Dear Child, I’m not one to go all crazy on Mother’s Day. My nose lifts a bit at holidays with modern roots, and this is your father’s fault. It’s also your father’s fault that I have you at all, a fact driven home when I asked what he’s giving me for Mother’s Day. “I already gave you […]
A Whole Year Has Passed
We had family visiting for eight days, and then we landed on Easter weekend. Easter, and with it Grace’s first birthday; tomorrow, Easter Monday with Judah turning nine. Nine. Who is this child, nine years old, and too big for Thomas the Train? I stood picking through birthday decorations in an over-lit Walmart with tears dripping […]
Loving Our Quiet Children
The secret things belong to the LORD our God. Deuteronomy 29:29 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Psalm 44:21 _______________________ _______________________ “It’s just an old ladder–probably put there by the cliff dwellers,” said Bess. Nancy did not agree. * As I moved about the house last night, turning […]
Puppy Dog Tails
Seriously, this boy. I’m not sure if he can get any more cute. The memory of this picture helped in more ways than one when he was at his height of naughtiness during the lunch hour. Look kid, you might be throwing your soup contents at your sister every time you think I’m not looking, […]
A Shot For The Field Artillery
Christmas came like a blur, left like a blur, and before I very happily tuck the last of the nativity figurines into tissue paper and coil up the lights, I find that I must record one little story. Here’s what you first should know: I grew up in a family that Did All The Things at Christmastime. You […]
Jesus In Mine Pocket
“William,” Ellenor said, crouching down to see the eyes of her little brother, “where is Jesus?” “Um, gone?” he said, ‘gone’ being his standard response to any question having to do with location. “No!” She laughed, “he’s in your heart. Right here, see, William, in your heart!” And so saying, she patted his chest. As […]
Children Are Persons (so are we)
The screen taunted me, not doing what I demanded of it. “How in the world did you guys get it to do that thing last week?” I exclaimed. Shrugging, the ten year old wrinkled his brow into a question mark, matching mine. Ellenor shouted off all sorts of inapplicable advice. Havilah wriggled deeper onto my lap, and […]
A Few Thoughts
1. This post at Copperlight Wood. Read it. 2. The Ambleside community. I am continually blown away by their graciousness and generosity. Each time I visit the robust online forum, or read one of the many blogs by Ambleside users, I come away blessed and informed. These women have helped shape not only my homeschooling but also my life […]
When The Husband Leaves
When the husband leaves I think, “this means a whole night of writing!” and immediately begin forming blog posts in my head. But that’s when I’m shaping meat into patties. By the time I’m putting a lid on the salad, I’m onto a third blog post, which will meet a timely and catchy conclusion as the last […]
Kissing That Son of Mine
It is 10:15 on a Sunday night and this is not where I ought to be, burrowed deep in this blog with words scattered in every direction. I only sat down to print a handful of homeschool papers, but that son of mine, that oldest one, had been pressed tightly to my body moments before, […]