Playground wars.

The playground can be a scary, scary place.

Last week on our nightly playground stop Benjamin and I met a mom, her 6-year-old son and her 3-year-old daughter. She had a very thick Russian accent and I spent 15 minutes answering her hard to decipher questions about the area. I wrote down useful websites, drew maps [...]

O’ Daddy, Where Art Thou?

Benjamin has this nasty little habit of calling every man in sight “Daddy.”
I’m sure if his father had a greater presence in his life this wouldn’t be the case. I’ve convinced myself, actually, that he does this because I’m a single mom. It’s just killing me. It happens in the grocery store, at the park, [...]

How to Make a Toddler Laugh

1. Tell toddler you are going to make him toast for breakfast.
2. Sit him on the counter or the table so he can’t move or run away.
3. When toddler says, “Toeeess?” answer with, “Toes??? You want to eat my toes???!!! NOOOOOO! Please, please, please don’t eat my toes!!!”
4. Jump up and down acting like your [...]

How to get a toddler into the bath.

Tell toddler his or her microscopic plastic monkey wants to ride in a boat. Hint: Make monkey whisper in your ear. Act alarmed and sad when plastic monkey tells you he’s never, ever been in a boat before.
Ask toddler if he or she knows where the monkey can find a boat.
Remind toddler of the toy [...]

“They Repeat.”

My best friend Mia mouthed this to me the other night while Benjamin and Sydney, her four year old daughter, were huddled beneath us eating cookies.
I had been talking about another adult, someone everyone in the room knows and has contact with frequently. Bad mommy. And naive mommy.
I may know a lot about being a [...]

Minor crisis or blessing in disguise? You tell me.

For the past three nights Benjamin has insisted upon sleeping in my bed.

Suddenly, after two years of sleeping in his own room, he wants to sleep in mommy’s bed. Last night, I went up and soothed him back down - four times - four times! Finally, I gave up and brought him downstairs.

Could this be a blessing in disguise? With Benjamin in my bed every night it would keep me from letting a man into my bed - prevent any flings with unworthy bedmates.

Or is it a minor crisis? What’s with this sudden need to sleep with me? How do I break the cycle? And what if I do meet someone, a potential boyfriend or even a fling? Future Alaina definitely won’t want Benjamin in my bed.

A sweet little reunion.

I picked up Benjamin Friday night.

He saw the car pull up my Mom’s driveway and stood there in disbelief. Could it be, could it be Mommy’s car? When he spotted me behind the wheel, his little mouth dropped open and just stayed open … hanging there as he ran to me in a stoic force of energy that only a two-year-old can harness.

“Mama!!! Maaaammmmmaa!!”

Big, deep hugs and lots of laughing and kisses ever since. It’s been a phenomenol weekend. And he hasn’t thrown a tantrum once. Not once. Oh, and that talking thing - you know when they say the babbles suddenly turn into sentences? It’s happening. Awesome by the way - when your little human starts spouting thoughts. Can’t wait to find out what’s in his little head …

And I’m thinking visits to Grandma’s more often might not be such a bad idea.

My hero.

This is the man who will always, always have my heart in his pocket.

Dr. Single Mom vs. the Pediatrician, and the winner is…

When it comes to my son and his health…I always cave the minute a doctor says, “looks like he needs some antibiotics.”
I blame my knee-jerk and submissive reaction to 1. my ignorance about all things medical, 2. my severe guilt for being a full-time single working mom and 3. my desire to just get the [...]

Adventures in Potty Training

How in the hell is cleaning out a little tiny plastic toilet easier than changing a diaper? Please, please experienced mommies enlighten me. How do you get the little toilet bowl clean? Do I have to scoop it out with a paper towel? Sigh.
And Benjamin just took his first pee pee in the potty!!! Standing [...]