A 3-year-old’s Lesson in Spending

Last week my 3-year-old walked up and handed me his little car, “I’m ready to give this to Ari,” he declared.  (Ari is the grandson of our next-door neighbor.  When my 3-year-old outgrows his clothes or toys, we pass them along to Ari.)

 

“Are you sure?” I asked.

 

“Yes.  I don’t like it any more.  I shouldn’t have bought it. … Continue reading

The Kite-Eating Tree

It is warm and sunny outside today.  While spring isn’t officially here, it feels like spring in our little corner of the world.  And, feeling excited about the warm weather, my boys couldn’t wait until the afternoon when we planned to head to the park to fly kites (see HERE).

 

So they took their kites outside to fly in our yard. … Continue reading

A Day of Snowed-In Fun

This past week we had a lot of snow.  In fact, there was so much snow that we got snowed in.  My Sweetie graciously takes care of the snow blowing when he’s in town, but he was on the road during this storm.

 

While the boys and I were a bit disappointed to cancel a brunch-date with a dear friend, it felt nice for the weather to declare a day of rest on our behalf.… Continue reading

Hosting a Sustainable Gathering: How to Throw a Zero-Waste Party

This is the time of year when many people host an array of holiday gatherings for family, friends, and colleagues.  It can be a lot of fun, but it can also result in a lot of waste.

 

Not only is there paper waste from gift wrapping that gets immediately discarded (you can find more sustainable package decorating suggestions HERE), but people frequently use disposable goods in order to lessen the work involved with hosting a party.  … Continue reading

Teaching Compassion to and Learning Compassion from a Young Child

"<yoastmark“Mama, wait!” my three-year-old called as we were leaving the park, “There’s a worm on the sidewalk and I must save him.”  My son did his best to gently pick up the worm (it took three tries to get the worm securely onto his palm), then explained to it that worms need dirt to survive so he was going to relocate the worm to the nearby grassy area. … 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