I Called the Dog “Chunky,” and My Toddler Heard Me
At dinner a few weeks ago my 3-year-old daughter Penrose was ignoring her food, preferring to ask a million questions about the episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation“ we were watching. “What is...
View ArticleMy 2-Year-Old Is Baby Crazy…But I’m Not
“Sisterbrother! Sisterbrother!” My 2-year-old daughter, Penrose, pulled my shirt up and was yelling into my belly button. “You in there, sisterbrother?” Before anyone gets too excited, no, I’m not...
View ArticleThe Complications of Being Pregnant & Giving Birth on a Small Island
Living on North Haven, an island off the coast of Maine, added a lot of wrinkles to my pregnancy. There were regular trips to the mainland (which meant bringing the car on the ferry, planning ahead and...
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I Need to Find More Hanukkah TV. Help!
Without my encouraging or approving it, my 2.5-year-old daughter, Penrose, has developed a sense of Christmas. “We’re going in our rocket ship to Christmas!” she’ll shout from inside a cardboard box....
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Meet the Lesbian Jewish Mom & Rabbi Who’s Leading a Congregation in Rural Maine
Not every small, rural Jewish congregation is lucky enough to have a rabbi. Temple Beth Israel, in Waterville, Maine—also home to Colby College—is lucky to have not just any rabbi, but Rav Rachel...
View ArticleWhy I’m Not Following Any One Potty Training Method
A while ago, I cajoled my 2.75-year-old daughter Penrose into sitting on her new potty. It’s blue, with a little bear on the front and a removable white bowl. We have one in the upstairs bathroom and...
View ArticleI’m Getting to Know My Toddler Through ’70s &’80s Music
When I was 5-and-a-half months pregnant, my husband and I, both musicians, entertained ourselves by popping studio headphones on my bulging midsection and playing our favorite albums for the...
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Our Trip With Toddler Meltdowns and Messiness: Totally Worth It
When my San Diegan brother-in-law got engaged a year ago to his long-time girlfriend, those of us living 3000 miles away on a Maine island celebrated with cheers and gentle jibes of “It’s about time!”...
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I Had a Panic Attack–And My Toddler Knew What to Say
I’m anxious about a lot of things, most of which are transportation related. I take Ativan to fly in an airplane, I drive only on the tiny island where I live, and I don’t even ride a bicycle with any...
View ArticleBeing an Aunt Is Pure, Uncomplicated Joy
On September 27, I became an aunt for the very first time. My sister, two years younger than I am, obligingly popped out an adorable little boy for me to snuggle — and then give back to her. My...
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What Happened When My Toddler Learned How to Say ‘No’
While we were on vacation at the end of the summer, my 16-month-old daughter suddenly started saying no. She’d been shaking her head for a while, but now when we read her favorite book (“Are You a...
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How and Why I Gradually Weaned My Daughter
“Ah yes,” I thought to myself, “this is why we’re weaning.” I nursed Penrose for the last time when she was 17 months old on October 7. It was early evening–between dinner and bedtime. She asked for...
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I Thought I Was Ready to Wean My Daughter, But My Body Painfully Protested
When I wrote my last Kveller piece about gradually weaning my daughter, Penrose, I felt peaceful and optimistic. My body didn’t seem to be protesting the changes, and I knew I was making the right...
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The Upside to Being the Only Jewish Kid in Class
The kitchen table I grew up with, which is now my dining room table, is pocked with scorch marks from Hanukkah candles. My sisters and I each had a brass menorah and we lined them up on a foil-covered...
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My Hamsa Started the Interfaith Conversation with My Daughter
Flying makes me nervous. It never used to, but a few years ago on a bumpy trip back from England, I lost my faith in the Bernoulli principle. I used to pop a Xanax and snooze my way through the...
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I Accidentally Became a Stage Mom
Like most parents, I think my daughter Penrose is the cutest of all. I wasn’t surprised, therefore, when a friend who owns a t-shirt printing and design company on the island where we live asked if she...
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It Would Be So Easy for Me Not to Be Jewish, But This Is Why I Am
This article is part of our essay series, “Why Be Jewish?,” based off of “Why Be Jewish?”—a new book by the late Edgar M. Bronfman. Read the rest in the series here. It would be so easy, on my Maine...
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I Took a Vacation By Myself And It Wasn’t What I Expected
When my grandmother-in-law died in March, it made perfect sense for my husband to travel to San Diego to be with his family. He spent nine days with them planning her joyful, food-filled memorial...
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This Is What I Want My Daughter to Know By the Time She’s in High School
My 2-year-old daughter Penrose divides the world by parenting role and gender. If she sees a picture of a big and a smaller caterpillar, the big one is the mommy and the smaller one is the baby. If...
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The ’90s Japanese Animated Film Your Kids Need to be Watching
My daughter’s favorite movie is about two sisters in a land populated by magical creatures. It explores themes of familial love, elemental powers, and honoring tradition. No, it’s not “Frozen.” My...
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