You Won
One the best parts of being a parent is seeing the newness of the world through the eyes of your child as he experiences things for the first time. The coldness of snow, the sight of a plane in the sky, the sound of the ocean waves, the taste of a cookie, and the look of wonder in your child’s eyes at the marvels of this world. Obviously, as our children grow, the things they discover change. For us, since we have a baby and teenagers, we are discovering more than the simple joys of sugar;...
Read MoreIt’s Not About Me
My daughter recently took her PSAT test and thus the college letters have begun to arrive in our mailbox beckoning her to schools across the country. She’s fifteen. I have two and a half more years with her before she spreads her wings and flies out of our nest. I’m not going to lie; the idea makes me want to throw up. I’m holding on to these “family years” with a death grip, but I know my time is fleeting. These fifteen years have undeniably been the best of my life. Exhausting, frustrating...
Read MoreSix in a Row
There are times in my life when I’ve been disappointed, not destroyed, not beaten, just disappointed. I’m ashamed to admit it but a few of those times have been at the ultra sounds of our children. We had a girl first and then a few boys to follow, six to be exact. When we found out I was expecting our seventh child, I told Ken I didn’t want to find to the gender. I hated that feeling of disappointment at the ultra sound and just wanted to be surprised. The whole time I was pregnant I...
Read MoreWalk a Mile With Me
More than most things, I want to be understood. I think that is why I seek company with those who have similar experiences as my own. I have friends from many facets of life. Each of them understands me differently. My sisters understand my upbringing. My roommates from college speak my language from the inside jokes we made during those years. Now I have a few friends who are also raising a gaggle of children. All of these friends can...
Read MoreHoly Song Wars
We have 6 children so driving anywhere is interesting: “Mom, So-in-so is touching me.” “Okay, well move over.” “Mom, So-in-so is annoying.” “Honey, we are all annoying in some way, deal with it.” “Mom, So-in-so is LOOKING at me.” “Okay, well look away.” My children think that driving our giant conversion van (that we refer to as Relaxi-taxi) isn’t much of a job. I’m apparently bored and would love to referee the back seats. One topic that has come up more than once is singing. Some in my...
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