Category Archives: parenting

When Making Milk Is No Longer Your Vocation

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Laura

I loved being able to nurse my babies. If you read through all my nursing blog posts, you’ll see that although nursing definitely wasn’t easy from the beginning for me, it was a huge part of my identity as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Ellie, Mark, nursing, parenting | 2 Comments

[not to get all conspiracy-theoryish on you but] TURN OFF YOUR WIFI!!

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Laura

Several weeks ago, I woke up and said to Nik, “I just had the most bizarre series of dreams!” He replied “Me too! It’s because I turned off the WiFi!” What does that have to do with dreams?????? It turned … Continue reading →

Posted in Ellie, family, house/neighborhood, parenting | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

First Day of Preschool, Irrational Sadness, and a Lonely Lunch (plus September Sewing)

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Laura

Yesterday, Ellie, Marko, and I started attending our new preschool co-op, “Homemade Preschool”.  There are nine mamas, 12 kids, and it’s shaping up to be great Thursday mornings for the whole year.  The co-op is meeting in the house of … Continue reading →

Posted in Ellie, Mark, parenting, reflecting, sewing | 2 Comments

Nursing = Ick, Gymnurstics, and Other Reasons Why I Love Nursing a Two-Year-Old

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Laura

my [really late] post to commemorate World Breastfeeding Week 2015 Last fall, as Mark was learning how to talk, one of his first words was, “Ick.” He would point at my chest, say, “Ick”, and then lean over as if … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska, linguistics, Mark, nursing, parenting, politics, reflecting | Tagged | 2 Comments

Providing Identity Options (other than anti-princess)

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Laura

Mark and Ellie, who was too busy peeling her stick to look at the camera Yesterday, we joining a hiking club for homeschoolers.  Mark was by far the youngest kid and Ellie was next.  She did an admirable job of … Continue reading →

Posted in Ellie, Mark, parenting, reflecting | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Sugar Snow, Ginny Helkenn’s Doughnuts, and No More Magical Childhood, EVER AGAIN

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Laura

Yesterday, for preschool, we had what one would probably term a “magical childhood” experience.  We were supposed to have had this particular lesson close to a month ago but snow storms combined with illnesses meant lots of cancellations.  So, finally, … Continue reading →

Posted in baking, Ellie, Mark, parenting, school | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“My Go Pee!” (he does! on the potty!)

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Laura

(If you don’t like reading about pee and poop, you should stop reading right here.) One week before Mark turned two, we decided that it was finally time for him to learn how to pee on the potty.  We’d been … Continue reading →

Posted in Mark, parenting | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

The Four-Month Change – It’s Not You, It’s Your Baby’s Brain

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Laura

Four months is a time of really major change for most babies.  It’s the end of the “fourth trimester” as each baby emerges from the newborn “eat, sleep, poop, eat, sleep” phase and enters real life.  Ellie threw us (but … Continue reading →

Posted in Ellie, Mark, nursing, parenting | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

I Have Been Seriously Contemplating Whether or Not Leaving the House is Worth It

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Laura

It’s been feast or famine around here, hasn’t it?  Make sure to read the end – for the happy ending postscript. And a fair warning – there are discussions of various gross bodily fluids in this post.  Feel free to … Continue reading →

Posted in parenting, reflecting | 5 Comments

Connect , Then Correct

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Laura

Last night was a bit of a disaster.  After a fun evening with Yiayia, the last half hour before bedtime with Ellie was pretty awful.  She was exhausted, there was a lot of screaming, crying, arms flailing, and general sadness, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ellie, parenting, reflecting | 3 Comments