But right now I have to tell you about my interview. Care.com thought it would be good to get my opinion on discipline. (I can hear you laughing. It’s okay, I laughed too.)

Last night, just before going to sleep next to me in his (our) hospital bed, and just after his 8:00pm IV antibiotics infusion, he said, “Mama, today was a lovely day.”

He went on to explain how much wonderful play time he had with Daddy and . . . → Read More: lessons in gratitude from a 4-year-old]]> http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/04/01/lessons-in-gratitude-from-a-4-year-old/feed/ 4 http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/03/29/its-jonahs-world/ http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/03/29/its-jonahs-world/#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2012 06:16:46 +0000 calm mama http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/?p=1175 I’m just schlepping him around in it and arranging playdates.

Today, these things happened.

Miraculously, we did not fight or yell or threaten or beg him to put on his clothes this morning. He just did it. He chose that path, saying something like, “Isn’t this nice in the morning how we can all just . . . → Read More: it’s jonah’s world]]> http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/03/29/its-jonahs-world/feed/ 3 http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/02/29/story/ http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/02/29/story/#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:08:49 +0000 calm mama http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/?p=1171 Last night, during dinner:

Jonah: Are aliens real? (Ayy-leeei-yunz reyuall)

Daddy: Yes, explanation about possibility, science.

Mommy: Maybe, but adds on about very slim possibility, science.

Jonah: I think aliens ARE real.

Jonah (continues): I think they should be EARTH aliens. I think they are NICE aliens. I wish everyone had an alien as a . . . → Read More: story]]> http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/02/29/story/feed/ 1 http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/02/28/miracle/ http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/02/28/miracle/#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 03:46:30 +0000 calm mama http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/?p=1165 We woke up this morning to a fully-dressed child.

Read again with me. Slowly.

A. Fully. Dressed. Child.

A four-year-old who got up, got out of bed, shed his pajamas and “bedtime underwear.” Placed each in the proper receptacle. Opened drawers and selected underwear, pants, under-shirt and over-shirt. And got himself dressed. Without any help, . . . → Read More: miracle]]> http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/02/28/miracle/feed/ 3 http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/02/27/blessings/ http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/02/27/blessings/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 05:03:44 +0000 calm mama http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/?p=1161 We have started eating dinner together more lately, as Jonah’s bedtime has gotten later, and suddenly, this happened:

One night, just as we were all seated at our places and about to dig in, Jonah yelled, “Wait! We have to do a blessing!”

?

(Actually, I’m pretty sure this either comes from his . . . → Read More: blessings]]> http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2012/02/27/blessings/feed/ 4 http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/27/saying-goodbye-to-the-lawrence-hall-dinosaurs/ http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/27/saying-goodbye-to-the-lawrence-hall-dinosaurs/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 06:57:45 +0000 calm mama http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/?p=1149 I’m feeling weepy about the end of an era in our lives.

The six month occupation of the Lawrence Hall of Science by the Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit.

We were there from the first day, on May 28th, when we stumbled upon the opening by accident. We had no idea it was coming, and we never . . . → Read More: saying goodbye to the lawrence hall dinosaurs]]> http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/27/saying-goodbye-to-the-lawrence-hall-dinosaurs/feed/ 1 http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/23/rocking-hannukah/ http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/23/rocking-hannukah/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 06:46:57 +0000 calm mama http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/?p=1145 The first night, I blew his little mind.

With this:

Child’s Astronaut Writst Watch

I paid around $11 for it at one of our favorite haunts, the Lawrence Hall of Science. You can follow the link posted above and get the same wonderful watch for about $4. But I’m supporting my local economy and . . . → Read More: rocking hannukah]]> http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/23/rocking-hannukah/feed/ 1 http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/13/oakland-restaurants-my-bucket-list/ http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/13/oakland-restaurants-my-bucket-list/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:55:54 +0000 calm mama http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/?p=1139 This post has nothing to do with motherhood, or my Grandmother’s passing. Except that since becoming a mother I’ve had less time and money to eat out fancy, and my Grandmother loved a good white-tablecloth restaurant, so tangentially, it fits.

I was just thinking today that I wanted to make this list, so here it . . . → Read More: oakland restaurants: my bucket list]]> http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/13/oakland-restaurants-my-bucket-list/feed/ 1 http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/12/confessions/ http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/12/confessions/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:19:46 +0000 calm mama http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/?p=1133 I recently had a terrible cough. Again. Some of you may remember the cough-that-never-ended, earlier this year, with which I suffered for FOUR SOLID MONTHS.

Part of what ended it before was going off wheat and dairy. Or the change of the seasons coinciding with. Or maybe the herbs and acupuncture finally kicked in. Or . . . → Read More: confessions]]> http://thecalmbeforethestork.com/2011/12/12/confessions/feed/ 1