Our house is a mess. Not only have we not gotten our Christmas decorations up, we're still putting away pumpkins, turkeys, and pilgrims. We've …
In Praise of “Falling Back”
It's been a couple of weeks now since we set our clocks back. I've noticed that after that first initial rush of happiness about getting …
Three Ways to Keep You (and Your Family) Sane on Road Trips
Learning to Enjoy the Journey We just got back from a road trip to Yosemite. On the way out it was just the boys and me for the roughly 8 hour journey. (My husband met us there.) I was more than a …
Three Ways to Keep You (and Your Family) Sane on Road TripsRead More
Ending the “What’s For Dinner?” Stress: Family Meal Planning Made Easy
When I was growing up, I remember my mom picking us up from school and turning to my sister and me in the backseat, "What are we going to have for dinner, girls?" she would ask. We would look at each …
Ending the “What’s For Dinner?” Stress: Family Meal Planning Made EasyRead More
Goodbye to the Diaper Bag
I've been carrying a diaper bag around for a long time now, almost seven years to be exact. I've gotten used to hauling this monster around-- to the …
Four Tips for Potty Training
My three-year-old just ran past me, chanting, "Pee-pee, don't come out yet! Don't come out yet, Pee-pee!" He's in the bathroom now, and hopefully all is going well. His recent …
“You Will Miss It”: The Back-to-School Blues
With my younger son starting preschool today and my older son in his second week of first grade, I now have three mornings a week all to myself! Celebration time, right? You …
The Champion Grudge-Holder
As I was climbing back into my car after signing my son into dinosaur camp, a woman on foot called through my window, "Can you please let me through?" I wasn't even sure what she meant at first, …
A Very Boy Vacation
We just got home from a visit with my parents. Something I love (and miss) about the Midwest are the summer thunder showers. The boys loved lying in their beds and watching the lightning flashes and …
The Art of Housekeeping
A few months back I reported on my resolution to let my house be dirty. And to not care. So I thought I'd let you all know how that was going. And the answer is . . . pretty well, …
Raising Your Kids to Be Lifelong Readers
When I was a kid, I would rather read than do just about anything else. (The same is pretty much true for my adult self.) Many of my childhood memories involve books. I remember slumber parties …
The Writing Life: Why I Love (and Hate) Deadlines
When I was in college and thought I would go crazy with the stress of finishing up all the papers and studying for the exams at the end of my junior year, my father gave me some counter-intuitive …
The Best Lesson My Kids Ever Taught Me
Off the Hamster Wheel After I had my first son, my life was scheduled as it had never been scheduled before. Every three hours I would nurse him, but since I had trouble getting enough milk into him …
Prayer & the Laundry
It was Martin Luther who said, “Work, work, from early until late. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” I always have the same reaction to this …
In Praise of the Uncool Church
Recently I helped out with my church's new member class. One of the best parts? Hearing their stories of just why they like our church and want to join. I just couldn't get enough of these …
My Mommy Social Media Anxiety
At book group a couple of weeks ago, one of the moms mentioned that her babysitter had taken a picture of her kids and posted it on a social media site along with their first and last names. Well, …
Getting Used to Dust Bunnies
I don't like to think of myself as the kind of person who lives according to TV commercial slogans. Yet I remember this particular one from a commercial many years ago: Get used to dust bunnies. I …
The Prayer of a Sick Child
A few days before Christmas my grandfather passed away, and so my dad, my sister, my two boys and I drove from my parents' house in Illinois to Ohio for the funeral and visitation. To break up the 8- …
My Catalog Problem
This time of year my mail seems to be mostly catalogs. For most people, this would probably be nothing more than a minor nuisance, but I've previously discovered that I have a teeny little …
Middle of the Night Mom
Years ago I read the book I Don't Know How She Does It. One scene stuck in my head, the one in which the chronically sleep-deprived main character (businesswoman/mom/wife/stress case Kate) is in her …
