HomeLife
How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. - Annie Dillard
-
Operation Potty Traing: A Family Affair
I don’t enjoy potty training. It’s one of my least favorite parenting tasks. I don’t enjoy changing diapers either really, but somehow, for me, potty training is worse than a gross, but speedy and predictable diaper change. So Piper is two and has been talking about the potty for some time. Lately, she’s even begun to request a new diaper post-poo. I guess those are the generally accepted signs that she’s more ready than I am to start this messy, time-consuming journey. I decided to adopt my husband’s well known philosophy of not playing around. I immediately began employing a system that involves bribery and back up. I explained the…
-
What Is She Wearing?
My friend Mandy and I were on our way to our weekly Bible study. The kids were all buckled into their seats, quietly enjoying our little ride. “Mommy. I think Piper just threw up,” Bergen said. “No, I don’t think so Berg.” “Yeah. I think she did,” he said. “I throw up,” Piper announced. Mandy turned around to verify the facts. “Uh. Yes. She did throw up.” We were almost at church so we kept heading in that direction so we could clean her up there. Not to get too graphic, but it was pretty much a pure strawberry yogurt type of throw up. More than likely brought on by…
-
Just Because
It’s not Father’s Day. And it isn’t Kevin’s birthday. But I feel like writing about him anyway. In our house, the man is a Super Star. He really is. With all the trappings of celebrity . . . . Not much private time (his biggest fans are continually interrupting him in the restroom – even if the door IS shut – try dealing with THAT Harrison Ford) Everyone vying for his attention (Daddy, can you read this? Will you cut an apple for me? Can I cuddle with you? What are you going to watch Dad? Can I walk outside with you? Where are you going? When will you be…
-
A Little Stir Crazy
Kevin was in Israel for a lot of days. And some of those days felt much longer than others. And those many days were also followed by many nights. I might have gotten a little stir crazy while he was gone. I might have rearranged the living room furniture in at least twelve various configurations, none of which seemed to please anyone but me. I might have painted the kitchen cabinets with chalkboard paint and drawn on all the doors with colored chalk. I might have cleaned out the kids’ closets on multiple evenings. I might have reorganized Kevin’s plethora of t-shirts into tidy stacks according to style, color and…
-
Brought To You By . . .
As I said in the last post, it’s no small task for both Kevin and I to leave the state of South Carolina sans children. But leave it we did, if only for an overnight journey to Atlanta for that U2 concert I was raving about recently. And our adventure was brought to us by some wonderful people we like to call Emma and Sally. Or Aunt E and Oma. Or “Aunt Eeeee-muh” if you are two. How do you get to claim the title of sainthood anyway? Do you have to be Catholic? Or dead? Well, if those are the two primary requirements then I guess Emma and Sally…
-
Try This
I think I have just discovered a breakthrough diet plan. Maybe even revolutionary. It’s low cost, convenient and it really works. (I can prove its effectiveness. I am not a paid actor. This is a true story.) First, you need a cup of something ridiculously hot. Steaming, in fact. Boiling couldn’t even hurt. (Something like, say, your own invention of a vanilla steamer made in your microwave.) The next step is the most important step. Place the cup in your hand. Do not blow on the cup’s contents. Do not! Raise the cup to your mouth And drink a full sip. (The bigger the gulp, the better.) There. Now you…
-
What It Isn’t
I love my husband. I really do. But with each year and each turn and each milestone of marriage God is teaching me brand new things about love. What it is. And what it isn’t. And I have so many more lessons to learn. A number of books and wise counsel have taught me along this path, leading me to where I am now. Books like Love & Respect and Sacred Marriage. But no book teaches me more than God’s word. It strips away popular theory and is more relevant than any book claiming itself as the most relevant marriage help book on the market. Today our pastor was referencing…
-
Confession
Maybe it’s time for a little confessional. Will this make me appear self-serving in your eyes? Maybe. But I’m going to risk it. I once wrote that I blogged to gain perspective on my days and my life in general. To remember to laugh at the mundane or pull extraordinary from what feels ordinary. That is still true. But more than one thing can be true at the same time- right? I also write this blog because, well, because I really like your comments. Really like them. As in, I check my e-mail in the morning just to see if anyone had anything to say and I get happy when…
-
Life Is Wonderful
We took a little hike around the lake today. I heard Bergen singing this … “life is wonderful”. It is. Kevin is back in America. Fall seems to be loafing nearby. We’re all healthy. There is food in our refrigerator. Our kids are laughing. And walking on trails holding hands without being prompted. Ice cube trays and reusable ice cubes are written on my weekly grocery list. Wilder has learned how to chuckle and to grin in response to your grin. We enjoyed a delicious Mexican meal last night at a new-to-us restaurant. Life is wonderful. And I think it is probably all the more wonderful because it hasn’t always…
-
From a Song to Art
Inspired by Ben Harper’s song on the Curious George soundtrack, the kids and I made a little art last week. (Yes, the Curious George soundtrack. Get it. It isn’t just for kids.) We had so much fun painting and cutting and pasting. Even Little Wilder left his mark – a mostly smeared orange hand print. The art was fun. But the song is even better. I think it’s a great anthem for our family and all of our little hands. I can change the world with my own two hands. I can make it a better place. I can make it a kinder place. I could make peace on earth…
-
What I Want To Do
What is now proved, was once only imagined. – William Blake There are some things that I long to feed my children every day. And it isn’t food for their stomachs. I want to offer them a sense of mystery. The incredible blessing of a vivid imagination. The gift of simple joy. The beauty of anticipation. The knowledge of a powerful and loving God. The appreciation of nature. The ability to be still. Food for their brains. Their hearts. Their souls. I know I fail miserably every day with these lofty ideals. And I always fail more dramatically on days when I forget to pursue these things myself. When I…
Keep Reading . . .
I’m over here …
five finds friday (silly and sweet)
parenting advice: for you & me
-
Ice, Ice . . . (I can’t bring myself to finish this song lyric)
Maybe you can judge the state of my emotional health and well-being by the status of my ice box. I like ice. When we moved to our new home we purchased a lovely Samsung refrigeration unit that featured an ice maker. Because I like ice. But alas. Our home did not come equipped with a water connection to said ice maker. I was sad. Because I like ice. I do not like ice cube trays. I don’t like how they appear stackable but are in fact only stackable if the water is already frozen inside of them. That doesn’t make any sense. I was forced to reach a compromise, however.…
-
At Our House
This morning I opened the refrigerator. I found these. Perfectly logical – right?
