London’s National Gallery with Kids

Look. The art appreciation class I took in college doesn’t make me an expert museum-goer. I enjoy looking at art. I enjoy discovering art I like. I’ll choose to spend my time at museums or galleries when I travel alone. But I wouldn’t call myself “passionate” about any of it. At least not enough to…

The Accidentally Bilingual Child

We’ve passed the halfway point of our time in Italy. The youngest–who asks me to call him the Piccolino, or the very little one–has spent 13 months in Italian preschool. Being the little brother of one of the world’s most articulate and conversant preschoolers meant he developed his language in a big shadow, often talked…

Lately…

Well hi! I looked at the calendar, then the last date I posted. It has happened again: I lost track of all the things we’ve been up to and didn’t get around to posting them. I’ll regret it, I always do. The details of our travels get lost with time. I don’t want to let…

Being a Foreign Mom

My Italian is coming along, slowly, after seven months in Italy. I can get by in many cases, with lots of awkward pauses, if I let go of feeling embarrassed to sound like a toddler (with a bad accent to boot). There is usually much pointing and gesturing. Of course, many people who do speak some English…

Impossible to Resist Long Post About My 5 Year Old

Friday my oldest son turned five. Which I find funny to say, because I sometimes forget he isn’t already 8 or 18. Oh, Walden. You are a force. “Don’t forget, my name is WALDEN!” you once called to some new friends from grandma’s pontoon, as she pulled away from the sandbar. No one will forget…

A Day in Switzerland

Our drive to Switzerland is shorter than our drive to Milan. We decided to make a quick family day of Lugano-Paradiso after the internet told us we could find a funicular with a spectacular view. That research did not reveal that said funicular – all of them, really – is closed for the season. So…

Our First 25 Days in a Hotel Room

Hotel living could be charming if you’re a see-and-be-seen type. For us, living in a hotel with our two small children is more of a hurry-up-and-shovel-down-your-food-before-the-kids-cause-a-scene experience. The restaurant and front desk staff no longer ask our room number. The boys are sure to say “ciao-ciao-ciaoy-ciao” to Andrea the Maintenance Guy daily now that he has…

Yes, I DO Want Something for Mother’s Day

Has your Facebook feed filled up with links to articles about what moms actually want for Mother’s Day? Gift guides? Or that moms want nothing except for lots of little not-somethings? I haven’t asked specifically for anything this year. My husband already encouraged me to pick out a locally crafted necklace at Southern Makers last weekend.…

When the Baby Turns Two

Everything we did yesterday was accompanied by the thought, “This is the last time we’ll do this when he’s one!” The last nap, the last story, the last kiss good night. Done. Today we celebrated the second birthday of my youngest child. My baby. Except he’s not a baby; he walks and jumps and sings…

Put Down the Phone

Have you seen this beautiful video calling us all to put down our smart phones and live in the moment? And perhaps you remember Hands Free Mama making a run through our Facebook feeds? They’re talking to me and millions of other parents. I am so desperate to cling to the magic of my kids’…