About This Blog
Welcome to my blog. I'm Anne-Marie Nichols, a 40-something WAHM to Nathan, 6, and Lucie, 3. I've been married 12 years to their dad Paul, a scientist. When I'm not doing the mommy thing, I'm a freelance writer, and vice president of the board of directors for a Colorado public charter school. In my spare time I like to sleep, eat, read, and decorate cakes.
I created this online journal to share some entertaining and insightful stories from my own experiences as a writer, domestic engineer, and mom. I encourage you to share this blog with your friends, and hopefully it will spark some lively discussions on issues we can all relate to. Enjoy!
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Aug 20 2008
You belong at the zoo
It was a gorgeous afternoon, hot and sunny. Since we were nearby running errands, we decided to visit the Denver Zoo for a few hours.
It's not often that Paul comes along on a zoo trip. To avoid the crowds, I usually go solo with the kids during the week. But it's much more fun with daddy along, especially when Lucie needs a boost to see the animals.
We strolled along, Paul and I pointing out the various animals and reciting facts from the informational placards. Now that Lucie's old enough to understand what we're reading, it makes the zoo experience as educational as it is fun.
As we approached the elephant compound, Lucie came up with her own observational factoid, "Elephants don't poop in the potty. They poop on the ground."
My daughter, the zoologist.
Aug 19 2008
Best friends
There are days when I check Nathan and Lucie for physical signs of
devilishness. Surely their bottoms have sprouted forked tails and their
heads grown horns since their last bath. Otherwise, why are they
constantly fighting and yelling horrible things at each other? Could
these two mean and evil children be the devil's spawn? The name Lucie
is pretty close to Lucifer, after all.
Sometimes
the children make a big effort to get along, like on weekend mornings
when Paul and I attempt to sleep in. Nathan acts the part of the good
big brother and takes care of his sister. He gives Lucie a hug good
morning when she finds her way downstairs. Nathan then gets her a sippy
cup or some yogurt, and covers Lucie with a blanket when she lies down
on the couch next to him to watch cartoons.
When they hear us walking around our bedroom, Nathan sends Lucie on
a reconnaissance mission to see if we're awake. Then Nathan bounds up
the stairs after her once she gives the all clear. They both climb into
our bed, inevitably crowding me out. I jump into the shower, and they
hang out with their dad. After I get out, I towel off and listen to
Nathan badgering his dad with a request for the day's agenda.
Paul then heads for the shower, leaving the two kids in the bed
watching TV. One morning, Lucie beamed at Nathan and put her arm around
him. With a big smile she turned to me and said, "Best friends." My
heart skipped a beat, and I sighed, loving the moment. Maybe my kids
aren't as devilish as I think.
Aug 18 2008
Dueling mamas
I was talking with a friend on the phone, when we got into a discussion about our families' recent ill health.
First, I told her that Paul had strep two weeks ago. Then she came back with the story of her husband being sick and staying home from work.
I told her about how well Lucie and Nathan were recovering from their ear infections. She then told me about both her son's ear infection, and how the doctor had to prescribe a stronger antibiotic since the first medicine didn't work.
I told her how lucky we've been that Nathan only had three ear infections and Lucie just had her first. She told me that her son's had over a dozen ear infections, and that the doctor thought the tubes in his ears were beginning to fall out.
I related the story about how we all had eye infections for the past week. She mentioned a homeopathic remedy that helped cure her kids' conjunctivitis in two days.
Usually mamas get competitive about their kids' achievements. You know that "my kid's a genius because she's sleeping through the night" mentality? But I never got into a dueling match over health matters before.
Luckily, I was amused by this one-upmanship. (Or should that be one-upmomship?) She probably just wanted a little reassurance and affirmation after a few tough weeks with her family.
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