Dearest Frog Princess: We are staring your last day of 2nd grade straight in the face! I have so many things I want to tell you. I don't even know where to begin. Tonight, as you were getting ready for bed and doing the usual "meaning of life" chit chat, we got into friendships, saying sorry and accepting apologies (or not). Every day I am surprised by your ability to read certain ...
5 Suggestions for Spirit Week at School
There was too much sappiness when I wrote about school the other day. I heard folks cried. While I'm happy about that (I keep a crying spreadsheet. For good cries, not bad ones. I get a special badge made when I make people cry bad cries.), I believe in the Yin and Yang of things and so, I offer some suggestions here regarding the end of school. Specifically, spirit week. Whose idea was it to ...
When You See What Others Don’t
The memory is hazy in my mind and I think it's held up by the scaffolds of my mother's telling. I must've been 5 or 6. It was early morning and my parents were set to go to Connecticut without me. Mami would tell of how I was not happy and how I asked her to please not go. Papi wouldn't hear it. He's the guy that thinks that kids are born conspiring against their parents and that somehow ...
Grieving and Celebrating On Mother’s Day
Mother's day is always...interesting. It's never been what I saw on television. From day one. My first mother's day was HARD. Because I knew deep down in my bones that it would be my last with Mami even though her treatments had just begun. It was also difficult because of the issues bubbling up in my relationship. I distinctly remember spending this day with Mami and having as good a time as I ...
To Her 2nd Grade Teachers
Y'all! Y'ALL!!!!! After last year's teacher hell, it seems that the education gawds have brought forth heavenly angels that sing about math, reading comprehension and dual languages. I think last year, one of the most frustrating things was that I have clear and great memories of teachers that cared for me, truly. I recall Mami interacting with them and I thought that, naturally, I'd have ...
What Mamis Need
It's National Poetry Month so I thought I'd drop a sweet poem in your internet ear. Also, I'm a #TalkEarly Ambassador and all rhyme and prose are purely my own. I used to think on what mamis need and the thoughts were funny and sweet I'd see the memes on the book o' faces and didn't think I was missing a beat. But after a while I noticed a trend which was worrisome, and lacked in ...
