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don’t call my son the man of the house
Please don’t call my ten-year-old son “the man of the house”. He is not. Currently – we simply have no man of the house. And that’s terrible. Tragic. Not right. Wrong. Not the plan. Incorrect. Broken. But all of those truths do not make my ten-year-old son anything except a ten-year-old boy. He is not more a man now. He…
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I Don’t Keep Teeth (and other parenting truths)
“Mommy – hold out your hand,” the little man asked me. It was early. I was still lying in bed. I held out my hand. In it he placed a very small object. His tooth. “Oh. Well. Uh. Thanks son.” He grinned – two teeth down on my Last Boy To Lose Teeth. “Is it still bleeding?…
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Studying Longfellow: A Poetry Study Tutorial
We tend to choose a poet to study for a term (or a season, or a few weeks or month – whatever fits your routine). During that time I basically repeat this same general format, substituting a new poem for each session together. Generally – this style of poetry study would be done a few times each month – weekly…
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night …
And then there are some nights. Nights so long you’re nearly certain the dawn will never come. (Your only assurance being the fact that, thus far in your experience, it always has.) Nights filled with sick kids offering a play by play of their stomach aching misery from the bathroom. Nights when you are only certain of one thing –…
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Five Finds Friday (twenty) (a video you have to click to watch & beef stew)
FUNNY I love having a lot of kids. Seriously – I think I would have another two or three if circumstances were, you know, different than they are. Today we had friends over and Otto came careening into the house full force, grabbing my hand and saying I just HAD to see what was happening in the field. I left…
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give a good word
It’s wild what a good word can do. The power of positive pouring out of your mouth. I’ve unexpectedly teared up before (well, lots of times, alright) at the sound of kind words I didn’t know I needed to hear. Text messages with encouragement. A hand on the shoulder at a social function, a direct look into the eyes and…
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The Dollar Shave Club: A Review
Obviously I love when stuff I need comes to my door. (Amazon. ePantry.) In case if it isn’t already self-explanatory, here’s why I love stuff coming directly to my door: I get to stay home. (Duh.) It’s kind of hard to homeschool if you are NEVER home. (Sure, I like homeschooling at our favorite restaurants and taking school to the…
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sunshine and a trail
Today was full of sunshine. Aren’t days like that just a gift? My buddy Carl Sandburg’s gloriously beautiful home site partnered with breezy sunshine and companionable hiking friends. Today was about slow conversations and walking through the woods. Eating lunch on a giant rock with a stellar view that made cold leftover ham taste delicious. …
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what a Saturday night looks like …. sometimes
Once upon a time I told the kids we were watching Maleficent at our next Family Movie Night. It seemed like a pretty easy promise to make and to keep. (What is not easy, on the other hand, is pronouncing the movie Maleficent. Why is it so hard?) Movie Night rolls in. I have Mosely check Netflix. Maleficnnt is not…
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Five Finds Friday (nineteen)
FUNNY The kids and I “adopted” a section of our local biking/walking trail. We pick up trash on the path several times each month. This volunteer opportunity has proven to completely curb all littering from the kids and has been a great time to chat as we wander the trail with our gloves and our grabby sticks. Bergen has always…
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pockets of beauty & grace
“I hope you are finding pockets of beauty and grace.” That’s what the text message from a friend said this week. There are days and moments that weigh heavy on my heart. News that breaks and bends. Realities that burden and ache. And. There of moments of shared laughter and genuine joy. Hope that soars and restores. Pockets of beauty…
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it’s here, if I look ….
I stayed up too late trying to meet a writing deadline. And filling out paperwork for insurance. (I do not heart paperwork.) I tried to get up early to knock out the rest of the article because my brain quit on me last night halfway through the research for the article. I’m running a little on empty and I keep…
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sometimes a mom needs to not speak.
Motherhood involves a lot of words. A lot of daily decisions and the answering of a lot of questions about a myriad of subjects. (Oh my word. So many questions about SO many tricky topics. I need to write a book listing the Questions Asked and the Answers Given. An anonymous book. Anonymous to protect both my children and me…
