It always amazes me how, for a toddler, just about anything can become a toy. Some of L’s favorites over the last few months have included an old cell phone, a wooden spoon and the tassel on a pillow at the cottage we rented in England (of course yours truly named the tassel, “Furry Tassel,” [...]

Between life as a full-time parent and full-time freelance writer, blogging has sunk on the list of priorities this week, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all.
The bad news: this scenario likely will occur more frequently in the next year, so get used to it.
That’s my crass way of notifying you faithful readers that [...]

Today was one of those days that makes being a work-at-home dad difficult.
In one corner: Dreaded deadlines, many of which had piled up after extensions and other various schedule adjustments. In the other corner: L, all cute and eager to come into Daddy’s office to listen to “Frosty the Snowman.”
I anticipated how challenging it might [...]

Curiosity is L’s new approach to life, which means that just about every outing these days is a field trip.
Yesterday, for instance, an ordinary errand-run to the local Safeway turned into a date with the “robot” at the self check-out counter. L watched in amazement as the computer told us precisely what to do, then [...]

You’ve undoubtedly heard the saying about how absence makes the heart grow fonder. Despite the importance of moms and dads being there for their children, I’d say this concept applies to parenthood, too.
Powergirl and I were reminded of it last night, as we spent the night at a swanky resort in the Napa Valley. While [...]

After a slow start to the holiday season, Christmas 2010 is in full effect at our house, and little L is reveling in every minute of it.
She requests carols four or five times a day (“Jingle Bells” and “Frosty” are her favorites, though she also likes “Santa Baby”). She plays with the stockings every [...]

It’s as if The New York Times has been overrun with new parents these days.
Last week, the paper ran that article about the impacts of cone-scan technology among pediatric dentists (I blogged about it earlier this week). Since then, the Gray Lady has published two other informative-yet-disturbing articles pertaining to the development of our children.
The [...]

How do you know you’re a grizzled work-at-home veteran? When you pull a stunt like the one I pulled today here at home.
I was upstairs. L and the nanny were downstairs. I had to run out to drop off a UPS envelope at the local UPS Store. But since L gets upset when she realizes [...]

Little L (who celebrated her 18-month birthday yesterday, by the way) is sprouting teeth at such breakneck speed these days that we’re approaching to the point where we need to start thinking about taking her to the dentist.
Naturally, then, Powergirl and I were freaked by a lengthy and detailed story that ran in The New [...]

A good friend of mine became a father last week—the latest in a series of spectacular milestones for him (he’s an accomplished author of multiple books). Now, the fun for him really begins.
He learned this immediately. After he and his wife spent their first night home with the new baby, he sent me (and, I [...]