Lies, damned lies, and a small child
Baobao lied to me. She looked me right in the eye, and lied to me. And not just once. What to do, what to do …? Read more
crying
First loss: A friendship cut short (Letter #042)
In which Baobao made a new friend on Friday and suffered her first taste of grief in very short order.
Balloons have mayfly lifespans, and the thrill of discovering their joys on Friday afternoon turned to tears and heartbreak on Monday morning.
Papa provided as much solace as he could, but was it enough? Read More …
A papa’s delight is a toddler’s terror (Letter #041)
Papa learned a valuable parenting lesson this past weekend: It’s really easy to over-estimate your child’s readiness for things.
We took Baobao to the Luskville Falls trail in Gatineau Park on Saturday, where the southern tip of Canadian Shield descends into the Saint Lawrence Lowlands. Our intention: to hike at least part of the Luskville Falls Trail.
In retrospect, a pretty dumb idea even if conditions had been ideal. The National Capital Commission rates it as a “Difficult” climb, and we had a toddler in tow.
But it wasn’t the difficulty that made us turn around. Read More …
Monster! Part II (Letter #038)
In which Papa Zesser returns (at last) to report on how he and Mama Raven dealt with Baobao’s new-found terror of tower fans. Read more …
Monster! (Letter #037)
In which Papa Zesser explores a new, and difficult, phase in Baobao’s development — fear!
There was a monster in Baobao’s bedroom!
If any of you have had experience dealing with a small child’s “irrational” fears, please read on and feel free to share your experience!
Meanwhile, whether or not you do, read on (if you dare!)
First Father’s Day, redux or,
In which that sentimental old fool, Papa Zesser, finds himself recovering from an unexpected rain of tears prior to breakfast.
Inconsolable II (Letter #020)
In which Papa Zesser, after what was mostly a lovely day with his off-spring, considers the similarities between an infant who doesn’t realize she has gotten very tired, and a drinker who believes that an endless succession of “Just one more” will lead to eternal good time, and not sudden anger or tears followed by a brutal hang-over.
Maybe babies don’t work in such mysterious ways after all. Click the headline to read more.
Consolable after all (Letter #016)
In which Papa Zesser ponder a week that saw the emergence of not one — but two! — new teeth, amid much wailing and gnashing of teeth. And the baby cried quite a lot, too. (Click the headline to read more.)
Inconsolable: Letter #015
In which Papa Zesser reflects on pain following a miserable night, even as his Baobao plays happily behind him as he types; a far cry from the agonized howls that rang through the air 12 hours before!
Guess who’s up? (Letter #014)
In which an exhausted Daddy Zesser flashes back to the Bad Old Days, when sleep was a fleeting luxury, and curses his daughter with the wish that, someday, she too will become a parent, so that she’ll understand what she puts her parents through! (Click the headline to read on.)