Dear Political Robo-callers,

Thanks so much for your interest in my vote! I can't tell you how special it makes me feel to hear from you every 30 minutes or so. We don't have much else to do during the day, so answering your pleas to cast a ballot for you, really listen to the issues, get out and vote early (as if! What if I vote before I hear another of your fantastic recordings? I'd feel so cheated!) or realize that I shoul…

• Posted 1 yr. ago.

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's ... WordGirl?…

It all started, as so many MJ-related things do, with dancing.

• Posted 1 yr. ago.

Code Red: Stuck Bunny

Ring! Randy, at work: Hey. Me: We have a situation. Him: What kind of situation? Me: A backyard bunny situation. We have a bunny stuck in our fence. Him: A bunny stuck in our fence ... Me: Yes. A bunny stuck in our fence. Him: You mean he tried to go under the fence and got stuck?

• Posted 1 yr. ago.

The House That Boring Built

Now that I've been the mother of a preschooler for a full month, I'm prepared to offer the single, sure-fire secret to getting your child to succeed in his or her new environment. I guarantee if you follow this simple advice, your tot won't cry when you leave her at the door and administer your kisses goodbye. She won't complain when you wake her up before she's ready to go to a place she will kno…

• Posted 1 yr. ago.

Children Like Us

My preschooler and I are so often at cross-purposes that I feel like we are from different universes. In hers, sleeping through the night, currently, is not condoned and may actually be punishable by law. Goldfish crackers are a nutritious lunch. Pants, even outside, are optional. In my constellation, on the other hand, sleeping an entire night without an interruption is my fondest dream come true…

• Posted 1 yr. ago.

All She Wants For Christmas

• Posted 1 yr. ago.

The Real Imaginary Friend

• Posted 1 yr. ago.

Motherhood: The Interview

Motherhood, one of the biggest, baddest jobs in history, requires no interview with your future boss(es). It's a little nuts, when you think about it. But what would a job interview for Motherhood (not the clothing chain) look like? What would the questions be? How would you answer them? I took a few common questions people encounter in "real-world" situations and imagined how I would have answere…

• Posted 1 yr. ago.

The Grown-Up

I was going through the supermarket last week, wondering how I would manage this same task, very soon, with two kids once Little L is out of the infant carrier. While it's challenging to find space for groceries with the carrier in the cart and MJ in the seat, I'll take the containment system any day over the prospect of chasing a preschooler down the aisles as she pursues free samples. Just as th…

• Posted 1 yr. ago.

Essential Services

Sometimes, as I plan my day with MJ and Little L around an afternoon trip to Target, five minutes away -- and all the logistics that such a simple journey will require -- I marvel at the freedom of mobility I had in my 20s. A few months living in New York, a few months living in Chicago, and a few more living in D.C. Hopping in the car and spending a weekend with friends in Atlanta. Taking an 11-…

• Posted 1 yr. ago.