By Kelly Teyla has a cold. That is to say, she’s become a snail. That’s the first stage of the rhinovirus in our house. The bubbling nose, the slimy trail of snot that leaves a silver streak on my jeans, my shirt, the couch, my basket of clean laundry. The river overwhelms all attempts to…
Category Archives: Kelly
That’s Why They Call It The Present
By Kelly I was kneeling next to the couch yesterday, reaching for Sonya Lee, who had somehow managed to escape the Little People Amusement Park, when I felt a tiny body grab my neck. It was Teyla, my one-year-old daughter. She shrieked in laughter at my obvious surprise. She pushed herself flat against my back…
The Garden: A Half Parable
By Kelly It was a beautiful spring day. My husband was in our backyard, facing the lake, which was rippling blue-green in the sunlight. But he wasn’t watching the waves. He was ripping up the grass, beating back a hedge of overgrown bushes and pounding in stakes. He was creating a garden. For me. Up…
You’re Only as Old as The Young People Say You Are
By Kelly A few weeks ago, I spent some time on the campus of my college alma mater. It was fun to walk around the familiar corridors — this time, toting a baby instead of a backpack — and marvel at how far I had come in the years since I graduated. Of course, I…
Love, True Love
By Kelly With apologies to Paul and the real 1 Corinthians 13. My children were on time to school today. But if listened more closely to “Morning Edition” than their stories during the drive, I am just a chauffeur. My house is in order, and the kitchen floor is mostly crumb free. But if I…
Portraits and Paint Chips
By Kelly If all goes according to plan, this morning I will take Teyla to get her picture taken at Target Portrait Studios. It will be her first foray into the world of professional photography. She is one. Do I even need to say that she is my third baby? Natalie, my oldest, had her…
Leaving Home
By Kelly Corey leaves on a business trip tomorrow. It’s his first trip of the new year and the kick-off to a busy travel season. Thanks to conferences and client visits, he’ll be gone roughly every other week between now and May. Unfortunately for me, most of those trips will be to warm destinations. The…
To Parent like Dumbledore
By Kelly My brother got me a set of Harry Potter books for Christmas. It was a good gift, seeing as I somehow managed to escape the whole Potter phenomenon. I had just been telling my husband that I would really like to read the series someday — which, now that I think about it,…
Jabberwocky
By Kelly Listen. Do you hear that? It’s silence. At least, that’s what I hear right now. I hear nothing but the whoosh of warm air into my bedroom and the methodical tick-tock of my periwinkle alarm clock. Everyone else is asleep, the room is dark and the hush is almost palpable. I can feel…
Uh-oh
By Kelly Teyla, who will be one on Friday, is attempting her first word this week. It’s “uh-oh.” That scares me, just a little. My intuition tells me this is the child who will necessitate Christmas cards sent annually to the emergency room staff. This is the child who will attempt to cut her own…