Christmas Gifts That Give Back
It can get tricky for my family during the holidays when it comes to giving gifts. It seems sometimes that we spend all year trying to teach gratitude for what we have and generosity for others, and then the Christmas…
Not In My House, Harvey
You brought your worst. And make no mistake, it was bad. It was terrible, horrifying and tragic. But you know what, you don’t win. We do. Not in my house, Harvey.
What I’ve learned from my sensitive child
My middle daughter, Sydney, has always been my “sensitive” child. I’m ashamed to admit that over the years I’ve used that word with various parts of bafflement, head shaking and frustration. Those that know her father and I would probably…
Teaching My Children How to Pray
As an adult, there have been times in my life when I struggled with saying the “right” prayer. I didn’t know how to start, what to say, or if I even had anything to say at all. Should I close…
How my kids showed me the truth about Christmas
I write often about the things my kids teach me. Through their words and actions they have taught me about kindness, about fun, about compassion, and about life. However, lately I’ve been thinking of the most important thing I ever…
How my daughters saved Thanksgiving for me
The last couple of weeks leading up to Thanksgiving this year have seemed like a series of unfortunate events. Between emergency vet visits, a broken transmission, a trip to the urgent care, a cold virus that has lived in our…
If you're having a hard time loving today, take advice from a child
I know after the emotional highs and lows of yesterday people may be feeling pretty exhausted and raw today. My news feed was filled with all kinds of reactions, ranging from hope to fear to shock to glee. In the…
What is joy?: A baby's response
Me: Hey Calvin, you’re a pretty happy guy. What do you think joy is? Calvin: Follow me for a day, mom, I’ll show you. 9am Calvin: Good morning, world…Mom…Mom…Mom!! I’m awake!! Come get me!…Oh, there you are. Woohoo! Look at…
A Mom's Guide to Finding Peace in the Kid Chaos
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) Sometimes I fall into the trap of thinking, I’ll have peace when…fill in the…
What I do when I need patience
Sometimes with all of the information overload out there, it’s hard to know the “right” way to parent. There are literally thousands of books, websites, experts, doctors, psychologists and pseudo-experts (*cough* bloggers *cough*) who have an opinion on what that…
