Watching my baby grow up so fast, I face a thousand goodbyes. Every day, my baby leaves behind a trail of change. Those changes morph into memories that I scramble to save and savor. I light candles on birthday cakes and snap pictures, laughing at my child's delight—all the while swallowing back a lump in my throat forming at the thought of the thousand little … [Read more...]
Curiosity Journal: November 9, 2011
Each Wednesday I’m recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the past week. Tag words are: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing. ::: Some of you have mentioned that you’re keeping a Curiosity Journal, as well. Leave your link in the comments so that we can visit and enjoy your weekly review. Reading I started up Sophie's World again, which I had abandoned … [Read more...]
A Better Way
My son offered to sweep the kitchen floor. Though tall enough to hold a full-sized broom normally, he instead gripped it as if he were planning to whack a mouse and then slid the bristles across the vinyl tiles, managing to collect a few dog hairs and bread crumbs with each slow, inefficient motion. While wiping the counters, I watched him, debating whether or not to … [Read more...]
Curiosity Journal: August 31, 2011
Each Wednesday I’m recording a Curiosity Journal, a recap of the past week. Tag words are: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing. :::Some of you have mentioned that you’re keeping a Curiosity Journal, as well. Leave your link in the comments so that we can visit and enjoy your weekly review. … [Read more...]
Old, Calloused Heart
One evening when my kids were little, I was flipping through TV stations and landed on a Christian channel. I got called away and left the TV on, thinking I'd be right back.By the time I returned, the program had switched to something new. My daughter was in the room frantically scribbling numbers onto a piece of paper, almost breaking down in tears."What are you doing?" I … [Read more...]
Thirteen
The girl in this photo has just about finished reading a 658-page book about HTML and CSS that she requested for Christmas. She has completed all of the practice assignments and seems to understand it all. I asked her at dinner this evening what was the most fun she had today. She answered, "Learning CSS. And designing a clubhouse for the back … [Read more...]
Tuning In and Out
Yesterday at High Calling Blogs, Michelle of Graceful posted a story about how she was caught fake-listening to her son. As the content editor for this article, I worked with Michelle on the piece and enjoyed a sneak preview. Her topic has caused me to monitor my listening skills (or lack thereof) for a few days now.I've also been particularly honest and respectful in … [Read more...]
This or That?
My son was humming a tune when he walked past me. I was seated at the kitchen table, flipping through the entertainment section of the Wall Street Journal.For fun, I looked up and posed a series of questions to see if I'm tracking with his top interests ... something like "This or That." "I've got a question for you," I began. "If you could instantly be great at something, … [Read more...]
My Father’s Gifts
In the 1940s, someone told my dad, "If you learn to operate a Linotype*, you'll never be out of work!" That kind of job security was a dream come true for a child of the Depression. His mom, my Grandma, borrowed money to send Dad to an Ohio Linotype school for training. He came back and got a job with the Indiana University printing plant. (demonstrating his skills … [Read more...]
When "Watch Me, Mama" Gives Way to Individuation
My 14-year-old daughter had a friend over to spend the night last weekend. Due to scheduling conflicts, the girl, a kindred spirit, is rarely available to get together, so it was a treat to have her with us. She came to the soccer game, excitedly cheering for the team.In an extraordinary and unexpected turn of events, my daughter, who usually plays defense, scored a goal! … [Read more...]
Learning to Pray Like a Child
As steam wafted from the bowl of macaroni and cheese, our son would pray.Quite young at the time, maybe four or five, he always requested to pray at mealtime.These prayers lasted a while. Rather than cut him short, I learned to bring lids to the table, cover the food, bow my head, and give him all the time he needed, because who wants to stop an outpouring of … [Read more...]
Time for Yes
Throughout spring, my kids would come to me with requests to join their friends on outings such as sleepovers, birthday parties, and a production of “The Three Musketeers,” but I had to say no to almost everything. Something was already scheduled 97 percent of the time. With spring winding down, however, our schedule is opening up. The kids and I recently reviewed the … [Read more...]
Ten Random Things I Haven't Mentioned
Sometimes my posts don't reflect my daily life.It's not that I'm hiding anything; it's just that I sometimes don't take time to write about what's happening while it's happening. Instead, I might write about something I've been thinking about or something I've learned. … [Read more...]
Boy Meets Bag
A couple of years ago the kids and I were looking through the purses and bags at Goodwill, and our son announced that he, too, wanted a purse. I suppose he would have been about six years old at the time.A bag of his own could contain his wallet, ChapStick, a notepad and pen, his Nintendo DS—such a practical solution for easy transport! … [Read more...]
Celebrating My Writer-Mom
My mom worked as the editor of our local newspaper, covering news all over the county. If a reporter couldn't make it to an event, Mom would grab her camera, reporter's pad, and pen—and quite often her daughter—to capture the news herself. This meant that whether I wanted to or not, I visited sporting events, live nativity scenes, church bazaars, festivals, fairs, horse … [Read more...]
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