One time a speaker said that if you want to get something done, give it to a ten-year-old girl. They're enthusiastic, diligent, hard-working, determined, industrious, earnest...not yet consumed by the boy thing or makeup, yet able to tap into their childlike energy and accomplish a lot. As my kids have one by one turned ten, I've thought how true that is.They're … [Read more...]
Thankful Thursday
Prairie Prologue reminded me that it's Thankful Thursday. She linked to the carnival hub at Sting My Heart.So I pause, in my thinking and learning and reading and writing and cleaning and planning, to give thanks: Laughter from upstairs. Two children putting dresses on stuffed animals. Neighborhood swimming pool. Having one's own pool sounds like a lot of fun, but sharing … [Read more...]
What’s Your Family Culture?
When I wrote this post about family culture, I offered a few simple thoughts and personal examples on the topic. For more, scroll to the bottom to see additional resources. When I ask "What's your family culture?" you might think I'm asking if you use cloth napkins and dress up for dinner; but I don't necessarily mean "culture" in the "cultured" sense of the word … [Read more...]
A Belated "Au Revoir, Europe!"
I wrote this not long after we got home from our trip, but we got so busy with laundry and birthdays that I forgot to click "Publish." I've been back for a while, but I'll post it anyway. For fun:Several months ago, as we were buying our tickets for the trip, we hesitated purchasing the flight that went to and from Luxembourg, even though it was cheapest. But our in-laws … [Read more...]
Crabbing in the North Sea
Our last full day in Holland began first with some crabbing, or crab-catching, by the docks. The children were captivated by this as they waited for the adults to slowly roll out of bed and gather for those Sunday family devotions I described in the last post. This crab-fishing activity evolved over the course of several days. First the kids observed others with nets and … [Read more...]
Let the Little Children Sit by the Water's Edge and Come to Him
Last Saturday, as we anticipated our last day all together in Holland—and given our little family's impending departure, our extended family's last day all together for a very long time—we considered where we might gather the next morning for family devotions. We could have simply cleaned up from breakfast and gathered around the table in one of the rented cottages. Then … [Read more...]
Belgian Frites Deserve a Post of Their Own
I'm pretty embarrassed about my grammar in yesterday's post. I meandered in and out of present and past tense without even pausing to think about it. Maybe I was subconsciously trying to make the swan scene seem as if it were happening vividly in the present, to communicate the excitement. Anyway. On the menu for dinner last night?Frites. (Definitely visit the … [Read more...]
Castle Dreams…or Nightmares?
We're in southern Belgium at the moment, in a town called Charleroi. You can see it on this map. This morning we said, "How about we drive to Dinant? It's not far, and the castle there is pretty interesting."When we described it, the kids were interested in seeing a castle set high on a hill, so we packed a picnic lunch and set off.After driving for a while, we realized … [Read more...]
Several Summer Solutions to "Mom, I’m Bored!"
To avoid hearing kids exclaim "I'm bored!" in the summer months, it's tempting to fill the weeks ahead with camps and clubs and outings and activities, isn't it? Maybe we think, Keeping them busy keeps them out of trouble. Or, They gain skills they wouldn't have time to develop during the school year. And although not everyone will admit to it, there's the argument, … [Read more...]
Uninterrupted Conversation? This Can Happen?
After 14 years of parenting, I'm about to find out.We parents of four are going on a little outing, just the two of us.Seven years ago was the only time we've traveled anywhere on our own since we've had kids--a short, chilly camping trip. We like camping with the kids, and we hate to complain, but we're hoping to improve on that a little bit.Since then we've tried to go … [Read more...]
The End of Fun as We Know It?
Until Robin pointed it out, I didn't realize that there was a traveling carnival bopping around the blogosphere called "Fun Monday." It's shared by several bloggers, so there isn't one central location (though Robin decided to set up a clearinghouse of all the previous Fun Mondays here).Today's Fun Monday invited participants to post photos or descriptions of their … [Read more...]
If You Could Ask Jesus Anything…
In an earlier post, I listed several questions that I find worth asking of myself. Occasionally I ask these questions of others.Kerry at The Ten 0'Clock Scholar proposed that I ask them of my blog-readers. And I thought, "Why not?"Here's the first question:If you could ask Jesus anything and know you’d get an answer, what would you ask Him?I got this question from Garry … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Enjoy Everyday Fun with Chores
Daily life can be such a drag, so blah. The chores can be tedious. The drive to work, dull. Some days can be reduced to scrub, swipe, fold, wash, rinse, repeat; others, to conquering an overwhelming to-do list or in-box. One way to approach the daily grind is simply to take a deep breath and dig in, applying self-discipline, determination, willpower, and grit. … [Read more...]
7 Keys to a Happier Mother’s Day
Sure, we hope to be honored in some way on Mother's Day. And some of us will. For some of us, Sunday will be a day of extravagant gifts and champagne brunches. Some of us will have creative spouses and industrious children with lots of resources and initiative--we'll have scones and strawberries for breakfast in bed, and chocolate truffles with lunch. Or our … [Read more...]
13 Tips for Finding Free Time for Mom (without multi-tasking!)
Finding free time for mom—at least, for this mom—used to seem impossible. People would suggest multi-tasking as a way to gain time, but multi-tasking simply doesn't work for me. Research reveals the inefficiency of multi-tasking; as quantity of work goes up, something suffers. A 2008 report called "Cramming the Most into Time" on ABC World News with Charles Gibson affirmed … [Read more...]
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