Toddler Speech Therapy

My little Ethan is nearing the 18-month mark, and his babbling is quickly becoming coherent speech. He is learning that he can say “nana!” and, most of the time, I give him a banana to eat. He asks for water, he gets water. He asks for the ball, and mommy or daddy help him hunt […]

Christmas, Reindeer, and a Disfigured Santa Claus

I originally wrote this in 2005 for The Griffon News (Missouri Western University’s newspaper). It was published then, but my mom reminded me of it this year, so I thought I’d share it again. I haven’t changed it. Enjoy! Lying flat on my back in bed, I focused my nearly unbearable surplus of energy on […]

When I Am Not Enough

Well, Ethan has been sick lately, and it’s been interesting. I’m hoping it’s just a bout of teething so there will be some benefit from it. He ran a temperature of 103 for a couple of days and has been generally miserable. He wants to be held constantly and that first couple of nights, he […]

The Story of the Blanket

Last Thanksgiving, my family gathered at my parents’ house to eat dinner. My aunt, uncle and cousins were present, as well as my great-grandmother Opal. She seemed very excited to hold her great great grandson Ethan. She brought a small piggy bank to give to him, as well as a very, very special blanket. The […]

Shared Custody

Before Ethan was born, I found a crib online that had a door at the end. It was designed to make changing the sheets easier, as you could slide the mattress out. I was overjoyed, as it seemed to be the solution to the crib question, and my in-laws were generous enough to order it […]