With my firstborn letters, words and sentences came easily. He would pass time in the back seat of our Nissan on long road trips his little legs crossed, paging through picture books. But with little one, every word is a battle. It breaks my heart to hear him yell the words “I HATE READING!” We knew that it would be likely that our kids might struggle since my husband and I both have forms of dyslexia. As an adult he’s learned to cope with it by consuming audio books- reading more than I ever could because he pops in his headphones and listens while he does dishes, or during…
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The hap-hap-happiest Christmas!!!! (or not)
There are times I love my kids so much I think that my heart is going to explode. Kissing their round little cheeks, hearing Reuben tell corny knock-knock jokes, having Ozzy wildly cackle when he wins Candy Land. I marvel at the gifts they are to me and how full my life is with them. There are other times where I think my heart is going to explode with the frustration, drudgery and battle of wills with my kids. Seeing the sassy look on Ozzy’s face when he refuses to pick up the toys I’ve told him to pick up 8 times, the moody slump of Reuben when he overreacts…
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Five Minute Friday: Whisper
In a hushed voice he says “moooom, I got a secret to tell you!” With his little face pressed against my ear he whispers the piece of information that he wants to share with me- sometimes about marbles, his favorite toy, sometimes it’s a nonsensical knock-knock joke which has become increasingly a favorite in our house. Other times he forgets what he wants to tell me and says….”ummm, I forgot.” It doesn’t really matter what he has to tell me because I love hearing that raspy little whisper. The feel of Ozzy’s soft cheeks, the urgency of the thing he wants to share with me, just me, simply because I’m…
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This is My Life
A couple years ago someone made the comment about a fashion blogger they read regularly- “why does she post about her kids? If I wanted to know about toddlers I’d read mom blogs, which I’m totally not interested in. I just want to know how to tie a scarf 27 ways or what flats are in style for the spring. Who cares that her toddler says the f-word when he asks for his truck! ” As a blogger who writes about lots of different things this struck fear into my heart and raised all kinds of questions like: “Am I seen as dorky or out of touch if I post…
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Fatherly Encouragement
I sent my dad a thank you card recently. My mom is in Liberia for three weeks chaperoning a trip for Calvin College students. My dad is usually the one traveling around the world. In part because I knew he would be a little lonely, in part because at InterVarsity’s recent national staff conference we were invited to write thank you’d. Thank you’s to people who have helped us to become a world changer. I love and appreciate my dad but I realize how seldom I tell that to him. Somehow texts, emails and even words spoken don’t have the punch of seeing something scrawled in a familiar script on…
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Care, Questions, & Creativity- sharing Jesus after college
Jesus tells us to go into the world to make disciples (Matthew 28:19), but some days it feels like a lot just to make dinner. Now that you’re navigating traffic on your morning commute, toting young kids to soccer practice, or traveling 20 days a month for work,how do you talk to neighbors, friends, and colleagues about Jesus without sounding like a robotic salesperson? One of the best ways to do so is to be present to others and express interest in their lives…. To continue reading my post, click on over to InterVarsity’s evangelism blog….thanks-a-rooney neighbor! What have been ways you’ve reached out to colleges, neighbors, friends or other people in…
- friendship, inner world, jesus, kids, mom blogs, MOPS, parenting, spirituality, Uncategorized, working moms
MOMcon 2013- Amazing happens here
This past month I flew to Kansas City to attend MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) MOMcon. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, or at least picturing….something like this…. Frumpy Mom- who has gone un-showered, forgotten that she is a woman and is still wearing her clothes from high school because, well, her kids wipe their ranch dressing covered fingers on her sleeves and there is spit up on her shoulders from carrying the baby around. Why buy new clothes when that Alanis Morrisette t-shirt from 1997 still fits? or you picture this….. Perfectly coiffed moms who look like they bounced back postpartum like 2 hours after giving birth… like the ones from…
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#momlife
If Tupac had Thug Life, I have #momlife. I’ve tweeted this in the past but now momma friends, I’m throwing the door wide for you to leave your own #momlife comments below. Yes, I am old. I listened to Tupac back in the day. And now he has made his return in my imagination while I compose lyrics about being a mom to the tune of “I get around.” The incident below spurred me to finally write this post. Running around doing errands before a trip and stepping out of the car to drop off our lawn mower to be sharpened for a moment elicits screaming and crying from my…
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Care for the Little
“Will you read that poem to me mom?” This literally came out of my son’s mouth recently. No, I am not living in some sort of utopian world where my children request poetry instead of watching another episode of Superhero Squad- and now Thomas the Tank engine has made his dreaded return now that Oswald is almost 2 and is allured by a smiling, talking train. But yes, my son Reuben did as me to read him this poem we have posted at the bottom of our staircase. In time of Silver Rain by Langston Hughes In time of silver rain The earth puts forth new life again, Green grasses…
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This is not the child I signed up for.
She pointed to the small scar, right between her daughter’s eyes before we watched her run off to climb up a slide on the playground. I shrugged to my sister “she’s pretty unafraid of things.” “Uh, yeah, almost too unafraid” she said, rolling her eyes. “Like the time that she charged up to a group of girls on the playground who were wearing pink princess dresses and said “princesses freak me out.” When the girls didn’t respond to her Raquelle said even louder with her hands on her hips “DID YOU HEAR ME? Princesses freak me out!” Not exactly the best way to make new friends.” My sister just shook…
