the calm before the stork

what maria montessori has taught me about rainy days

calm mama — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 22:04:02 +0000

Today, all of the Bay Area’s schools are closed because of rain, a storm that was predicted to hit us with 70-mile-an-hour winds and flooding. So, this morning we had to figure out what to do with our day. Jonah has been…

anatomy of a meltdown: the easter egg dyeing edition

calm mama — Sat, 19 Apr 2014 21:42:40 +0000

This morning we dyed Easter eggs with natural food dyes, made from onion skins and turmeric. It was a lovely morning. Two Saturdays in a row now we’ve been doing crafty fun things as a family. The best friend arrived…

overcoming resistance: the spring camp adventure edition

calm mama — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 17:22:45 +0000

Today’s story really starts yesterday. Yesterday, I had to work, so husband took son for day out of a-wandering, a-kite-flying, etc. There was a trail hike, slug discoveries, and the occasional trip-and-tumble, including a sidewalk scrape at day’s end. When…

strange conversations

calm mama — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 21:58:03 +0000

This morning, on the way to our “Jewish” class… Not “Hebrew School” as we are not learning hebrew, but rather a class at our synagogue of choice (Renewal, feminist, politically and socially aware, multi-cultural, all kinds of families, etc.) for…

Kauai with 5-year-old: Round 4, Days 1-8

calm mama — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 21:39:02 +0000

In years past, I have more or less diligently blogged our biannual family tradition: Traveling to Kauai with our one child as he grows, plus grandparents and aunt. This was our fourth trip, so I thought I’d do things a…

First Day of Kindergarten

calm mama — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 17:46:54 +0000

I had no idea. I had no idea that it would feel this big. Sending my child to Kindergarten. Scott created a lovely photo essay of our first-day experience.

who made god?

calm mama — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:00:15 +0000

Jonah asks me, over breakfast one morning: “Who made God?” So I ask him, “Who do you think made God?” He answers. And I start writing it down because, well, you’ll see… The guy made of asteroids and stars. He…

what jonah does at summer camp (chicka-boom)

calm mama — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 05:26:03 +0000

You never know when Jonah might actually reveal something about what happens during the day at summer camp. He certainly doesn’t reveal much when asked. Sometimes I can trick him into giving me a detail. I’ve wormed out of him…

and then a praying mantis adopted us

calm mama — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 21:58:39 +0000

Two nights ago, after dinner, Jonah was playing with clay at his art table. Suddenly, a frail, white, praying mantis climbed up from the underside and perched near the edge, it’s so-very-recently and much-smaller molted former-self dangling empty, just beneath.…

summer camp!

calm mama — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 05:22:34 +0000

Yesterday, on the way to his first day ever of summer camp, Jonah asked me if fairies and unicorns are real. So asked him if he thought they were real. He told me a number of things, that fairies are…