Category Archives: Family

Dec 31 2014
Leave a comment
Florence's So Called Life

Florence’s So-Called Life, Season 2, Ep 3

In which Florence witnesses a high drama rescue.

(in a grave voice)

I’m not sure if I’ll ever recover from the events of today. I’ve never been so…scared? No, terrified.

10 HOURS EARLIER

Bekah has been popping pills like a drug addict lately, and eating only soft foods. So I presume that she’s got worms, and Lewis took her to the vet this morning. When humans get worms they call it an “abscessed tooth.”  Whatever the case, we were alone with the LHP and her caregiver, Celine. Celine’s totally one of my favorite people of all time. Here’s why:

1) She’s French. French people are tres sophisticated, like me.

2) She takes care of us while Bekah and Lewis are gone, and she’s waaaaay nicer than they are.

The LHP and Celine

The LHP and Celine

So, Wiley and I went outside, so Celine and the LHP could play on the floor. Totally fine with me, as I needed to pee.

Continue reading →

Tagged ,
Oct 31 2014
Leave a comment
Family

Florence’s So-Called Life, Season 2, ep 2

In which Florence recounts a stormy night in the McNeel House.

So, last night we had a storm. A big storm. The kind that sounds like the roof is cracking open, you know? I’m not going to lie, I probably would not have known this, or any of the household events, if it weren’t for Wiley’s non-stop panting and pacing and panicking.

Wiley is…um, terrified…like really terrified… of thunder.

So at some point in the night I heard him get up, panting and grunting. He muttered something under his breath about the Little Hairless Pup.

I was pretty groggy, but he either said, “Someone’s got to protect the pup.”

OR

“At least we know that they’ll protect the pup.”

IMG_2607

 

So what he did next was either, like, the bravest thing anyone has ever done, or Wiley was in survival mode. I don’t know. I’ve known the man most of my life. It could have been either.

Continue reading →

Tagged , , , ,
Jul 14 2014
2 Comments
Family

Mom Suit

Recently the internet has been all abuzz with post-baby mom bodies and how we need to celebrate them. I’m not that cool. I don’t have the moxie to flaunt it in my skivvies these days.

In fact, last weekend marked the first truly public debut of me wearing a mom swimsuit.

I’ve never had that rockin’ bikini hard-body that reeks of hours in the gym,or the effortless concave torso that reeks of good genes. But I have always been pretty comfortable in your standard tankini with traditional bottoms. Or a plunging halter.

So, while shopping (what was I thinking going swim suit shopping less than 3 months after giving birth???)  I grabbed some styles that have always worked for me in the past. I knew my stomach was still a little mushy, and my nursing breasts, well, they are ridiculously ginormous. So I told myself I wasn’t going to worry about the size.

But I was not prepared to see my thighs.

If I had known what that experience was going to be like I would have gone to one of those department stores where they will bring you alcoholic beverages in the dressing room.

Mom suit

The mom-suit. (Holding my little Dolphin Trainer…by far the cutest part of this picture)

Long story short, I walked out of there with a mom-suit. One of those tankinis with the ruffly bellies, and I found a basic black skirt bottom. I also got a more basic pink top with a built in bra, for times when I was willing to suck in my belly for the sake of fashion.

Continue reading →

Jul 10 2014
6 Comments
Family

Let’s Not Make this Any Harder than it Needs to Be

I am convinced that if rearing children were easy, the internet would crumble for lack of wholesome content.

And thank goodness, because at the first whimper from Moira “World’s Easiest Baby” McNeel, and I am sprinting to my laptop, or whatever screen I can get to, to figure out what’s wrong, how to fix it, and how to keep it from EVER happening again.

 

So, expert first time mom that I am, I think the world needs to benefit from my profound wisdom, gleaned mostly from the internet and hearsay.

