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hodge podge
I can already hear them. My children. In the far future. Discussing me. Dissecting the way I do things. Analyzing why I wrote our meals on chalkboard cabinets and what my obsession with this blog was all about. And calling me a cheapskate. I know they will. I used to look at my mother as she gathered the remaining zip-loc…
Keep Reading . . .
one of those . . . weeks
An Ode to EB White
This Week. Feeling ALL the Pressures.
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he answered. with a full sentence.
He’s still just such a little man. And maybe it’s because he is Number Six and has no real need to speak at length, but our little Otto Fox Wilder has yet to really begin full-on conversations. Oh – he communicates. And he babbles and has standard inflections and a rhythm to his conversations. But you can’t usually understand very…
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a good deal.
The other night Mosely and I were reading a magazine on the bed together. Which slowly turned into a pseudo-wrestling match on the bed together. Because, for some reason, I think that kid’s love language is wrestling or rough-housing. Was that one of the options? It was – right? Whatever. Somewhere along in the wrestling game I decided I was…
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one rainy night
Last night was amusing. And low cost. Incredibly low cost. Riley had to work. Kevin had to work. I was basically just looking for something to do with the five remaining children and their one mother. My first thought was to drive down the road a little bit and picnic and play by this cool stream/waterfall area near us. But…
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8.
Is a birthday all about the presents? Is it all about the family meal? The one where you get to choose any of your favorites, regardless of the combination, and have them served to you on the special birthday plate? Of course not! A birthday is about celebrating the life of someone you love, someone you know, someone you are…
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a little late night change
Sometimes it is only in retrospect that you recognize a moment that signifies a shift in your story. But sometimes, when you are right smack dab in the middle of the moment, you know something noteworthy is happening. It’s not necessarily a life changing moment, so much as it is a moment that will define a time period. You know,…
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saying yes. something I perhaps should do more often.
A few mornings ago our family awoke to a rainy downpour. The children were at the side of the bed earlier than usual. “Can we put on all of our rain clothes and go outside?” The request seemed somehow less ludicrous if it meant I could sleep a little longer. But when I thought of saying yes, I thought of…
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A pastime. To pass the time.
“Can we watch a show?” I think I hear that question about every twenty minutes during the summer. Sometimes the answer is “yes”. But usually – the answer is a resounding “no!” And if it really is the twentieth time that morning then the answer might be, “If you ask me again I will happily give you a chore to…
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weekend farmers.
We had a barn full of them in Virginia. We’ve been thinking about having them here ever since we moved in. And then Hannah finished their beautifully-crafted home. But trips to Virginia and North Carolina took priority. This weekend changed all of that, however. And our family spent Saturday acquiring six new creatures/pets/providers. Chickens. We’ve got ’em. We drove waaaay…
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five minutes. first complaining. then not.
One of my friends has this system about complaining. (I think it’s Emma. But I could be wrong.) She looks at her watch and says, “Okay. You have five minutes. Complain about whatever you want. Say every bad thing you want to say. Get it all out of your system. But you have to stop at five minutes.” (Or maybe…
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I Can Tell That We Are Gonna Be Friends
How long have they been friends? Probably since Cole could walk. (And he’s five now. So you can do the math.) The boys had so much fun at our Camp Fourth this summer. Bergen helps encourage Cole to do brave things – like holding a chicken in his own actual arms! And Colton makes it possible for Bergen to play…
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always more fun to share with everyone.
I have always thought it would be entertaining to get together with a cluster of friends and herd our many, many small children together and sit back and watch the mayhem ensue. And now I know, not only is it possible – it’s downright refreshing as well. We already have another joint outing planned for next week. I can’t wait.
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dear humility: enough already.
Sometimes being a mother is a gig that is just so . . . . humbling. I mean, how many lessons in humility does one person need anyway? And can I tell you what? I think I’ve had enough already. Yeah. Enough already. Yesterday I stood in a waiting area with other moms and other kids to wait to register…
