Wanted: Friendship
Married, thirty-something mother of three seeks friends. Continue reading Wanted: Friendship
Category: Motherhood
That’s Just the Mom That I Am
It started with a discussion about Halloween costumes. I let the kids get fancy store-bought costumes this year, I texted my college roommates, all of them moms. I continued to talk about how I usually have them choose something from our dress-up bin or find something secondhand. I couldn’t fight the urge to explain myself. Then, my friend Katie responded. Our kids have store-bought costumes, … Continue reading That’s Just the Mom That I Am
Why can’t I sleep?
Because I forgot to move a load of laundry to the dryer. Because I hear footsteps on the stairs. Because the six-year-old has aching shins–growing pains, again. Because there’s been another shooting in another school. Because teenagers are tossing toilet paper into the neighbor’s trees. Because my husband’s CPAP mask has shifted. Because the dog is snoring. Because I need to list all the reasons … Continue reading Why can’t I sleep?
The Miracle of You
MotionlessI watch two pink lines declare your existence–the start of the miracle of you. FrozenI hold my breath, looking for a flutter–your heart on the grainy screen. At restI place my hand on my abdomen, waiting for you to move again–our first high five. SpellboundI drink in your face, wondering who you will be–my favorite new hobby. StillI welcome your head on my shoulder, puffs … Continue reading The Miracle of You
Noodles
Steam shoots into the air as the ball of noodles hits the boiling water. My daughter’s eyes dance, following the cook as he performs his choreography, accompanied by a cacophony of hisses, sizzles, and splatters. He is an artist; a simple white bowl awaits his creation. I stare at my own masterpiece, savoring the strokes of blue in her eyes. A stranger once said to me, … Continue reading Noodles
Sunshower
I keep my sunglasses on when we enter the building. To remove them would reveal my red, swollen eyes to the world, and I don’t have the energy to fend off empathetic looks or questions. Not today. It’s my daughter’s fifth birthday, and we’ve brought treats for her class: 14 little hedgehog cupcakes. My daughter leads us down the basement hallway; she’s nearly running in … Continue reading Sunshower
Milk Teeth
We heard the footsteps before we saw her come flying down the stairs. “What is it, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” I asked. It was not normal for our oldest to be out of bed. She jutted out her jaw and responded without closing her mouth fully to form the words. “I was wiggling my tooth and tasted blood in my mouth,” she said, making her way … Continue reading Milk Teeth
Seattle, 2014
You eat chicken and waffles and don’t share a bite. You pose for a picture with your husband in front of the Space Needle (you look so rested in that photo). You don’t worry about kids getting lost in the museum or laying on the floor in a public bathroom. You stroll city streets without a plan, pop into a gallery of glass without hands … Continue reading Seattle, 2014
the stories that keep us together
Week 2 of Homeschool: My daughter cries nearly every day. Sometimes the tears come when I ask her to read to me or to try something new, but most often the tears come when I fail to do things the “right” way (i.e., how things were done at her school last year). This last offense is by far the worst, as it reminds her of … Continue reading the stories that keep us together
a list of things to count in the first year
fingers and toes by tens
heartbeats per minute
grams, then convert to pounds
inches, from head to tips of toes Continue reading a list of things to count in the first year
Melissa Kutsche 