Shifting Seasons
The weather is teasing us. We’ve had crisp, cool days and hot, humid days. It’s kind of summer and kind of fall, like the season is trying to shift, trying to slide into what’s next, but it hasn’t clicked over quite yet. But our schedule has clicked over. We...
Delight-full
A few weeks ago my brother and sister-in-law took my kids to a water park and I stayed back with my one-year-old niece. At one point in the afternoon we were sitting on the floor playing with matchbox cars. I would make a car noise and drive...
Vermont
I grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I liked my hometown, but I had no real connection to the area. In fact, if you picked up all the people I loved and transported them to any different spot in the world, I imagined that I would be just as happy with it....
Rest
I was talking to a friend the other day about a recent trip around the lazy river at a water park. Her mind began to wander as she sat in her tube, and she started thinking about her to do list and all that she needed to accomplish. She realized that she...
Just
My children are terrible sleepers. Even now, at ages 10, 8, and 5, they struggle. We have a diagnosed sleep disorder in the bunch, one who has much lower sleep needs than the average child, and lots of early waking, nighttime neediness, difficulty falling asleep, and...
I’m Okay!
My middle daughter is the toughest human being I know. She can endure physical pain and injury without blinking. We’ve joked that her life mantra is, “I’m ok!” because it is what she shouts after every fall, crash, and tumble. And since she’s high energy...
Deep Breath
The other night my seven-year-old told me that her class was learning how to calm their bodies down when they get upset or have too much energy.“The teacher called them belly breaths, and told us to breathe in so that our bellies get big and breathe out so...
It’s Not a Competition
My kids can turn anything into a competition. Who drew the better elephant? Who drank their milk faster? Who rides their bike faster? “It’s not a competition” has become one of my parenting mantras. To which my son replies, “Ok, but if it was, who would...
Repeat as Needed
There’s a debate raging out there about Girl Scout cookies. Do we love them because they are in limited supply, because we can only get them at a certain time of the year? Or do we love them because they are actually really good? I’m convinced...
Holding Space
My sister was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis last spring. It’s been a tough year for her, dealing with painful symptoms, figuring out medication and side effects, going to doctor’s appointments, and learning life with a chronic illness. I hate it for her. I hate...