Falling behind and attempting to catch up seems to be the most exercise I get these days. Dietrich gets many more “breaks” from school than I care to admit, but still feels tortured by the days I prepare his schoolwork and “make” him do school before playing Mario or watching Netflix. However, when he remains on-task, he can finish all required … [Read more...]
SQT – Another Music Filled Road Trip with a Surprise Wildlife Ending
I don’t have anything clever to lead into this week’s Seven Quick Takes, so I’ll dive right in: We spent a wonderful weekend with my sister and brother-in-law. Dietrich enjoyed much more time playing the Wii and Madilynn enjoyed having more people to tell what to do. My friend, Jennifer, lives near my sister, giving me an extra reason to go … [Read more...]
Through the Mystery of Uncertainty, Just Breathe
I think too much. I ruminate. Worry. Obsess even, at times. I have an arsenal of Scripture for comfort, calming or to confront the lies behind the fears during these times. Unfortunately, my children seem to possess many of my anxious tendencies. Daily, I remind my seven-year-old that he does not need to worry about grown up things and that we will … [Read more...]
The Best Part of Waking Up…
Lately, in the wee hours before Peter’s alarm wakes us, his work phone begins pinging with notifications. Emails of cancelled or rescheduled meetings, new cases for his workload, or reminders about a pressing matter on one of his current cases lead to less rest and more stress at times. Occasionally, he has time to snooze for a bit before the alarm … [Read more...]
Three of Me
As I put my shoes on this morning, in preparation to leave for story time at the library, I thought how wonderful it would be to have an extra me to stay home and get things done. Then I added a third me to that because I most wanted to crawl back into my pajamas, snuggle under the blankets, and listen to the rain on this first day of Fall in west … [Read more...]
SQT: The Sticky, Holey, Delicious, and Exciting
This week is full of ups and downs. I am struggling a little to remain positive for this installment of seven quick takestakes, because the down part is so big. However, I am determined to accentuate the positive, rather than give the devil a foothold by dwelling in the negative (which is a resolve that renews by the minute). My sister … [Read more...]
Wishing for Smooth Easy Days
I am a Mom. I am also a Licensed Master Social Worker. One of many things I can do with an LMSW is provide counseling. I’ve started doing that part-time online from home. One of the tools in counseling is asking the “miracle question.” It goes something like this: Suppose you went to bed tonight and while you were sleeping, a miracle occurred. How … [Read more...]
A Flood of Memories
Some posts contain affiliate links. By purchasing through the link, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Sometimes, the smallest trigger floods the mind with memories. When I vacuum, I remember the mother of a college friend. She cleaned houses to earn extra money to support the family. However, she ENJOYED this task and took … [Read more...]
A is for Antfarm; a homeschool snack
Some days, Dietrich takes his time printing one letter, then making crazy sounds and dancing around, then doing another letter, followed by crazy crayon antics. I'm equally amused and frustrated. In some ways, Dietrich seems older, so remembering he is only six can be a challenge. On the other hand, he just got up from his school work to turn off … [Read more...]
Manic Monday: Home school, Day 1
Today begins our official time as homeschoolers. As this picture indicates, I organized, planned, and had an idea in mind for how I wanted this day to go. However, my expectations for this first day of school were too high. We're going to need some time and a whole lot of grace to figure this thing out and get into a rhythm. The plan is to … [Read more...]