Streamlining, Assembly Lines, and Reality
I had such a great time seeing pictures of everyone's cute kids in their Easter finery. I enjoyed them extra much because I so did not pull off Easter pictures this year. But, let me paint you a word picture.
The Best Board Books in the History of Ever
The Best Board Books in the History of Ever
...except for the silly ones that I like that you don't...
...and except for the great ones that I totally forgot because I'm blonde and have a ton of kids sucking my brain juice away...
The Seven Best Ways to Read Your Baby's Brains Out
Today, let's talk about reading to one year olds. Or babies. Or two year olds with short attention spans. You know, anywhere in that age group. But before we begin, let me tell you why you should trust my advice in this area.
Watch and Pray
"Prayer was never meant to be magic," Mother said.
"Then why bother with it?" Suzy scowled.
"Because it's an act of love," Mother said.
A Ring of Endless Light, Madeleine L'Engle
Savouring Self Care
The phrase "self care" has been cropping up a lot in my reading lately and in my life. The Man has to get on to me fairly regularly because in my attempts to take care of everyone else, I sometimes forget to take care of myself. Inevitably, that doesn't end well.
Growing into New Circles
There is something in us as human beings that thrills to the thought of who we could be. As a child, all that hope is wrapped up in one question: what do you want to be when you grow up? It's fun to answer that question as a kid, and it's fun to ask it of our kids as parents.
Seven Easy Steps to Your Child's Book Addiction
I thought I would take the time to instruct all of you out of my now vast wealth of knowledge and wisdom so that you too can instill a love of reading in your child. So here you go.
Done and done and done...ish.
There is nothing quite like that feeling at the end of a long day when everything is finally finished.
The kids are tucked in bed, and sleep is imminent.
Stroller-Walking: the Littles Version
The Little Man has discovered chapter books.
Well, let me clarify. He has not so much discovered chapter books (this year I've force fed him Mr Popper's Penguins and Farmer Boy, oh, and Mary Poppins and now The Little Prince) as he has discovered that he loves chapter books. And when I say "loves", I really mean that he is showing signs of a genetic disposition towards a reading addiction.
Family Mottos and Over Reacting
Does anybody remember the clip from The Office where Andy loses his temper and punches a wall?
Who am I kidding? Everyone remembers that part. I'm pretty sure the Man watched it on repeat one week, laughing until he cried. Since then, it's become a catch phrase in our family.
Nocturnal Twins and Other Blurbs
Normally I get asked if my boy/girl twins are fraternal or identical. Yes. True story. But today, I had my favorite twin moment (possibly ever) when I got asked if the twins are nocturnal.
The Book-Fountain of Youth
A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.
-C. S. Lewis
Birthday Message
For those of you wondering, I'm putting this on the blog instead of just in a private email because I'm too lazy to upload the photos twice, and I know everyone needs a little cuteness in their lives.
Seasonal Sleeplessness
I got an email this week from a friend asking me for some advice on getting her baby to sleep. It was hard not to laugh hysterically.
Throw Pillows, Jeans, and Spiritual Disciplines
Last week I read a post by Emily Freeman over at Chatting at the Sky about the spiritual discipline of wearing pants that actually fit.