Claire Bidwell Smith

A week ago I said goodbye to these three and drove away from my little home in Santa Monica. It was weirdly easy to do, an indication, I think, of just how much I needed to get away. I think the most startling thing for me about being a parent, from the very first day, Read more…

I’ve been going to a new yoga class almost every weekend here in Santa Monica. The sequences aren’t that different from other classes I’ve taken, but what is different is the teacher. He talks through the entire class, quoting poems by Rumi or lines from Mary Oliver. He plays incredible music mixes and lowers and Read more…

Thursday was a long travel day and I think we all spent most of yesterday still trying to recover. We dismantled the Christmas tree, put away all of our new and lovely gifts, did loads and loads of laundry. Went to Trader Joes. Took the cats in the backyard for some fresh air. Showered, cooked, Read more…

I went out with girlfriends tonight, only one of a handful of times I’ve been out at night since Jules was born. I put on heels and squeezed myself into some jeans that still don’t quite fit, and I drove to Venice to meet four of my best friends at a restaurant that we’ve been Read more…

When Greg and I met, I was coming off the first substantial amount of time I’d ever spent on my own. I’d grown strong and independent during this time. I lived alone, put myself to bed every night, traveled to and from Los Angeles, always returning with the knowledge that I wasn’t reliant on anyone. Read more…

The other night we had some friends over for dinner and after they left, the house felt cozy and warm. All the lamps were glowing and the rooms still smelled like pumpkin pie and toasted pecans. The four of us were happy and relaxed and just kind of saturated in the moment. All day Veronica Read more…

Why is it that the last half of the year always seems to move so quickly? Summer slips into fall, slips into winter. I’ve been thinking a lot about a year ago. We were new to this house, Vera was just about to start preschool, my book was still a few months off from being Read more…

Almost the very moment Juliette was born, I realized that my relationship with Veronica had changed. I think I knew it in the days leading up to giving birth for the second time. Each night in those last days of pregnancy, I crawled into Vera’s bed with her and kept my arms around her until Read more…

I can’t believe it’s been over a week since I’ve blogged. I think that’s the longest I’ve gone in years. I’ve been trying to be more forgiving of myself though when it comes to not accomplishing things, and blogging has been one thing I’ve tried not to beat myself up over. That said, I do Read more…

It’s late afternoon. Juliette is napping and Greg is at the pool with Veronica. I have a cold coming on and my limbs feel sticky and achy, my throat sore. I’m tired too. And drained. And kind of sad. But you wouldn’t know that from the pretty pictures I post on Instagram all day, would Read more…