When Ray was searching for a picture of Izzy the Cat, he found a great one of Sophie the Baby, or “Soph-a-corn,” as Annabelle puts it, given the unicorn-esque hairdo.

A year ago, we had three cats. Then a neighbor dog got Ernie, an orange Cornish Rex (think Austin Powers’ cat with a bit of hair). And last night — ironically, during  a game called “Pets on Parade,” featuring discussion and celebration of each pet in the house — Annabelle found Izzy. Izzy was Ray’s […]

Every few weeks or so, it happens. I think it’s out there for everyone, you just have to be looking for it — or, in my case, I guess, writing about it. The universe hands over some lesson, some example, some unavoidable truth. For me, it’s delivered by Sophie. These offerings are tough to take, sometimes, but […]

When I heard that the pre-eminent kids music blogger lived in Phoenix, I knew I had to meet the guy. “What?! Blogging about childrens music?!” one of my colleagues (a childless one) asked, as I announced I was headed out to do an interview (a rare occurence in my job, these days; mostly I edit […]

Here is a lovely photo of the girls, posing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, marred only by the fact that Sophie insisted on clutching a Sesame Street coloring book. I can relate. At the next lookout point (I lost count, not sure which that was) yesterday, she initially refused to get out of […]

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just want to grocery shop in peace. I was standing in line at Safeway tonight — alone, for once — yawning myself awake and sort of mesmerized, I have to admit, by the woman in front of me. She was in a wheelchair, her legs tattooed with […]

  I rolled over in bed this morning, and even before I remembered why, something felt different. That’s right. It’s summer vacation. No lunches to make, no outfits to dig out of the laundry basket, no butts to kick out the door. Except my own — I still had to get to the office today.  […]

I braced myself for it all day. Nah, all year. The last day of kindergarten, Ms. X read the A.A. Milne poem appropriately titled “The End” to Annabelle — she reads it to all her kindergarteners on their sixth birthdays, and since Annabelle’s birthday is in July, the summer birthdays were celebrated on the last […]

And happy birthday to me, too. I’ve long maintained that the mom deserves a birthday gift, too. After all, it wasn’t Sophie who was running around town with a bath towel shoved between her legs, six years ago this morning. (Sorry — TMI.) So here’s my gift to myself. What do you think? I feel […]

No sooner had I posted that last entry, than Sophie appeared at the kitchen door. “I throwed up on Piglet.” And the couch. And — well, we’ll leave it at that. I got her settled in the bathtub, entered negotiations with Ray about who would stay home (I either won or lost, depending on your perspective) […]