My mom always says that God blesses us, in that, when one person is down-and-out, the other person in the marriage can pick them back up again. Then, you switch roles. One person always has to be up to bat.
It was 2 am in the morning and I didn't have my contacts in. I was searching feverishly for a lost pacifier. The holy grail of sleeping. I literally couldn't see 2 inches in front of my face without glasses, so I was fumbling all over Zoe's crib.  Zoe, meanwhile, was screaming at the top...
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Over Christmas break, I asked my mom to give me the details of the decades of her lives. I prompted her first by saying, "Do you even remember how hard your 20's were with 3 kids?" She laughed and said, "yeah, 20's were pretty miserable, crazy and busy. Our 30's were fun as you kids grew up and we traveled, and 40's are great too."

I pretty much expected as much. I can't quite remember if she used the word "miserable", but I can completely relate to the craziness and weirdness that has become ...
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Dear Zoe,
I probably won't let you read this until you are a mom yourself, because there are too many complex feelings that I can't work out. Here's the deal: I haven't really loved being a mom, until today. Before you feel upset, or like it's your fault, let me tell you this: it has nothing to do with how great you are. Everyone is always telling me how "good" you are, how wonderful your behavior is, and how you are such an easy baby.

For months now, I've been unable to pinpoint the problem. ...
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        A few weeks ago, on a trip to a Safeway in Everett, Washington, a 4-year old named Savannah ate some apricots.  The apricots were eaten straight out of the bag and placed back on the shelf.  Savannah was not left to eat her "stolen" apricots in peace. A security guard apprehended her and her father and proceeded to ban them both from shopping at Safeway again. 
      The little girl was made to write ,although she has yet to learn to read or write, her name down on a piece of paper to...
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