When our four-year-old was little, there was a family call and response. We would say “Power Up!” and she would promptly bring both of her arms up, make muscles and give us the cutest, concentrated face. This became a thing even before she was talking and it was often at the dinner table that we …
Today was the day we had in our heads since January of this year. It is the day we were given as our daughter’s due date. Although we knew that she would join our family sooner than her due date, there is something about reaching this day with her here that causes me to pause …
Just a couple of days ago, our four-year-old announced it was time for her first haircut. It’s not as though we haven’t asked if she wanted a haircut. She was fiercely determined that she would not have her haircut until she her five-year-old birthday even as she tagged along to her brother’s routine haircuts. And …
As our three-year-old was cleaning up her toys after dinner, she looked over her shoulder and asked, “I’m nice, am I?” Her question stopped me in my tracks because she made an identity statement, “I’m nice,” and she was looking for affirmation that who she said she was, was true. She wanted to be nice. …
Just this week our six-year-old passed his swim test so that he could slide down the waterslide at the pool. They even gave him a band to show he had passed! It was an exciting afternoon. Even though he has just started school, he is used to having to take tests and he knows it …
There is a viral Tik Tok video going around asking former employees to reveal secrets they had to protect about businesses after they left that business. I was drawn in to the insider information and then I started to wonder why is that there are so many secrets that have to be protected. For many …
Over the past six years, I have joined scores of people who have set a reading goal for the year. My goal has been fifty books for the last six years. The only years I have met that goal were years we were battling a pandemic. There is something about slowing down that reminds us …
As if transitioning to being a cribless house wasn’t enough of a change in our household. This postcard arrived in the mail yesterday. I have to admit that I teared up a little bit reading the note from our five-year-old’s teacher welcoming him to Kindergarten. It’s always strange to me when you know something big …
The more I research and read about our hustle society, the more I realize how deeply entrenched it is into our daily lives. I hear myself reverting to hustle language when we are trying to find shoes and load up the car or are trying to do a quick grocery store run. Lying underneath this …
I love seeing all the first day of school pictures. This is a tradition I remember from my childhood. I can remember looking through the photo album that had each of us lined up in age order and trying to remember what it felt like to start each new year. This year looks different because …
