If you’ve spent any amount of time reading my blog, you know that I’m a big proponent of using things until they wear out (see HERE). In our house, we do our best to use things until they no longer work for us. We wear clothes until they no longer fit or they get worn through. We use appliances until they can no longer be repaired. … Continue reading
The Rationality of Irrationality: Listening to an Upset 3-year-old
My son got a splinter in the arch of his foot. It wasn’t very big, but it went deep under the surface of his skin. After lots of hugs and kisses, I gave him an ice pack to hold on his foot while I went to gather our splinter-removal supplies (sharp tweezers, some Thieves oil*, and an adhesive bandage). … Continue reading
A Circle of Caring
Last week was a tough week for us. I mourned the death of my mother-in-law (see HERE). A friend’s dog nipped my 3-year-old, who then needed an emergency tetanus shot. A wasp got under my son’s shirt and stung him 8 times before I managed to flush it out. I missed my husband while he was out of town (big things always feel more difficult when we’re apart). … Continue reading
Homemade Parmesan Crisps
A couple weeks ago we were doing our grocery shopping and one of the employees offered us a sample of the parmesan crisps they had just made. Immediately, we were hooked. We left with two containers.
While we could continue to buy pre-made parmesan crisps, I decided to try making them myself. I started with a large chunk of raw, aged, grass-fed Parmesan cheese. … Continue reading
A Long Goodbye: Death, Mourning, and Alzheimer’s
My Mother-in-Law died this past week after over a decade of struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease. We all miss her. A final goodbye is still difficult, even when we’ve seen it coming for a long time.
Watching her succumb to dementia over the years, I feel like we not only said this last goodbye, we’ve also said 100 little goodbyes along the way. … Continue reading
Through the Eyes of a Child: Waiting Can be an Adventure
Through the eyes of a child, everything is magic and full of fun. Even waiting in a parking lot.
As we waiting for a friend who was running late, my boys had a great time exploring a dirt and weed filled parking-lot island. They took what could have been 20 minutes of simply waiting (or lots of complaining), and turned it into an outdoor adventure.… Continue reading
Thought for the Day: Lubbock
Sometimes the simple things in life are the most fulfilling. Making and eating our favorite double chocolate cookies (recipe HERE) or peanut butter cookies (recipe HERE). Seeing the joy on someone’s face when we tell them, “Yes!” (see HERE). Snuggling quietly with one of our favorite people (see HERE) or simply spending time with someone we love (see HERE). … Continue reading
Making Large-Scale Public Art
Art that is larger than life. Tagging buildings (well, temporarily). Showing the world a bit of what resides in your mind and heart. Remaking the city with your own images. Telling a story that the whole community can see and hear. This is the purview of Austrian artist Markus Dorninger.
His work is pretty fantastic. And it’s a lot of fun. … Continue reading
Thought for the Day: Picasso
We all have many things on our to-do lists, sometimes far more than we can do in a day (see HERE). But the things that make it on to my list generally aren’t the sorts of things that would concern me if I faced my death without completing them. While it’s good to get everyday tasks completed, my most-important priorities fall outside of basic to-dos (see HERE).… Continue reading
Making Art Bots at our Local Makers’ Space
Homeschooling, and parenting in general, doesn’t happen in a vacuum. One of the ways we expand beyond the personal resources my husband and I possess as parents is to search out resources within our community (like THIS and THIS and THIS). Sometimes this comes in the form of knowledgeable friends, and other times it comes in the form of institutions and teachers who become part of our learning community (and often become friends in the process).… Continue reading