Float On
Here’s a weird fact about me: I love white water rafting. I do not love lazy rivers. It makes no sense. White water rafting is expensive, requires life jackets, helmets, paddles, and usually scheduling with a company or a guide. It also usually requires travel. Lazy rivers, on the other hand, can be found at […]
Ode to the Girl Dad
My husband and I have three daughters: the oldest is almost five, the next is almost two, and our bonus baby is almost born. He is a certified Girl Dad, and even has the shirt to prove it. I grew up with a sister, no brothers, so a female-dominated household is my normal. My husband […]
Not-So-Great Expectations
Today was one of those days. Three of the four of us cried. And the only reason the fourth didn’t cry is because, well, it was Justin. Also he was working. It seemed that every little thing caused an argument or a meltdown in our house. Josie is learning what the word “No” means and […]
Crumbs as Confetti: Why I’m Choosing to Celebrate in 2021
This is my year of celebration. I type this even as I jog up and down the stairs to repeatedly put the big kid back in her room for naptime and soothe the teething baby. This is my year of celebration. I type this even as the sky is a dull gray for what feels […]
20 Things I Learned in 2020 (Part Two)
11. Community can be created anywhere We’ve lived in Northwest Ohio for seventeen months now. More than half of that time (almost ten months) has been during a pandemic. And right before the pandemic, I had a baby and was pretty much home all the time. But you know what? Community can be created anywhere. […]
Call me old-fashioned, but…
I love Christmas cards. I love sending Christmas cards. I start thinking about ours as early as September. This year I printed ours on November 1. I picked out holiday stamps in person (masked!) at the post office. I wrote out each individual address with a metallic Sharpie on a bright red envelope. I stared […]
Tough Skin, Tender Heart
It finally happened today. I looked up to hear you protesting, “I want to play, too!” as the other kids ran away. Your shoulders slumped, tears threatened to roll down your cheeks, I saw you standing dejectedly on the edge of the playground. “Mommy, they called me a baby, they said I couldn’t play with […]