Moira - May 4 085

Here’s the table of contents for my new book on parenting in the age of celebrity pediatricians, Web MD, media obsessions with obesity, internet mom-forums dedicated to gas and sleeping habits, and Amazon consumer reviews:

Title: Let’s Not Make this Harder than it Needs to Be

Chapter One: You are either pregnant, miscarrying, or you have cancer- why you should avoid the internet in your first trimester. Continue reading →

Tagged , ,
Jun 22 2014
Leave a comment
Family

Florence’s So-Called Life, Season 2, Ep 1

In which Florence regales what happened during the break

(read in the voice of Florence, which sounds uncannily like a 14-year-old Claire Danes)

Wow. Having this Little Hairless Pup around has changed…well, not much really.

I’m still not allowed to sleep on the furniture.

I’m still not allowed to eat off the table.

Wiley’s still scared of storms.

And Bekah still makes me “sit” before I get to do an-y-thing.

flo & moi 2

Continue reading →

Tagged ,
May 23 2014
Leave a comment
Family

Mommy’s Little Helper

God gave us a laid back kid. I take no credit for the fact that my baby will patiently endure community meetings, board planning retreats, grocery shopping, baby yoga, dining out, and watching me work while she has tummy time. She’s just a good kid that way.

Mommy's little helper

Mommy’s little helper

Continue reading →

Tagged ,
May 05 2014
8 Comments
faith, Family, Something New and Good

Something New and Good: We are Three

Moira is a month old. Five weeks, actually. It’s amazing how much each week of age matters at this point.

I’ve been hesitant to sit down and try to write anything meaningful, because life has not been marked by long stretches of uninterrupted thinking as of late.

It’s not actually entirely Moira’s doing. I often feel like she senses when we are about to have guests and decides to time her epic naps to avoid interaction. She’s an introvert. Or she obligingly naps through errands and restaurant meals. So I have lots of uninterrupted visits and meals…but that the time for reflecting and thinking is allotted to her 20 minute catnaps or 15 minute stretches of peaceful looking around. The rest of the time we are breastfeeding, changing diapers, and walking off my baby weight.

Moira - May 4 152

And I’ll be perfectly honest. Sometimes I just use those catnaps and peaceful time to stare at her.

But, sometimes in the shower, or when we are driving (Moira is a champion car rider), I’ve given some thought to this first month. It’s in snippets, but in this case the form is the content.

So…in the first month of being a family of three, here were the things that surprised me. Continue reading →

Tagged , , ,
Apr 06 2014
2 Comments
Family

Florence’s So-Called Life Season 1 ep 10

In which Florence’s family grows.

(read in the voice of Florence, which sounds uncannily like a 14-year-old Claire Danes)

My world has been turned upside down.

In just a few short hours I went from being the single neediest being in this house, to one of the grown ups. Not that I’m not prepared. Just that I wasn’t… expecting it?

Florenct in distress Continue reading →

Tagged , ,
Feb 28 2014
Leave a comment
Family

Florence’s So-Called Life, Season 1, ep 9

In which Florence experiences her first bout of puppy love.

(read in the voice of Florence, which sounds uncannily like a 14-year-old Claire Danes)

Sigh…so this is love.

I guess I just…didn’t get it. I mean, it’s like, for your whole life there’s really just one human male that you trust and want to spend time with. Your Lewis.

IMG_0038

I love my Lewis. He plays with me, gives me treats, even takes me out running. I thought that this was the only human male I’d ever really need in my life. Like human girls think they are going to marry their dads. Continue reading →

Tagged , , ,
Feb 23 2014
2 Comments
Family

Lewis is Nesting

So I’m supposed to be frantically nesting, apparently. So far this has meant ordering things on Amazon and scheduling lunch dates with all the people I’m afraid I won’t see again for years once I have my constant companion.

Lewis, on the other hand, has taken to nesting quite earnestly. Or maybe he’s taking advantage of my lack of energy and slower speed to buzz around and get all of my crap organized before I can stop him. Either way, things are getting done around here.

In case you hadn’t gotten the idea yet from this blog, I think my husband is a total rockstar. And I’m pretty sure our daughter is going to share that opinion. Continue reading →

Tagged , , ,
← Older posts
Newer posts →