First Father-Son "Construction" Project

In the aftermath of the Christmas chaos, I found my oldest boy sitting on a chair, cheeks wet with tears. “I wanted Daddy to build something with me,” he moaned. This kid has been mechanically inclined ever since he was a baby at nap time, when he removed most of the screws from his crib. Like a high-energy dog who eats shoes (Click here to read more or leave a comment... Read More

New Year's Resolution

I’m writing this on the fly this morning, breaking my own rule to let a post sit at least a day before launching it into the blogisphere. Happy New Year to you! The holidays are over, and a month of nothingness lies before us. There is no soil to be planted, no (Click here to read more or leave a comment on New Year's Resolution)  Read More

Baby Pictures!

I’m so excited to share these pictures of my nephew! (Click here to read more or leave a comment on Baby Pictures!)  Read More

Christmas Tree Decorating Party with the Kids

Our family has borrowed traditions from both sides of the extended family. Each year in my family, my parents have a Christmas tree decorating party, just for the family. There’s spiced fruit tea, popcorn, music, and lots of boxes of ornaments. This borrowed tradition works really well for our little family because we can plan the party any time – no worries about any... Read More

5 Love Languages

Have you ever taken the 5 Love Languages test? Which one was your top language? Do you find these things helpful? My husband and I learned about the five love languages early in our marriage, and we figured we knew each other pretty well. Recently, I ran across the assessment online, and we both took it. Although there wasn’t anything totally unexpected, we were a little surprised... Read More

Camera Shy Kid

My son is not a morning person. I wonder where he gets that… “Seriously, Mom…” (Click here to read more or leave a comment on Camera Shy Kid)  Read More

Who Can Refuse a Kitten?

My daughter finally got her long-awaited kittens: I mentioned almost a year ago that I’m not a cat person. But a couple months ago, our very nice neighbor walked over to our house and said, “These poor kittens will be given away at a fair tomorrow unless you take some of them tonight… and by the way, this kitten is my favorite ever…” And I couldn’t... Read More

Another Man's Treasure

This past Friday, my in-laws arrived from Colorado. They planned to close on their new house in Kansas at noon. Unfortunately, the bank didn’t have all the paperwork processed, and the closing was delayed until Monday… and then until Tuesday. I started to head to town for food for our weekend guests, when my husband went to the freezer and pulled out that vat of chili... Read More

Bwekfast Turtle

Once or twice a month, the kids and I try to make a trip to our county zoo. Going that often is a very different experience from the trips we used to take in grade school every May. For one thing, I don’t have to worry about where to sit on the bus. My seat is pretty much assigned these days. The biggest advantage is that we get to know the animals better. The elephants are... Read More

Catch-Up List

A quick catch-up list: 1. We had our first snow of the season Tuesday evening. (Click here to read more or leave a comment on Catch-Up List)  Read More