One thing I just love about Christmas is all the warm memories associated with the season for me. A huge part of those memories involves traditions. Traditions about the tree and decorations, traditions about the ornaments we get each year, and traditions even about who does what. For example, only Mommy gets to put the […]
What Your Birth Taught Me: About You, About Me
Have you ever noticed how unique and special each child is? So. Different. Each of my children is so different from any of the others and has something so valuable to offer the world. I learn something special from each of them and that began right from their birth. My kids like to ask about […]
Personalizing Your Back-to-School
Back-to-school can get crazy with school issued lists and frugal bulk buys that suck the personalization out of your shopping. I’ve found that even at young ages my kids have definite preferences for having a say in certain aspects of their back-to-school purchases: design, color, etc. Here are some thoughts for helping your children let their personalities shine.
Making School Special as a Homeschooler
It’s that back-to-school season, as you are all surely aware. If you’re a homeschooler you might be wondering how to handle it with your kids! Here’s what I’m doing to get my kids back in the school routine – how do you handle it? 1. Let them Personalize Their School Supplies I don’t want my […]
Dear Dad, You’re the Best
Dear Dad, I know sometimes you think I don’t notice all you do for us, but I do. I just might not realize how special these things are until I’m older. I still think all kids have it as good as I do. But I notice. When you put yourself in harm’s way to protect […]
Celebrating Milestones and Moments
One of the things I love best about being a mom who’s present with her children, is celebrating milestones and even everyday moments with my kids. I’ve talked before about how we find any excuse for a family gathering and joint birthday party celebration at my parents’ house. But that’s not the only way to celebrate […]
Rainy Days and Sundays – aka Ready for Normal Again
I really haven’t had a routine since Vivian was born. I barely got my health to the point where I could begin to exercise again when I got the Backyard Farming book deal. Insert insanity here. But wait, there’s more! Then my body broke down on me and I wound up in the hospital with […]
Easter Traditions and Family Joy
I love Easter. I love the hope of spring, fleeting as it may be in our area. No sooner do the bulbs hit, than perennial shrubs break free of their winter slumber. Most Easter holidays we spend informally. We do an Easter Egg Hunt with the school my mother-in-law teaches at. It was cool […]
Sibling Rivalry? From the Mouth of Babes
One the most common comment I heard from people when we got pregnant with Vivian were questions about how my other kids would feel about it. “Won’t they be jealous?” “Is it fair to have another baby when you already have four?” “What will the other kids think about having a new baby in the […]
Birthday Celebrations – Three Generations
Our family had it’s first post-Christmas gathering to celebrate the January birthdays. Yes, we are one of those families. The kind of family that only needs one good reason to get together before we gather from all corners of the state. And yesterday we had three. This January marked not only my nephew Timothy’s second […]