If I had to show you innocence, I would show you smocking on a dress. A cup of milk. Frost on a jack-o-lantern. A dandelion in a plastic cup. Sidewalk art made with chalk. The way a baby's lips move while he sleeps. A toddler hanging an ornament on a...

A few weeks ago, my 4-year-old daughter Sophie and my mom were talking about Sophie's scooter, the one big gift she wanted for Christmas. She told my mom how much she liked riding it but added, "I don't know why Santa got me a green one, though, when...

This week, Sophie and I have had a tough week. Every "no" has been met with a "but." Every request has come out as a demand. "Please" and "thank you" have all been but forgotten. One day she was whining so much I truly wondered if her whine voice was...

My husband Andy had an early softball game tonight so the kids and I met him there to cheer him on. And by cheer him on I mean I tried to catch him at bat at least once while watching four-year-old Sophie climb all over the bleachers and feeding tiny...

It had been a trying day. It was one of those days in which the tiniest bump or the smallest "no" or the wrong song prompted tears. Every diaper was a "seriously? again?" diaper. No one ate well. No one napped well. A toy no one was playing with became...

To the Parents I Knew Four Years Ago: I'm Sorry

I have come to realize many things since having three children. For example, I now know that I can read "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" seven times in a row without going insane. No matter what people say, throw-up...