My son John and his wife, Alysia, came for a week after Christmas with their four little ones, ages six and under. It was a chaotic, energetic, noisy, exhausting, and absolutely wonderful…
Babies & Toddlers
Go. To. BED.
One area of mothering I very clearly have yet to master is bedtime; my kids pop out like a jack-in-the-box. It does not help that by bedtime, I am actually…
One Small Solution to Stuff-itis
This week as I carted the new Christmas toys upstairs, contemplating where to store the new loot, I felt somewhat heavy and divided, as I have occasionally after Christmas. My children are…
Poised for Radical Love
She hurt me. To this day, sometimes when I think about her, fear folds itself around my chest. Though sometimes I have to choose to forgive her again, I believe…
Empty Stocking and Unopened Gifts
Christmas was quickly approaching five years ago, and the excitement was building in our household. But a part of my heart was missing, and a bit of sadness tinged my preparations. The…
Snowflake Cocoa
We have a new cold-weather favorite: Snowflake cocoa. Creamy white-chocolate bliss! I heat it and serve it from my slow cooker so it’s perfect for holiday gatherings. I prefer to sprinkle a little…
Embrace Messy Children … Really?
As I pulled away from school after dropping off my six-year-old grandson, I gave thanks to God that I am sill healthy and energetic enough to do this babysitting of…
Mom First … Professional When Able
I started my career as a paralegal at “‘the” law firm in south Florida. Our offices were located on the island of Palm Beach. I ended my career as the membership and marketing…
Mothering Melodrama
“Today is the worst day of my life!” This is the note I found etched into our Magna Doodle and left on the bottom step, so I wouldn’t miss it….
The Destruction Zone
My poor house. I pull out my vacuum cleaner, and it’s covered with stickers. Still don’t know which child did that. But those are sparkly stickers, different from the foam…