A few weeks ago, Katie baked chocolate muffins to take to church potluck. After she’d pulled them from the oven and set them on the stove to cool, she hopped up onto the counter and rummaged through our junk cabinet. A moment later, she emerged, triumphantly clutching a place card holder, a relic leftover from … Continue reading "On Giving Generously, Without Control"
Read MoreCategory: This Thing Called Life
Eighteen Summers: Some Thoughts on Doing Enough
Why, hello. It’s been far too long, hasn’t it? I have an excuse. (I always have an excuse.) This time, the excuse is a 25-pound firecracker who, until recently, believed sleep was for babies. But I may have already mentioned this once or twice. Or three times. Fine, four. It was kind of a big … Continue reading "Eighteen Summers: Some Thoughts on Doing Enough"
Read MoreThis Post is Not About Sleep, or, Lessons in Community
A few months ago, a friend asked how we were doing. I shrugged. “Another rough night last night.” She commiserated, and I shook my head, rallying myself out of my own self-pity. “I’m sorry!” I told her. “I’m sorry I’m always talking about how little we’re sleeping.” She smiled. “It’s ok,” she said. “It’s your … Continue reading "This Post is Not About Sleep, or, Lessons in Community"
Read MoreI Do, Still
In recent (and, if I’m honest, not so recent) months, Katie and Abby have had frequent conversations about the people in their lives whom they deem to be marriageable material. (I have no idea where this came from.) Abby’s young enough still that her list often includes such people as her dad or her brother … Continue reading "I Do, Still"
Read MoreOn Casting Votes and Raising Kids and Living Life
Late last week, Katie picked up a campaign flyer that hadn’t yet made it to the recycle bin. “This guy has ‘the energy and skill to get the job done,'” she read, then narrowed her eyes. “Wait a second. Who sent this, anyway? Are they just saying that because they want you to vote for … Continue reading "On Casting Votes and Raising Kids and Living Life"
Read MoreIt Seems Like God Would Have Wanted to Answer That Prayer
A few weeks ago, at the end of our bedtime routine, I put an arm around Katie’s shoulders and pulled her close. “Want to talk about anything, kiddo?” It had been a tough day. We’d intended to leave for a much-anticipated camping trip that morning but had needed to make a sudden change in plans … Continue reading "It Seems Like God Would Have Wanted to Answer That Prayer"
Read MoreWhat I’m Teaching My Kids
At a recent meeting at our charter school, Abby was admiring the keyboard skin on our ES’s* laptop. Abby has long had a fascination with technology. (Her running birthday request for the last three years has been a phone, and she was legitimately disappointed not to receive one when she turned five.) The skin was … Continue reading "What I’m Teaching My Kids"
Read MoreThere Will be Time for the Other Stuff Later
I’ve read a lot about abortion over the past week. News articles. Legal analyses. Fact-checking pieces. Personal essays. Opinions. Twitter threads. (Confession: I tend to do this when a big issue catches my attention. I take a deep dive, become consumed by everything there is to read about it. I don’t necessarily recommend this approach … Continue reading "There Will be Time for the Other Stuff Later"
Read MoreOn Making Lists and Not Wasting My Life
A few months ago, I implemented something new in our homeschool: I started giving Katie a list. It always has the same things at the top. Get dressed. Tidy your room. Brush your hair. Practice the piano. And then, checkboxes for whatever she needs to accomplish that day. Math pages. Copy work. Spelling. Addition practice. … Continue reading "On Making Lists and Not Wasting My Life"
Read MoreIt Seems Like They Change Every Year: Some Thoughts on Routines and Striving for Perfection
Sometime when Katie was in preschool or kindergarten, my mom gave her a magnetic calendar. It had bright, colorful tiles, with places to note the weather and the season and the user’s current mood. It was the perfect addition to our nascent homeschool, and I was diligent to use it as a part of our … Continue reading "It Seems Like They Change Every Year: Some Thoughts on Routines and Striving for Perfection"
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