With everyone social distancing and taking self-quarantine measures during the COVID-19 Pandemic, a number of friends have asked me for game suggestions. Here are some of the games we’re playing and enjoying in our house:
**I will try to update this post with more details over the next few days. But for now, I’m off to play a game with my kids.**… Continue reading
There is wisdom in knowing when to take a break. When things feel like too much. When a period of life becomes extra hectic. When a loved one needs some special attention or tending. At that point it’s wise to step back, re-evaluate, and decide whether it might help to cut out some things – even some great things – for a time.… Continue reading
My son recently had a birthday. For his birthday party, he wanted to share brownies with his friends. That sounds simple enough.
Enter food allergies. My family has a number of food allergies. The main one impacted by the desire for brownies is the fact that we eat a grain-free diet. That, however, isn’t the whole of the issue. We’ve made delicious brownies before. … Continue reading
There is always something to demand our attention. The question remains: is that what we want to focus on? In our busy society, full of diversions and distractions, it is sometimes a moment by moment choice to return our attention to what genuinely matters.
May we all be able to focus on that which is truly important.
And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, “This is important! … Continue reading
My 5-year-old loves cats. His favorite color is purple. And he adores all things with fairies and sparkles.
About a year ago I stumbled upon a pair of purple socks that had cats adorned with fairy wings stitched into them. When my son opened them as a gift, he told me, “Mama, these are the socks of my dreams.”
He loved his new socks. … Continue reading
Frequently, we put so much energy into defending the things we know that we fail to listen to the voices around us. When we do this, we are allowing our certainties to blind us to what may be obvious (or not so obvious) truths.
Whether it’s listening to people question a social norm, to people on the other side of the political spectrum present a policy, to a scientific notion that changes as our knowledge grows, or even listening to our quiet inner voice when the world around us is proclaims widely-accepted orthodoxy, we need to pay attention. … Continue reading
One of the things I strive to instill in my children is that learning is a lifelong endeavor. We will always have things to learn (no one knows everything!). In fact, I often remind them, the more we learn, the more we realize we don’t know. Learning not only teaches us, it helps to ask more and better questions.
So many people in our culture see admitting that they don’t know something as a sign of weakness. … Continue reading
What a great perspective as we head into the New Year. May we all look upon each day as a gift we get to unwrap and experience.
This is not to say that days are without their trials, but to remind us that there are also, in each day, unexpected joys. And if we consciously look for those moments of happiness, we will find them.… Continue reading
We’ll soon head out of town to visit my family. As I reminded my boys about our upcoming trip (so they won’t be surprised when we load them into the car for an 18-hour drive), the first question out of my son’s mouth was, “Have they opened that library near [great-grandma’s] house yet?” At least we’re all clear on our priorities.… Continue reading
Part of helping kids to grow is challenging them to explore and utilize the myriad of intellegences that reside in their bodies. Gross motor skills, emotions, logical reasoning, fine motor skills, empathy, planning, and on and on and on.
I try hard to teach these different things to my children through interactions in our everyday lives. I include them in my own efforts and learning (see HERE). … Continue reading