When Emma was five, she liked to push her little fists gently into her closed eyelids until she could see silver-golden sparkles illuminating the darkness. When she opened her eyes, she would stare in wide-eyed wonder as the sparkles lingered in the light, dotting the...
The L-shaped bookshelf next to my desk has rows and rows of books – academic ones, classics from college literature classes and a few tattered ones I have re-read hundreds of times. There is another section that’s reserved for trinkets and memories I’ve accumulated over the...
Over the winter break, the girls stayed busy playing various board games we’ve collected in the closet over the years. One day, they pulled out the classic game Operation. For those who haven’t played, the objective is to use small tweezers to remove plastic ailments from...
Ella lost a tooth two days ago. It was the first time she lost a molar. It happened right after school, while I was helping Emma figure out a particularly tricky math problem. But there was no pause in the math homework because Ella didn’t...
In the middle of our local shopping mall, there is a giant trampoline with all sorts of cables attached to it. For $10, you can have someone strap you in and then jump and do flips for a full 10 minutes. A little girl about 5...
Leah Dieterich began writing one thank-you note every day, each addressed to someone or something she was grateful for. From thanking tiny hairs that are so satisfying to pluck to thanking a bee for stinging her face in the same spot where she already had...
After a full day of hard rain on Christmas Eve, a misty fog rolled in on Christmas Day. As we began to drive home from my parents' house after dinner, the girls noticed how difficult it was to see the road ahead. The normal, familiar...
On our last trip to the library, Ella picked out a children’s book explaining funny sayings used in the English language, such as “in a pickle” or “a frog in my throat.” We were looking through the book after dinner on Friday night. It had been...
Over the weekend, Emma wrote a note to her most favorite friend on sparkly, pink paper. She let me read it before she sealed the envelope. The note read: Dear Audrey,You are my very best friend.Your best friend,Emma Emma proudly took the letter to school. After school,...
For our 13th wedding anniversary, my husband and I had a breakfast date at a coffee shop. I was delighted when my latte arrived in a ceramic mug with frothed milk in the shape of a heart. That extra touch made the coffee taste even...