My 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!”...
View ArticleI 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...
View ArticleClik here to view.
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....
View ArticleClik here to view.
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...
View ArticleClik here to view.
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!”...
View ArticleClik here to view.
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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