Children are great givers. Oh, they’re takers at times, too (aren’t we all?), but time and again the children in my life have astonished me with their willingness to give sacrificially. And as we stand on the threshold of Advent, we have some great opportunities to celebrate and encourage that beautiful inclination of their young…
Two weeks ago I went grocery shopping with fifteen stickers on my face. The night before, news had come. It was news about someone I love – the kind of news that etches a mark on your timeline, dividing life before from life after. I was devastated. I woke up the next morning full of…
The little people in your life may be different ages than mine, but I’ll bet my to-do list rings a bell anyway: Prepare meals Trick your kids into eating them Hunt for what’s missing Fix what’s broken Spread art supplies on table Clean art supplies off floor Find the source of the smell Shoe little…
Spontaneity doesn’t come naturally to me. My mind is linear and logical, sometimes to a fault. I live in the realm of the practical. Flying by the seat of my pants just makes me woozy. Children do not understand this. To them, life is all imagination, curiosity, and magic. This makes a simple thing like…
My kids and I saw quite a sight at the library the other day. It was an impressive display of mimicry and showboating by a rather cocky young fellow on the rooftop patio. He strutted around with his chest puffed out, trying to impress a girl. He was unabashed in his affection for her. She…
Last week’s Olympics post focused on having fun with the Games as a family. But the world’s biggest competition can show us more than just humanity’s highest jumpers and fastest swimmers. In the midst of the gold-medal frenzy, the Olympics give us plenty of material for helping kids to understand the importance of losing. Losing…
I’ve loved the Olympics since 1984, when with little-girl wonder I watched Mary Lou Retton land that perfect-10 vault to win the gold medal. Seeing that one dream come true sent my imagination soaring, leading to a head full of dreams and five years of competitive gymnastics. And also a broken bay window. Though I…
Two-year-old Silas stood awaiting his sentence. Someone had committed a crime against household harmony, and he had no alibi. In fact, the Judge had seen Silas do it. Whoever said “Justice is blind” was crazy, he thought. I think Justice has eyes in the back of her head. And she did. Things were not looking…
