One year in early March, my three oldest boys voluntarily decided to do a No Sugar Challenge until Easter. We were shocked. Teachers and coaches kept asking if they were doing it for Lent.
When the Writing Stopped
As I look through the pages of our Family Journal, I feel some grief over the lost time and the gaps between entries, but I have to put the lost months and time behind me and be okay with starting again, right where we are at.
Bossing My Motherhood
Ever had someone move into your space and then proceed to tell you how to run your show? Who does that? Even worse, who does that in motherhood? Author Rachel Hixon explores the in’s and out’s of “bossing my motherhood.”
Embracing Each Season
Just as the seasons are in a constant cycle of change, so are our lives. Each stage of motherhood from the baby years to the teenage years comes with its own set of joys and challenges.
Haunted by Embarrassment
None of us has this life perfectly figured out, and there will be pain and embarrassment along the way for all of us. But as a mom, I feel responsible for helping my daughter develop healthy coping skills for the stress, setbacks, and disappointments of life.
Embracing Failure
Intellectually, I am deeply grateful for the mistakes and failures I’ve experienced. They have taught me much more than my successes and good fortune. But instinctually, I am ashamed of them, and often don’t try something for fear of failure.
Tips for a Family-Friendly Trip to the Art Museum
When you envision a trip to an art museum with your kids, does your blood pressure rise, imagining their little hands touching the precious, priceless art objects? Taking your kids to an art museum doesn’t have to end with the museum guards kicking your family out the door!
Anxiety on the Sidelines
“Mom, I feel sick,” my 10-year-old daughter says, as she clutches her tummy on the sidelines before a big soccer game. She is sick, but she is not ill. Her tummy is churning with nervous energy; worry and anticipation are gnawing at her mind.
Changed by Motherhood
Growing up, I never thought that I had the confidence to be a teacher. Back in college, my biggest concern was getting good grades. I took what I thought was the easy way out and decided to work in an office. But then something happened. Motherhood changed me.
What is My Purpose?
Imagine living your life with greater purpose. Imagine not just being busy, but moving forward toward things that excite you; living a life of meaning and fulfillment. We do this by living our purpose—what we bring to the world. But our purpose has to extend beyond our roles and responsibilities.
The Cost of Joy
The cost of joy is work. So much work. The cost of joy is vulnerability, willingness, consistency, sacrifice, forgiveness, gratitude… all of that on top of the physical reality of life: jobs, chores, illness, finances, etc. And yet joy itself is so accessible and so very simple.
Come to the Library
It’s a wonderful feeling to find a tribe in such an unlikely place. Sure, I love libraries because of free books and quiet corners, but the story time group is one of my favorite communities.