What scrapbooking is teaching me about my two-year-old son
When I started my blog, I considered calling it “Seven Cars and a Kitten” because the first time Tom ever made a collage, that’s what it contained. I loved the odd juxtaposition of things he liked. Several months later, the pictures that he chooses to cut out and stick in his scrapbook remain a lovely insight into what makes him tick.
How I’m preparing myself for my daughter’s future sex life
I am painfully aware that M is quickly approaching the age where she won’t be able to resist the primal urge of her loins, and she will either pursue a sexual relationship or will give into pressure from a boy that she likes. I know this is normal and we all go through it but I want to try and make sure she is prepared to do it safely, and on her terms.
We’re turning our kiddos into gardeners — and they love it
Becoming a homeowner and having a patch of my very own earth renewed my enthusiasm for gardening, and my pregnancy a few years later roped my husband into the process. Lumbering, exhausted, and vaguely afraid of toxoplasmosis in the soil, I coerced him into carrying out my vision of the vegetable garden until he’d fully drunk the Kool-Aid.
Collaborative photography with my autistic five-year-old
Lately, the line in my photography and Remy’s is blurring just a teeny tiny bit. (No, I am still not letting him shoot with my DSLR. It just weighs too much and would be too expensive to replace if he dropped it.) Remy has moved on from the Canon point-and-shoot I was letting him use when there were fresh batteries to be found. He has also discovered a love of the iPod camera, just as I have.
The joys of gardening with a toddler
Spending a couple of hours out in the garden on a sunny morning or afternoon is a fantastic way to spend some time with your children. They get to learn new things and have fun doing something productive.
My daughter and I bonded over Harry Potter fanfic
Fanfic exists to fill in those gaps between episodes, to make plots make more sense; to carry on a beloved series of books after the author has abandoned it. And, let’s be honest here, to let the characters do what their creators never would — have sex. Lots and lots of sex.
Forging a relationship with my new step-daughter
Sophia’s technically not my step-daughter yet, and if I stick with just the off-hand comment of how my fiance has a child, it sounds like I’m not involved in her life. “Soon-to-be step-mom” is awkward and clunky, and referring to her as a room mate is clearly not an option.
How are you going to talk about drugs with your kids?
Here’s how I think about a drug like marijuana: it can be fun, but it’s by no means a path to greater enlightenment.