August 3, 2019

Kids will be kids

The dirt smudged across her cheek sparkles, and her girly fingernails hide the grit of a day well played. Today she has snuggled under a blanket and read aloud to her brother from a book called, “Warrior”. She danced to pop music in her bedroom and then built legos with her brother when he told her he was bored without her. She left her breakfast behind because she realized she hadn’t fed the animals yet. Out the window  I watched her move from one animal to the next, dog, chicken, chicken, chicken, horse, chicken, cat, more chickens, making sure each animal received a bit of attention as she said, “Good…

May 16, 2018

A Mother’s Garden

Yesterday, we walked among the most beautiful gardens. Hundreds of flowers and each one so spectacular! I do not have a green thumb, and though I am completely fascinated with flowers…it is simply not a skill I have! My mother and all the women on my husband’s side of the family are amazing with flowers and plants! I often wished I had a knack for it, and always imagined that one day I would take the time to really invest myself in learning more and trying harder. I even planned that this summer would be the year I do that! But as the list of things to do this summer…

May 1, 2018

Worth the Effort

Parenting is hard. But I’m here to tell you, we can do this. We can get through every hard stage, because our kids are worth our effort! My constant parenting mantra these days is “today will not last forever…but the lessons from it will.” I want to be patient while my kids work through tough stuff and offer them all the right tools to get through it. I don’t want to give up on them learning meaningful things, in a real and lasting way, by demanding immediate perfection that will really only look good on the outside. I want their hearts to guide their behavior, not fear…and hearts are slower…