Have you ever played the Cooking Mitt Game at a party? The gist is that each person takes a turn unwrapping a gift that is hidden under layers and layers of wrapping paper. To make things interesting, when it is your turn, you don cooking mitts. Each contestant clumsily gropes at the wrapping paper through the thick mitts – sometimes … Read More
The Scurrying and Crackling of Life: Motherhood is About Being With People
One of the little perks of our helter-skelter schedule this year is that I get more one-on-one time with our Lia. Once a week, we drive together to her violin lesson and then have some free time – just the two of us to do whatever we want. This is refreshing on many levels. For example, I can give my … Read More
A Study in Letting Your Guard Down
Saturday morning I thought I’d drop Viv off at ballet, go grocery shopping, and take a few of the younger kiddos to the local Insect Fair where you can eat chocolate-covered crickets and see the model of a giant ant. Somehow, the day veered in a different direction and, instead of the Insect Fair, we welcomed two goats into the … Read More
Let’s Teach Our Kids About Jesus
The heart-and-soul of our home is Jesus. Our children are our beautiful mission field. We want to build our daily habits, conversations, problem solving, and traditions on His gift of love and forgiveness yet so many days, I wonder if I’ve even spoken His name to our children. I find that I need to be proactive to worship and prioritize … Read More
Getting the School Year Off the Ground
Well, here we go! A new school year is upon us. We logged two days of school before embarking on a week’s journey to New England. I wanted to try on our new schedule and make sure we had all of the supplies that we needed. Now that we’re back from a wonderful trip to Boston, Plimoth Plantation, and West … Read More
3 Ways to Connect with Your Child: Share!
When you share something from your world with your child, you open your arms and welcome her into relationship with you. Whether it’s a bite of your cupcake or the Scripture that’s been encouraging you lately, look for a way to share your personal world with your child. He’ll treasure your generosity and trust. Share a treat with him. Whenever … Read More
3 Simple (Funny) Ways to Connect with your Child This Week
See this little girl? She loves to laugh and she has a great sense of humor. Very few things connect human beings like laughter: it sweeps away our inhibitions and gives us common ground. Here are a few ways to connect with your child this week that involve laughter… Laugh out loud at her jokes or efforts to be funny. Your child … Read More
Singing Your Child to Sleep: A Sweet Motherhood Opportunity
Last year, I re-evaluated everything about motherhood based on a lip-sync performance of this song: “Stressed Out” by twenty one pilots. Our friends performed it at a talent show. It was funny. It was cute. And it rocked my world. “Wish we could turn back time, to the good old days When our momma sang us to sleep but now … Read More
3 Simple Ways to Connect with Your Child This Week
This week, enjoy these 3 simple ways to connect with your child: Say his name. Say her name. I’m surprised how often I replace my child’s name with a term of endearment: Sweetie, Honey, Bud, Batman… While these are sweet, I find that speaking my child’s real name kindly – when everything is going well and they are not in … Read More
Let’s Get This Straight: 2 Thoughts About Homeschoolers vs. Public Schoolers
I think there’s a tension between homeschoolers vs. public/ private schoolers. (I dunno… I could be wrong… but I think it’s there.) We’re each doing our very best, yet we’re afraid that maybe our children are missing out. We wonder if other women are judging us. We stumble over our words when we talk with one another because we’re not … Read More