, which Mummy [...]

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Happy Mother’s Day (and Merry Christmas!)

Highlights from Mother’s Day: a “love scrum”, as Mike called it, which involved all five of us piled into bed and snuggling while Mummy finished nursing Molly Tess’ gift of a home-made plastic bead necklace and bracelet set an outing for ice-cream with Tess – her treat watching the kids pick dandelion bouquets in the [...]

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Everything I needed to know about parenting, I learned from my Mum

In fact, my mother was so outstanding a parent, that it’s sometimes hard not to feel inadequate. Some parenting principles she taught me: Don’t compare: each kid is unique and perfect in his/her own way. Don’t show favouritism: and as Mum has said, why would you?  You love each kid differently, but with 100% of [...]

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Man, it’s loud around here.

And when all three kids are roaring, it’s deafening. I think the main problem is Jamie-James.  He has only two volumes: Loud and Ear-Popping. This means that he communicates EXCITEMENT and ENTHUSIASM at all times.  Or, depending on the mood, RAGE and ABJECT DESPAIR. “Jamie, indoor voice, sweetheart!” I find myself reminding him a bazillion [...]

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The blessings of a too-small house

We’ve got a 1400 sq. ft. house, which for a family of 5 ought to be plenty of space.  But some days…Man.  It feels like a place twice this size wouldn’t be big enough! The problem?  We have too much stuff.  There is no storage solution that could adequately contain the detritus of toys, books [...]

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