There are times as a mother when it feels like too much and like she is too little, and times when she feels like she’s all her children could ever need, and those when they won’t need her nearly enough. She lives in the paradox of parenting, the marvel of mothering.
What if I change? What if I don’t? Who am I? What have I become?
She plunged the scissors into Miss Ollie’s neck and when she was certain she could no longer see the pivot point screw, she twisted.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
When I said I wanted to write a book about four-year-olds with a penchant for blood, there were … questions. Lucky for me, those questions came from the two smartest, most insightful readers I know: my agent, Dan Lazar, and my editor, Christine Kopprasch. Thank you both for your honesty and your support, and for asking even more questions during my dark night of the soul when I thought I wanted to stop writing this book.
I feel so at home at Flatiron Books, and that has everything to do with the wonderful team of people I get to work with there. Thank you to Nancy Trypuc, Amelia Possanza, and Katherine Turro—you are the dream team—and to Megan Lynch, Maxine Charles, and the entire sales team—I know how fortunate I am to benefit from your expertise and passion.
Thank you to Dana Spector, Olivia Blaustein, and Paige Holtzman at CAA for helping my books find homes in new mediums.
To my writing friends, Charlotte Huang （who came up with the title of this book） and Lori Goldstein—I know for a fact I wouldn’t have lasted in this business this long without you. Thank you to Julia Teague and Lisa McQueen, who generously helped double-check my work （and please, rest assured any errors left behind are my own）。 I also have to express my undying love for my book club. It is such a delight to spend time each month with a group of women who love books—happy ten-year anniversary! And speaking of bookish friends, thank you to the Bookstagram community for championing both my work and books in general. You compose such a joyful corner of the internet and I’m happy to be a tiny part of it.
Finally, the biggest, mushiest thank-you goes to my family. While writing a book about parenting, I couldn’t help feeling grateful over and over that I get to parent with my husband, Rob. And to our kids, Elliott and Colin: you are both an inspiration in every sense of the word. Thanks for being a constant presence at my writing desk.