Years ago when when I was potty training my oldest child, I was complaining to my mother-in-law about how hard it was. It didn’t help that I had read a book about how To potty train in just one day. This led to unrealistic expectations. Her gentle response to me was, “It takes time.” It …
People do help
Yesterday on our way home from my mother-in-law’s house, the car in front of us stalled just as it reached the front of the line at the three-way stop sign. I knew my husband would help. He put our car in park, put the hazards on, and jumped out of the car. He was joined …
absorbing sound
The quiet snow is Blanketing the world Highlighting every tree branch Every limb The snow is falling Absorbing sound “Hush, my world, It’s time To rest.” Rabbit prints and tire tracks abound Yet, no one but the snowman waves Cuz we’re burrowed in Our cozy homes with Canceled plans and hot chocolate If I …
Here’s to 31: ordinary, odd and prime
Thirty-one years — as of July 3rd my husband & I have been married for thirty-one years. We celebrated unceremoniously by getting up from our kitchen table where we were planning a week of camp. We went to a local pizza joint called Salvos. We didn’t spruce up; we simply wore the shorts and t-shirts …
Journey of Motherhood
The journey of motherhood is always changing. This year only one child was with me in person to celebrate Mother’s Day. I chatted with the other three children on the phone at different times. It was a lovely day. I was more content on this Mother’s Day than I have been over these last few …
Feeling like refrigerator soup
I chopped an onion and sauteed it in butter with the minced garlic in one skillet while I poured chicken broth into the 8-quart soup pot and turned the burner to high. I added three kinds of meat into the pot: one cup of chicken, ½ pound of sausage, and the last small bag of …
The lighting of a spark
During the 20 years that I homeschooled, there are only 6 years that I taught all four of them. Does this surprise anyone else, or is it just me? Now for fifteen years of the total twenty, there were three or four kids at the house; it’s simply that all four were not always “in …
Reflections on homeschooling
It was the fall of my second year of homeschooling and I had given birth to our fourth child in October. I remember holding him, looking at a table full of dishes while the other three children danced about the room as I tried to herd them to nap time. I was happy, but tired. …