Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • The Night Before School

    School starts tomorrow And no one can sleep. There’s tossing and turning As I watch the time creep. Your backpack is filled With supplies from the store, And your shoes are lined up Right in front of the door. There’s part of me singing And dancing a jig, While inside I’m wondering When you got…

  • Camping in the Living Room

    We were supposed to go camping today.  It was just going to be for one night.  Monkey was excited – not only did it mean sleeping outside, it meant time with his cousin (and favorite person on this planet).  But Bear got sick.  She had some kind of stomach bug and could barely keep anything…

  • A Toddler, a Hat, and a House of Birds

    We went to the zoo. These are the players. This is who we went to see. This was what the sign on the door said. This is what she did. Apparently, I forgot that toddlers can’t read.

  • A Visit to the Eye Doctor

    A Visit to the Eye Doctor

    I took Monkey to the eye doctor yesterday.  There was no indication of anything being wrong, but I figured with him starting school in the fall, it couldn’t hurt to check. He was great… a little nervous at first, but I assured him that unless there was a problem, they would not be putting any…

  • But, Oh, Oh, Those Summer Nights

    I hate the winter.  Sure, I love the holiday season and the twinkling of Christmas lights (which, by the way, I feel should be required to stay up until at least Presidents’ Day), but the whole getting dark at 4 o’clock thing really sucks.  The day seems to be over so quickly, I want to…

  • Dandelion Wishes

    An essential part of being a kid is picking yellow dandelions and giving them to everyone you know.  As a parent and former teacher, I have received my fair share of dandelion bouquets, worn dandelions in my hair, and even put dandelions in a vase full of water. But the quintessential part of being a…

  • Mommy Fail: Misadventures with Tomato Sauce

    I’ve been a mom now for four years now.  You would think that will all of this experience I would have learned one of the most basic rules of parenting: Never ever give your children spaghetti AFTER they have had their bath. When you do, this is what happens: And then this: Duh. ************************** For…

  • Mama Foofed!

    My daughter, Bear, had quite a vocabulary by 17 months of age.  At 17 1/2 months, she was trying to put two words together, but they were often separated by a very large pause as she tried to connect the two ideas in her head. One evening a few weeks ago, I took Bear upstairs…

  • 1,461 Days (A Letter To My Son on His Fourth Birthday)

    My Dear Son, For 1,461 days I have held your hand, carried you close, and stroked your hair. For 1,461 days I have wiped away your tears, kissed your boo boos, wrestled with you, and tickled you until your belly ached. For 1,461 days I have nursed you, nourished you, protected you, and bonded with…

  • Peeing in the Tub

    I always make Monkey go potty before he gets into the bathtub.  Usually, he complies.  Sometimes, he goes and then once he sits in the water, he looks suspicious – as if he hadn’t completely finished emptying his bladder yet. Monkey and Bear often bathe together (at what point does that become weird?).  I have…