Admitting defeat, or rather a need for help, I Googled “How to not fail as a parent,” which led to the page “7 Ways to Enjoy Parenting More.” The second tip is as obvious as the dentist’s reminder to floss and is one I easily miss: “Put down your phone.” So Dave and I bothContinue reading “And She’s Up!”
Author Archives: Jaclynn Loibl
Projecting Parenthood
There are animated dancing forks, a talking candelabra, and Cogsworth the clock being projected on the wall of our living room. Unlike a regular TV whose sound is at the device, the projector’s sound is spewing two feet from my left ear. However much I’d prefer a cozy spot on my bed in the quietContinue reading “Projecting Parenthood”
A Golden Ticket
Nine, filled to the brim with second-hand clothes, garbage bags are strewn about my house. Two in the car, three in the entryway, one at the top of the stairs landing before entering my bedroom, and three in the bedroom. On my body is a black T-shirt with an outline of a white skull. IContinue reading “A Golden Ticket”
Duck and Cover
The thing about having a daily deadline to write is that I can only procrastinate for so long. Tonight, I pushed the limit to 9:37 pm, and with 30-45 minutes of writing time and 20 minutes of editing, that’ll put me right at 11 pm. Operating outside my comfort zone is how I prefer it,Continue reading “Duck and Cover”
The Reluctant Stenographer
When I write, I feel like a stenographer, a person of the court, jotting down verbatim the words heard and their source. Sitting there matter-of-factly, boringly, the most exciting thing about me is my wide and transparent-rimmed glasses snapped to chain links hanging loosely around my neck. I’m so boring, so the same day inContinue reading “The Reluctant Stenographer”
The Search is On
A wind tunnel spins around me, thoughts like dollar bills spinning and I grab at them, but they’re off. It’s hard to catch just one thought and pin it down. One more succinct thought was about moving, and the vacancy that’ll exist in a once-filled space. Is it the cavern behind my eye, the sunkenContinue reading “The Search is On”
Tragic Realities
The person I want to be listens to NPR. “Make love not war” and “Send nudes, not nukes” buttons adorn her green Smithsonian tote bag as she attends peace rallies, fighting for an idealistic stance on peace. But in reality, I cry. Exiting toward Southcenter Blvd after a 35-minute drive north on I-5, I’m maxedContinue reading “Tragic Realities”
One for the Books
The opened window spills a chill of night in with it, and I’m back in Costa Rica. At a small bar, likely with a warm but cheap beer, pool stick in hand next to a low-lit green-felted table. I’m alone. It’s the second to last day before my flight home and after close to aContinue reading “One for the Books”
Miss Nothing
Barefoot, I trek through the freshly cut grass, glancing at the Big Dipper and the star-studded sky, until I reach a spot tucked away at the back corner of the garage while wrapped snugly in nothing but a blanket. “I’ll miss this,” I reflect later, thinking about the chorus of frogs’ vocals that drift inContinue reading “Miss Nothing”
Adventuring PNW Style
What a day! The epic six flights of stairs to the top, with six slides to the bottom, was our first stop after we picked Joanne up at her cute townhouse. A stop by the Old Sandwich Shop allowed Evelyn to play in a dedicated kid area while we perused the fair trade items likeContinue reading “Adventuring PNW Style”
Going On 40 