Being a professional librarian means I’ve read my fair share of children’s books that are delightful, and plenty that aren’t.  And being a mama who has both breastfed and bottle-fed babies (being a foster mama means you have to be flexible with what you’d do with your biological child versus a child who’s someone else’s baby), I’m always on the

Dear New Mama, I know.  It’s so hard right now.  And the world is telling you the most important thing is your baby.  This is true in a way, but I’m also here to tell you that your experience is important too, and sacrificing your comfort and mental health is both part of parenthood (alas) and also something that you

Oof, where to even begin?  Becoming a foster mother has taught me so many things.  So many folks ask me all the time what it’s really like, as though there’s the answer, and then there’s the real answer lurking behind somewhere.  And that’s true in the sense that we all have our “I’m great, fine, how are you!” moments when

It’s the moooooooost wonderful tiiiiiiiime of the year! If by “most wonderful” we all mean “time for the child in preschool to bring back every snotty cold, gross stomach bug, and case of the Yucks from preschool to share with the rest of the family, especially the baby, most DEFINITELY the baby because *of course*.”  We all meant that, right?

This summer and now cusp of fall has been a challenge for me as a mother.  Theoretically, I know that I should look for the ways the rain has brightened our lives despite the increasing cabin fever.  There are people who have much more terrible things happening in their lives than incessant rain when you’re used to clear skies, right?

Daniel Tiger’s library books are all overdue but they’re hidden somewhere in the house, can Daniel Tiger pleaaaaaaase tell his mom and dad where they are? Daniel Tiger only wants to eat chicken nuggets and nothing else, not now, not ever Daniel Tiger needs to stop running into the street in front of trolley so Mom Tiger can stop having

If we were catching up over coffee, these are just a few of the things I might spill (not including my latte with the triple shot that the toddler tries to smack out of my hand ahem ahem ahem). Being a foster parent has fundamentally changed me as a person.  I feel like being a foster parent has untapped and

Do you have a little one making their way to preschool for the first time?  Or, heck, it’s been a long summer — do you have a little one who’s ready to go back, and needs a reminder about what their days will look like in the fall?  Do you also like saving money? Then these are the picture books

I did it, y’all. I bit the bullet. I joined the Tinder But For Mom-Friends App (Peanut) that everyone’s been talking about. And oh, what a journey it’s been!  And is still being! Join me, won’t you, for a stroll down recent-memory lane, of my summer of mom-friend love, and see what kinds of friends you too can try to

If you’ve gone through the process of formally hiring a babysitter through the magic of the Internet, rather than through a family friend of colleague or baby cousin, then you know there are a thousand lists of very practical, necessary questions you ought to be asking.  Things like, do you know CPR and First Aid, what would you do in