Daffodils and Fireflies

One of the best parts of Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays is picking Erin up from preschool. She will emerge from the door with an...

photo by Magic Studio Nora screams from her room that her tooth is loose, and I think she is trying to trick me again. For so long,...

When the heavy black curtains parted ways, the auditorium turned quiet, and my eyes skipped across the stage for Erin. The phone was in...

“Momma, I did,” Nora insisted, “I made it all by myself!” She giggled and threw her arms out at her bed. That night, the pink and white...

“How do butterflies know to fly to flowers for food, Momma?” Nora asked as she flapped her arms around our kitchen island. The wings she...

It is bedtime, but Danith remains standing at the door of our bedroom. The light in the hallway frames his silhouette. Then, from our...

The guest room never gets completely dark, even when all the lamps are turned off at bedtime. Light from the poles outside filters in...

In one video of Nora, she is 14 months old, wearing gray cotton pants that I had picked up on sale at Target, white onesies with small...

Our friends say that Nora is smart. Even intelligent. And I think that they may be right? She started speaking and building a vocabulary...

<p>I pull out of our cul-de-sac and onto the main road, slowing as I cut the corner. The street light further down is gleaming red against the late evening sky, so I set my foot on the brakes and my eyes on the four tall window panes in my living room that faces the street.<a class="more-link" href="https://firefliesanddaffodils.com/2019/11/04/passed-friendship/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">&#8220;Passed Friendship&#8221;</span></a></p>

Last month, on the day Nora turned one year old, Danith and I started out early, before the sun fully rose. We met Nora’s God-Aunt and...

<p>When I was a little girl, my parents were typical Asians in that their greatest fear was their daughter entangling herself in love and romance and, as a result, bringing shame to the family. A dutiful daughter &#8212; no matter how young or old &#8212; was one who was innocent and oblivious of matters of<a class="more-link" href="https://firefliesanddaffodils.com/2019/01/31/everything-comes-back-to-yours/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">&#8220;Everything

At home Nora spends most of her time in the playroom, which I decorated with blue and orange throw pillows and original artwork...

It is late morning as my friends and I carefully trudge down the hill to embark on a small, family-friendly corn maze. Each of us is...

A couple of months ago a friend emailed me for help. She had gone in for blood work and was now waiting for the result of it....

<p>Bouncing, bouncing on my knees Bouncing, bouncing on my knees Bouncing, bouncing on my knees Just baby and me I&#8217;ll swing you high I&#8217;ll swing you low I&#8217;ll hold you tight And I won&#8217;t let go Bouncing, bouncing&#8230; At the library&#8217;s story time on Tuesdays, Nora has a friend.  He and his mom usually sit<a class="more-link" href="https://firefliesanddaffodils.com/2018/08/27/story-time/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">&#8220;Stor

One night two weeks ago Danith asked if I was happy. We were sitting in a corner of our bedroom, with Nora sleeping in her bassinet...

She breathes her warm, milky breath into the underside of my right cheek. In the past few minutes, she has been busy nudging her head on...

She is here. Routinely I smoothe her fine black hair that is already thick and long, suck on her chubby fingers that we used to see only...

On my nightstand is a book describing the benefits of giving baby massages. Supposedly, my gentle touches on her skin would be like...