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Chapter 2

2011 June 1
by MushBrain

Yikes! Has it really been almost a month since that last post?! Sorry!

I try. I can give you tons of excuses but I knew it was slipping away from me these last couple weeks. (The calendar in front of me is not-so-subtly correcting me — the last few weeks.) Really, my apologies.

Alas, I do have one genuine explanation. read more…

Cottontail Confusion

2011 May 4
by MushBrain

How many adults does it take to prepare the perfect Easter morning? Apparently three. Three very confused adults. read more…

Failure to Communicate

2011 April 19
by MushBrain

Communication is the bedrock of all relationships, in my opinion. Once you can communicate effectively, all the other important elements of a relationship just become second nature. read more…

About a Boy and His Dog

2011 April 12
by MushBrain

There are many things that I learned from my parents growing up. Among those things is a true appreciation and love for animals. I learned this from both my parents, but probably most from my dad, who like me has great empathy for all animals, especially dogs. read more…

Words of Wisdom

2011 March 22

If there is one thing that is never in short supply as a parent, it’s advice. Everyone has advice for parents. It starts as soon as people know you’re pregnant and I’m pretty sure it never stops. It certainly doesn’t stop by age two and a half. read more…

Shabbat Shalom

2011 March 19

Jewish holidays are always interesting in our house. Mainly because we’re not Jewish, but there are Jewish holidays in our house. read more…

The Transformation Begins

2011 March 14

I think most of us live our lives wondering if we will one day turn into our mothers (or fathers). For better or worse, it does seem to happen to the best of us, so the question then is when? The answer in my case is, apparently, when your child turns two and a half years old. read more…

Candyland Redux

2011 February 23
by MushBrain

Lilly got Candyland for Christmas this year. I used to love Candyland when I was a kid. Really, really loved it. Seemingly much more than any other human being alive in the ’70s and ’80s because I could never find someone to play it with me. So I was excited when Lilly got it because my inner child has been waiting decades for this day. read more…

New Heights

2011 February 17
by MushBrain

If there is one main difference between parents and the rest of the human population it is the comfort level with poop. From the time your baby is born, poop becomes a key component of daily life. As one of my dear friends said recently while we were visiting his newborn son still in the hospital: “I knew I’d get used to talking about poop. I just didn’t realize it would be so soon.” read more…

Poop de RĂ©sistance

2011 January 14
by MushBrain

So if you were somehow attracted to this post out of a love for potty humor, you will probably be disappointed because in our house poop is no joking matter. It is, however, a common topic of conversation. And for the last week or so, poop has also become a team effort. read more…

Words Have Meaning

2011 January 9
by MushBrain

Yesterday another American tragedy unfolded. Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at point blank range in broad daylight. Giffords was the target, but a federal judge, a 30-year-old congressional aide, a 9-year-old girl and two women and one true gentleman lost their lives in the attack; there were 20 victims in all. read more…

Written in Stone

2011 January 3
by MushBrain

Got any New Year’s resolutions for 2011?? You know I do. But I have to warn you: they are boring as hell. read more…

Not To Do List

2010 December 30
by MushBrain

Do I have a list of things I wish not to do again? Hm, I guess not. Well, I should. Because I have something to add to it. Let’s call it Number 1: read more…

Optimism Is For Suckers

2010 December 29
by MushBrain

I wish I could be an optimist, but I just don’t think I have it in me. read more…

The Terror-Filled Twos

2010 December 8

This is Lilly’s third Christmas season. The first one when she has any clue what is going on. We’ve all been very excited about it. Elliott and I have been talking about Santa Claus, Christmas lights and Rudolph for weeks. And Lilly fell for it all hook, line and sinker. Sure, there’s the little hiccup that she seems to think that Christmas is a place (“We going to Christmas, Mommy?”), but she’s been excited and that’s what’s important. read more…