Author Archives: Eliza Cramer Jaremko

I let out a deep breath in my place of refuge.  All moms of young children know exactly where I’m talking about: The bathroom. It’s the only place in the house where you can be alone and lock the door … just for a moment … before they find you. Quiet. A breath. Then ….Continue reading “Rest Requirements”

I was in the car with my family, and as usual, listening to our favorite soundtrack, Pete the Cat (music from the Amazon Prime cartoon, based on the books by James Dean). The music bopped along: “So you’ve fallen down playing tag And you’ve bruised your right elbow Now you want to stay inside YouContinue reading “Put That Brave Face On”

“I’m not even a functioning adult” I yelled as I threw some screws to the ground. My husband, who had come into the back yard to see what all the fuss was about, said, “I don’t think this is a matter of your functioning as a person.”  “Oh yes it is,” I snarked back. “HowContinue reading “Some Assembly Required”

My 4-year-old daughter has been playing doctor in our backyard lately. A few weeks ago, she chased down her brother with a stick, yelling, “Come back here! It’s time for your rapid test!” Now, my 18mo has had 6 (yes 6) COVID tests and has taken them like a champ … but there was noContinue reading “What’s Wrong With You?”

It was o’ dark thirty. I was asleep. Or I would’ve been if I hadn’t felt a presence. As I turned over, my face bumped into something soft. I opened my eyes. Two big white eyes stared back at me. Big black nose. 1 red bow. “Hi Minnie.” I muttered. “Mommy,” said a voice behindContinue reading “Cat and Mouse: Toy Stories”

I don’t know where all the mittens go. Just like socks that seemingly disappear into the depths of the dryer, toddler mittens disappear into the depths house. Is there a mitten thief among us? Does a mitten elf come in the night? With two toddlers and 4 little hands to keep warm, I bought 3Continue reading “On the Other Hand …”

My dearest daughter, Susannah. Today, as you turn 4 years old, you received a special surprise gift, which I purchased at Target many weeks ago. I had gone there in search of a few silly items for you and your brother for Valentines’ Day. You’ll soon learn that a trip to Target always involves buyingContinue reading “She Who Cannot Be Contained: To Susannah on Your 4th Birthday”

“Hey! HEY! HEY!!!!! Everyone sit down and listen. It’s Christmas Eve. We are worshipping here in this living room. Jesus is going to be born. AND YOU’RE GOING TO LIKE IT.” My family looked at me like a crazy Pastor-Mom gone wild. I had worked for countless hours putting together a special virtual Christmas EveContinue reading “Hear the Good News”

“We’re nearing the end of the pandemic”, I heard on the radio this morning. I admit, I scoffed a little when I heard it. Really? Could that true? It still feels like we have so far to go with vaccine distribution before we can make such a bold statement. Yet, there it was from aContinue reading “The End Is Near …”

“Other people are doing puzzles and I’m cleaning poop!” my husband screamed into the universe. It was early corona-tide. Late March 2020. The world was in lock-down. We didn’t yet know about mask-wearing or transmission of air droplets. We were told to stay home at all costs. Many of our friends and family were postingContinue reading “Poop Pandemic”