thematically fickle

Three years ago today, we flew to Chicago to meet Ruby. The delayed flight certainly added to our anticipation and also, the agony of our wait. Out of the (mere) 7 months that our adoption process took before our match, it was this last 36 hours before we held our daughter that were the most [...]

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I’ve been a little overwhelmed here lately, which is part of the reason it’s been so tumbleweedy in these parts. Overwhelmed, and also quite a bit sick of myself. Aren’t all of you sick of myself, too? I certainly wouldn’t blame you. Nevertheless, I’m pushing past it.
And so: A story.
Ruby had her first [...]

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After using a fahncy, marble encased bathroom stall at Bloomingdale’s this afternoon, I met my mother at the row of sinks. Incidentally, for all of her outrageousness, she’s more of a rule-follower than I am and she opted for a regular stall, whereas I have no qualms about using the one intended for the wheelchair [...]

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I’ve heard it said that “The Terrible Two’s” is a myth and that really, what’s terrible are the threes. Ruby won’t be three for another month but I see what’s ahead because ahead has already mowed me down. Sometime during the last week, my beautiful, darling daughter was snatched up and replaced by a person [...]

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What did previous generations ever do without the internets? Need to know the actual lyrics to Blinded by the Light because “wrapped up like a douche” isn’t exactly rock song-y? Ask Jeeves. Have to know where Suriname is located because your friend is assigned to spend the next 27-months there for her Peace Corps stint? [...]

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Thanks to a Sudanese woman I met at a local farmer’s market last week, Ruby got her hair done today and we have no combing for two weeks! I know I just wrote about how important and meaningful that time is for me but, to be honest, combing my child’s hair has been extra challenging [...]

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Me: Do you know where babies come from, Ruby?
Ruby: Yah…?
Me: Where, honey? Where do babies grow?
Ruby: Laura’s tummy!
Me: Well, Alex’s mom did just have a baby grow in her tummy. You’re right. But…did you grow in Laura’s tummy?
Ruby: Nooooooooooo!
Me: Who’s tummy did you grow in?
Ruby: Ella’s!

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One of the first things my daughter says to me after waking each day—now that she’s evolved from the larval stage of infancy into a strategically manipulative human being—is “Please eat peanut-jelly.” Then she follows it, while shaking her head slowly, with “No hair, mama. No hair today.” Generally speaking, I comply with her first [...]

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“Ruby, tell mama to stop being so grumpy.”
“STOP! BEING! SO! GRUMPY! MAMA!”
“Ruby, tell daddy to stop being a jerk.”
“…….Daddy not being a jerk… Mama being a JERK!”

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