Mama Maverick
It started out like any other Saturday morning… I’m lying. It was nothing like any other Saturday morning. I woke up with a migraine. The whole back half of my head throbbed and felt like it weighed 67 pounds. While…
Not According to Plan
It was the first time in my then-nine years of motherhood that all of my children were to have ongoing scheduled activities, of which I was not to be a part. Honestly, this was pretty exciting to me. Now that…
Half as Hard, Twice as Good
I’ve had three babies and only once went to the hospital with a “false alarm.” Just a couple of weeks before my due date with my son Caleb, I thought I was in labor. So off to the hospital we…
A Decade and a Decision
My firstborn just turned 10. “I can’t believe it” is my normal reaction to her birthday. As all parents told me it would, the time has truly flown by. Wasn’t it “just yesterday” that I was rocking her, spoon-feeding her…
Nose-to-Nose, Heart-to-Heart
Recently I had to have a difficult “nose-to-nose” conversation with my daughter. She was having a lot of trouble admitting that she was wrong about something, and Kevin and I had been noticing that this issue with her had been…
My Little Pony
When my daughter Callie was two years old, our friend Kari gave her a toy for Christmas. “Oh, Callie! It’s My Little Pony!” I exclaimed as she opened the package. Very confused, little Callie looked up at me and said,…
A Tribute to Tradition
It’s hard to tell when traditions actually begin or why they begin. I just know my family has them, especially around Christmastime. First of all, we insist on having a live tree. I’d like to say we go to a…
Not-So-Traditional Thanksgivings
When I was growing up, every year we had the same Thanksgiving tradition at my grandparents’ house. It was always my family, my aunt, my uncle, my cousins, my grandparents, turkey, dressing (the best I’ve ever had!), twice-baked potatoes, homemade…
On Parenting Yourself
Here’s what I’ve discovered: My firstborn daughter is the most like me. Here’s what else I’ve discovered: She is quite often the most difficult child for me to parent. And I think I know why. So many of the things…
If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…Try Anyway
Several years ago, a wonderful documentary, Babies, was released. The film chronicles the first year of the lives of four babies from various parts of the world: Namibia, Mongolia, Japan, and the United States. As I watched the film, which has…
