Browsing all posts in Motherhood.

No Time?

I was reading my Scientific American this weekend (yes, I do read science mags in my spare time. I’m weird like that), and I was fascinated by an article suggesting that there’s good reason to think that there’s really no such thing as time. The basic idea is pretty simple. Einstein’s relativity puts time into [...]

The Mother’s Guide to Empty Nesting

Granted, I don’t quite have an empty nest. My youngest doesn’t yet drive, but he is going to real school in the fall, so I’m feeling empty (-er.) But I do have an idea of what I am going to do with myself when my little ones (currently 5’8″ and counting) no longer require me [...]

The Mother and the Horrible, Awful, No-Good, Terrible Day

Every once in a while, every mother has one of those days. Those are the days when you cheerfully would give half your life to just skip forward a tad. They, luckily, are mostly rare. When they happen, it feels as though the world is caving in. There are few remedies for the Horrible, Awful, [...]

What Time?

An article from the Washington Post entitled, “The Test of Time: A busy working mother tries to find out where all her time is going” created a firestorm last week. (Thanks to Undomestic Diva for pointing it out, because, not being a Washington Post regular, I would have missed it.) Mommy bloggers went nuts over [...]

I Bet Will Shortz Never Loses His Cool With His Kids

A study published last week offers some really interesting insights into that frustration/yelling/losing it phase of parenting. Researchers looked at parents of same sex twins, watching them interact with each kid in a few frustrating tasks. Then they gave the moms a series of tests of cognitive skill. They found that frustration intolerance in the [...]

Karma is a Bitch

I have just returned from the annual comeuppance of the Goth’s debate tournament. There may be only one universally useful subject being taught in high school today. Not that math and science and English skills are not useful, but no matter what you are going to do for a living, you have to be able [...]

Breast Feeding, Toddler Style

In the weirdest news ever category, a toy manufacturer in Spain has begun shipping the world’s first breastfeeding doll. Let me explain. You see, some explanation is required. The doll owner–let’s not be sexist and expect that it’s a girl–puts on a vest. The doll cuddles up to said vest and, well, sucks. Somewhere around [...]

How Old is Too Old?

I am taking a break from ancient Greece (which deserves much more time than I have had to devote to it recently) to cover some breaking history of motherhood from our own time. Hey–it’s still history. In the making. The world’s oldest mother, having given birth at the tender, young age of 66, died last [...]

Just Say No

I’m not talking about drugs or alcohol. I’m fine with that. I’m talking about something far more insidious. Something that threatens families, daily. Something that leads to marital disharmony, kids going hungry (or being forced to eat fast food), and husbands left alone to watch action movies on TV for the fortieth time. Something that [...]

The Things You Learn When You Slice Your Finger (Almost) Off

I’m the first to admit that my knife skills aren’t up there with a master chef, but I do at least manage to get dinner on the table, most of the time, without any added protein from my finger. But not Thursday night. I was almost done making butternut squash soup, to be served with [...]