Swinging on Birches

Well, we all know I'm the worst about keeping up with a blog in addition to the other requirements of daily life, so here is my admittance of guilt at being inconsistent. Great, so now I can move on. Our kids moved schools this year. They had been at a local Catholic school, and we moved to our public city schools this year. Of course, I was as nervous as nervous could be about the transition and as one of those moms who really tries to think things through before making a move. I wondered about how they would fit in and whether they would miss the smaller school atmosphere and the caring community we had come to really enjoy and the daily impact of faith that was intertwined into all of their lessons and in every subject. Of course, I discovered that most of my worries were not to be the reality we experienced. Our children having caring teachers, wonderful new friends, and are being challenged academically. They are happy and we are happy. But there is one thing that is b

I can hardly believe August is here. I feel like I say this about every holiday, season, etc. but time just moves SO fast with kiddos. Every year, I think I get a little bit better about being organized and trying to keep things ready to manage papers, lunches, clothing, and all the other details that come with kids in school.  When the details are organized, I find that I am a much happier mom day in and day out.  So, I thought I'd share some of the time-savers that work for our family in hopes that they may work for some other families, too! And full disclosure--I am cheap. Truth. I will usually try and find something used or borrow or research a more affordable method. That being said, all blessings and gratitude to the sage genius mothers who have gone before that have taught me that some things are just worth the extra money. These are daily-use items that need to be able to take a beating. I regret every cheap backpack, lunch box, pair of shoes, pencil, and folder that I&

What is it about springtime? Something in this fresh air and possibly the new life all around turns me into mush for the time when my children were smaller and not celebrating these bigger birthdays. Every ounce of my being aches to freeze time exactly where it is, but this busy season seems to pass all the more quickly the tighter I try and hold onto it. I was having a discussion with a friend the other day, and she was talking about enjoying a few hours in the afternoon of doing some "get to" things instead of "have to" things. My heart leapt when she said those words: GET TO.  YES!! How many hours a day do we spend in the minutia: the morning routine of packing lunches and making sure the correct homework folder is tucked away and "Oh, don't forget your milk money!" We fly off to work, with visions of their school days dancing in our heads. Did he remember his belt? Did I put an ice pack in her lunch box? Even though our bodies are elsew

"Ward Christopher!!" I hollered up the stairs for what felt like the thousandth time... "If you cannot stop teasing your sister, you are skipping dinner and going straight to bed tonight!  I've had it!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During breakfast, a song plays in the cd player.  The singer croons, " And our babies never cry, and we can look you in the eye, and say, 'I'm not afraid to die-e-e-e .'" Elliot: "What's that mean?" Ward: "It means, he's lived a good life and so he's not afraid to die now." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I looked at him a thousand times tonight. I thought about how little he still is, in some ways.  Relentlessly teasing his sister, still struggling to swim; he hasn't even lost a

Right about this time of year, I start freaking out. It's the "pre-birthday" time. Not my birthday (although my own years seem to be passing ohsofast ), but my son's birthday. Six, this year.  Six. This baby that we hoped for and prayed for and wept for. He came.  And he stayed. And he took our lives and shook them up and pushed them forward and took all the breath out of us. And so, as this time approaches each year and our discussions turn to cake and invitations and a couple of special gifts, my heart begins to beat at an incredibly rapid rate and I try and fit just a little bit more into the current age. More outings. More snuggling. More activities. More sitting and staring at him and squeezing him and begging him to please stop growing. I try and sit and listen more when he tells me about the ninja-ship-training station he's made with his Legos and I try harder to come up with creative answers to whether Lego Luke or Lego Obi Wan

Sometimes, when I'm out in public, someone asks me what I do for a living. It's an innocent question, really.  After all, much of who we are stems from what we do, and if nothing else, it allows for some polite chitchat. So, I answer.  "I watch children in my home and stay home with my kids." And then comes the look. Glazed eyes, head nodding gently, benign smile. I can practically see the wheels turning. And for many people in this world that continues to value jobs outside the home so strongly, the idea of staying home and caring for children is truly mind-numbing. And sometimes, it can be. After all, the majority of my days are spent in the mundane. Pack and unpack the travel bag. Change diapers. Start laundry. Wash dishes. Correct behavior. Read stories. Arrange play dates. Prepare meals. And the craziest thing of all? All of these mundane tasks must be repeated ad nauseam. Many times a day. Everyday. For years. But, friends, there is j