It had been an eventful morning at the aquarium. Emma’s elementary school class was enjoying a field trip day and I was happy to be there as a chaperone. Emma and her friends had marveled at otters darting around underwater, delicately interacted with stingrays in...
I scroll through the movie offerings on a flight from Orlando to Phoenix and select the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.” I’ve watched it before, and perhaps that’s why I chose it. The calming timbre of Mr. Roger's voice is a familiar and comforting...
The man I’m talking with is convinced the room we are in is bugged and that people are listening to our conversation. He doesn’t want to talk. He is seated on the couch with his hands clasped together and his fingers intertwined. His legs are bouncing...
Several years ago, Emma sat at the kitchen table and began crafting special valentines for her preschool classmates. With delicate precision, she cut out vibrant pink and red hearts, carefully affixing them onto glittering heart-shaped doilies. Emma worked diligently, spending time making the valentines exactly as...
Today, it was a simple wooden chair. The week prior, it was a toaster, followed by a green casserole dish, a rake, a guitar, a watering can, a large watercolor painting, and a floor lamp. Each morning, a single item is set out next to the driveway...
“Oh, before you take off, I have a little something for you,” my friend casually mentioned as we strolled toward our cars after a delightful lunch. With a playful grin, she dug into her purse. “Ta-da!” she said, holding up a miniature bottle of rosemary mint shampoo. “A...
The last few weeks have been unseasonably cold and rainy in Phoenix. While the weather doesn’t come close to the Arctic temperatures experienced in some parts of the country, it feels cold for Phoenicians. The girls are used to heading to school in summery outfits year-round,...
The email from Ella’s teacher contained lots of detailed information about the upcoming week of standardized testing. I scrolled quickly through the lengthy email, reading about changing drop off and pick up times, what materials students should bring, and what supplies they should leave at...
During Ella's recent dental appointment, the dentist informed her that she has two baby teeth left to lose. Two little teeth. The tooth fairy will pay two more midnight visits. I'll wake her up two more times, exclaiming with feigned surprise,“Oh, look! The tooth fairy visited!” And she will give...
The winter school break has given the girls time to take careful inventory of all of the stuffed animals and dolls they have accumulated over the years. After a thorough count, they proudly announced that they had a total of 128 stuffed toys, many with...