Keiglets
The littlest birds sing the prettiest songs.
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let your kids do hard things.
I am finding that it is so good to carefully place your kids in situations where something difficult is asked of them. (Certainly life does does that for all of us in giant ways – death of grandparents and loved ones, death of family pets, divorce, moving, friendships failing, broken relationships, change of plans, disappointments and more.) But I’m talking about smaller ways. Almost in preparation – it’s like we have an opportunity to provide a dress rehearsal of sorts. When the kids and I visited the corn maze last month we were kind of lost. Not hopelessly lost and not really dangerously lost as you could always call it…
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Field Trip: School on the Trail
Last week I studied the weather forecast. I saw the glorious autumn days we would potentially be allowed to enjoy and the threat of the cold and the rain-filled days just on the edge of the horizon. I knew I had to get to the sunshine while there was sunshine to get to. Whilst the children were sleeping snug in their beds (or my bed, you know, whichever, it’s all the same any more) I wrote out a little invitation for them each. “You are invited on an adventure,” the note read. “Pack your water bottle, your notebook, a novel, your Life of Fred math book, colored pencils and grab…
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this stuff really happens at our house.
Ryder is still under house arrest after his surgery. House arrest for this giant puppy involves leash walking exclusively for every bathroom break. We’ve got a decent little system of sharing the load between the kids and I and the friendly fur face is progressing nicely and honestly such a happy dog despite his kennel and his steel plate. However. Because this is real life and not a comic strip (But that would be funny – right? Think Calvin & Hobbes meets Family Circus meets one of those serious ones that no one ever actually reads.) sometimes the trips outside can get a little rowdy. Ryder is still a puppy…
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Field Trip: Eliada Corn Maze
The best part about writing for the local website Kidding Around Greenville has been embracing the opportunity to explore our own adventures right here where we live. Looking for article ideas for them has given me fresh eyes for discovering cool spots across the mountains in North Carolina and right here in our town too. Last week the kids and I made our favorite over-the-hill drive (I just can never get enough of those mountains, no matter the season) to Asheville to a well known annual corn maze that I had only heard about but had never visited. Eliada is an organization in Asheville that is doing really fabulous things for…
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oh, the questions.
Why is there a pumpkin in the hall? Where did the number 11 on our steps vanish to? Why is Otto wearing gun range quality ear muffs while high step walking up the stairs? Whose ear pieces are those anyway? Why do my children insist on running the window unit AC in October? Why do the children’s feet still stink two minutes post shower? Where does that single mismatched sock under Bergen’s bed keep coming from?
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know this my sons & daughters
There are so many many things I want my children to know. (Jesus’ saving love. The parts of speech. How to look people in the eyes when they speak. The times tables. Their family’s history. What makes a work of literature great. How to climb a tree. The love of a good dog.) But. In its simplest form, I want my kids to know that I like them. That I really truly genuinely like them. I’m glad they exist. They are not, never have been, will never be a burden to me. I want them to remember more days of laughter than tears. More days of sunshine than gloom. But…
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Game Night: Apples to Apples
I’ve been a little MIA this past week I guess. And it was good. But I’m back now and it looks like the sun is back too and I am incredibly grateful to see blue sky. (Rainy weather. It always gets me down.) Last week I taught the kids how to play Apples to Apples. We’ve been trying to learn new games together and I love introducing them to other games that they are just now old enough to enjoy. I guess I forgot how outdated Apples to Apples is. And how little old school pop culture my children actually know. (Which is a lack of knowledge I am perfectly happy to…
Keep Reading . . .
this train of thought ….
Discipline of Gratitude
This Week. Feeling ALL the Pressures.
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my answer.
Dear Kids, Will you grow up and look at me one day and ask, Mom. How did you do it? There were so many of us. You were outnumbered by lots. We had so many sticky hands and dirty feet and frogs in our pockets and demands in our voices. What will I say? What can I say? I think I’ll say . . . You are worth it. Every step of the way. You. Are. Worth. It. Because these sticky, exhausting, busy, full years with you guys by my side are my favorite. You are worth it. Always and always. Worth it. That’s what I’ll say because that…
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dichotomy
I can hear them from where I sit. Downstairs. On my bed. I’m typing and tears are in my eyes. Carrying the heavy in my heart and across my wrinkled forehead and all alone in this bedroom made for two but only hosting one. Their laughter is sweet. Their game play is kind and momentarily all completely happy and universally enjoyable by all five of them. My heart aches from the sounds – the happy upstairs, the hurt downstairs. For all the goo and the gunk and the ugly and the dark, I think my kids are finding happy in this day. I couldn’t be more grateful. And I couldn’t…
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let’s call this one quits already
Today was a lousy day. I mean. I don’t even think I have what it takes to type it out and turn it into a story. I know I’m due a post about the Plexus Pink Drink Experiment. I have a cute article about picking apples with kids to post. I’m sure one of my children said something adorable or funny or embarrassing that I could write about. But instead I think I might just go to bed unreasonably early and let this day die the slow, sad death it deserves. You guys – we just never know what a day holds when our feet reluctantly hit the bedroom floor…
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poetry and tea.
Last week I borrowed a homeschooling idea from a friend. Because that’s what we all do – right? Earlier in the week, I invited the kids to meet me on Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. at our kitchen table. They were invited to bring a stuffed friend, a happy heart and a poem to share. I wrote it on our family menu board. The Poet Tea. And then it was three o’clock and the table was set and the desserts were stacked on the high platter. The poetry books covered the table. Heavy on the Shel Silverstein. We all tried chamomile lavender tea with a dash of maple syrup. (The…
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Jane Tells Our Story of Family
You guys know my friend Jane – right? She is the photographer who had our children all spray one another – and us – with colored dye from squirt guns. We walked around for weeks with pink or green hair. She snapped this sweet shot last summer of me and my girls. Well, Jane is still snapping photos and she’s working on a new kind of photography. Storytelling Sessions. It’s a pretty beautiful idea. And like lots of pretty beautiful ideas, it’s a simple one. Jane visits your home. She blends into the background and you and your family live your life. The life you live at home. Your real one.…
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On the Road: George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Back in July we had the privilege of scooting up to Washington DC after our annual July Fourth pilgrimage. Mainly we wanted to visit my brother and his family. One day there, however, we grabbed my sister-in-law and we all hopped right off to Mount Vernon, home place of the first president. (And conveniently close to my brother’s home.) I had the privilege of reviewing the visit for Kidding Around Greenville and they recently shared the post on their website. I thought about just linking up that post only, but frankly, I wanted to share lots more pictures than they had space for so I am going to include the…
