Mosely Ella Claiborne
A cup brimful of sweetness cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, no matter how suddenly jarred. - Amy Carmichael
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Five Finds Friday (touring college and of course – boots & tea)
This week was fasssst. And pretty lovely and pretty regular and there was a golden conversation with the most wonderful of humans and there were long hard stares directed at me from teens and there were jobs that got checked off to the to do list and a major frustration financially and a car battery that died but a dad who bought a portable recharger and it was the kind of week we all lived – up and down like the ocean waves. And here we are – FRIDAY! funny I like teenagers. And I like raising them and being around them. And I like laughing about them. And you…
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Bergen Hawkeye, HomeLife, Keiglets, London Eli Scout, Mosely Ella Claiborne, Otto Fox Wilder, Piper Finn Willow
teens. parenting them.
I feel like I haven’t talked about too many hard things over here lately. I think it’s because – they’re all hard things. This year has been full of hard things. And yet. We’re all okay. At my house. In this moment. We’re okay. Nothing is currently on fire. You know what I mean? Everything feels hard. And nothing is really that hard. That’s how cliche extreme my brain feels lately. The teen years are vastly different than the toddler years. (I mean, sort of. They’re both years where some kid is always hungry. And where some kid always needs you. But just – differently, you know. Teens are messy…
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Five Finds Friday (a whole lot of photos)
Remember these? It seems that Friday is here – and so am I. And I’ve got a bunch of cute photos so I might overstuff this post with them. You’ve been warned. funny There was a lot of funny to choose from this week. Halloween brought some clever costumes. But no costume anywhere beats the one that my friend Katie wore when she came over last Saturday night. With the help of one of my daughters, she snagged my Colorado hat and came dressed as ………….. me. fashionable I’m going to stick with the Halloween theme here. I think we’d all agree at my house that the most fashionable Halloween…
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Parenting Teens: Say Yes
I’m not an expert, but I do have some experience. One of my teens is a grown up. Three are currently residing under my roof. And one more joins the trifecta this month. (I need a hug. Or a wad of cash for car insurance. Both. I need both.) Here’s one little tiny slice of advice. Say yes. To everything you possibly can say yes to. There are SO many nos in the lives of your teens. Sometimes their lives feel like one gigantic NO. And there are loads and plenty of things you must say NO to for your kids. Hitch hiking. Tik Tok. Diving headfirst into unknown waters.…
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love. via sour dough bread.
I love my kids. But that’s nothing unusual – right? Moms love their kids. It’s kind of our job. But you know what is extra special and humbling and wonderful? When other people love your kids. When other humans in your life nourish your kid’s strengths and encourage her talents. That’s lovely. That’s beautiful. Mosely loves to bake bread. She has been trying a handful of recipes off and on for years. Some with wild success – rosemary bread, for example. Some with not-her-favorite results. Bread is finicky. Dough rising is affected by temperature and humidity and length of time. I’ve never been a pro at it myself. But Mosely…
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five finds friday (the right ice, a great kid, gorgeous views)
I’m not sure how quality this Five Finds can be this week. I never enjoy the return to the work week after a fantastic vacation – but this week has been extra The Worst. Talk about Slow Motion. That’s my speed currently. Or backwards. That speed too. Can’t seem to kick the sickies and don’t love dwelling on it. So I’ll give it a go over here – typing as slow as I’ve been moving all week long. funny On the road (with nearly 5,000 miles under our belt) we listened to a variety of different podcasts. One of the funniest was one recommended to us called Everything is Alive.…
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Five Finds Friday (sweatshirts & cuddles & an easy soup recipe for your new Instant Pot)
You already know I love this holiday week. I wish all of life was like a holiday. No school. No pressure to rise early. No pressure to get to bed early. No pressure. That’s what I like. The unrealistic dream world of no pressure for anything. Ah. But we are grown ups here and we know that the in between weeks are not the main weeks and that holiday is not the standard fare. But – while it lasts, I sure do enjoy it. funny Riley and Aaron bought the boys a miniature foosball table for Christmas this year. It’s been a big hit. Also, Puck…
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Five Finds Friday (surprise! & the warmest socks & the silliest picture)
We all know why this week sped right past all of us. Yes – it’s already Friday you guys. Here we go …… FUNNY Humor plays a vital role in my life. If it’s not outright sustaining, it absolutely is what makes certain days feel endurable. (Is endurable a word?) Our friend Abby has endeared herself to my children through several methods. One – she sends stellar care packages that have rather specific instructions on the outside. Instructions such as “For Kids Eyes Only” and “Whatever You Do – Don’t Let Your Mom Open This Box”. Two – she shows up in surprise ways and says yes…
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Happy Birthday Mosely Elliot!
Today our home changes. Today, for the first time in the history of our family, there are TWO teenagers living under our roof. Two teenage girls. They are both taller than me. They are both better artists and better cooks than I am. They both wear my clothes and they both have captured my whole heart. Happy thirteenth birthday Mosely! Your brown eyes are expressive and lovely and you have been blessed with simply the most obedient hair on the planet. You love Ryder with a deep and abiding affection and care daily for his needs. I love your new style of Manga drawing that…
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Brown Girl Dreaming: A Book Review
For the longest time I’ve noticed a poster hanging on the end of the shelves at our local library. It featured the novel Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. While the kids search for their allowed number of books on our library visits, I sometimes peruse the cookbook shelves or the poetry shelves. I scan the non fiction children’s section looking for a title that might fit what we are already studying. I grab a few books from the easy readers section for Otto and Piper. As I was walking around and adding interesting choices to my bag, my eyes fell on Brown Girl Dreaming on the shelf,…
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my date with mosely, good things are coming
Hi friends. This weekend the weather has been my favorite. A pleasant sort of warmth. A breezy sort of breeze. Pollen low and skies clear. Mosely and I sauntered off to enjoy her Christmas gift date – tickets to see The Sound of Music. (Best Christmas gift idea ever – by the way. I’ve enjoyed four incredible dates to events I’ve really wanted to see too – with people I really like seeing them with. Only one date left to go!) Mosely had gotten a snazzy new short haircut the day before (we have the best hairdresser!) and she looked so cute. Our seats were pretty much as far back…
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happy birthday mosely. today you turn twelve.
Mosely Elliot Claiborne. She’s turning twelve and we all know that sounds like a big age when your previous decade has been full of littles and single digits and learning how to ride bikes and read books and bake cookies. Twelve is a big deal. She gets to sit up front (and now London has competition for that privilege) and she is basically the same height that I am and practically the same shoe size and her brown eyes twinkle when she laughs and she wears her frustrations on her sleeve and across her expressive face and I am pleased and humbled and proud to call her my girl. She…
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Prairie Adventure: running on the prairie
Would it be okay if I just share a handful of sweet pictures of my girls running on the prairie? Okay. Great. Thank you.
Keep Reading . . .
back to the grind . . .
you can’t call it a mid-life crisis.
… a new dinner option
