A few years ago I met lovely, hilarious Annie in a sand pit. She was brave enough to meet me sight unseen in a Kansas City playground after I'd been quasi-stalking their blog detailing their life in Germany. Annie and husband Walt worked for our organisation at the time, and as often happens...
Read moreAthletic Mom Guilt
It’s that time of year where women like me (and their long-suffering husbands) watch You’ve Got Mail and sigh for 90 minutes straight. We buy bouquets of pencils and take back to school pictures and meet the teachers. We start drinking Pumpkin Spiced Lattes (I've had two this week) and lighting our Pumpkin Spiced Candles and searching for Pumpkin Spiced Everything on the internet.
It’s a magical time of winds changing and fresh starts and all the glorious autumnal things that make suffering through summer worth it.
(Or if you’re in Ireland, “suffering” through the three weeks of summer in July, which isn’t really suffering because it’s windy and in the high 70s and you’re 20 minutes from frolicking at the beach or the mountains or the country, so when Autumn actually comes you’re surprised because you haven’t sweated through your skinny jeans yet. But I digress.)
Read moreMom, can I start a blog? :: 31 days of messy parenting {day 26}
"Mom, can I start a blog?"
The eldest came at me with this request last week, not altogether out-of-the-blue. He is the super imaginative one, artistic and book-wormy and writer of notes and short stories. Still, I huffed a little bit.
"A blog? Why do you want to start a blog?" I asked him, probably not even looking at him, probably while I myself was on the computer.
Read moreBribing children, somewhat unsuccessfully :: 31 days of messy parenting {day 16}
I bribe my children.
There, I said it.
Yes, I know it's not really wise or sustainable long term. I know there are better ways to handle potty accidents at school or staying in one's bed or a chores system... actually, I don't think I do. What are those better ways? And I know this may or may not be reinforcing some bad habits that will perhaps come back to them later in life. I know this because I currently practice it (lose 10 lbs? hooray! now eat some cheesecake!)...
Read morePicture Sunday :: 31 days of messy parenting {day 14}
Oh yeah, this is a good one from the days of yore.
You can almost hear the screams...
I'll be sharing some of my favourite family photos on Sundays this month. Join me and comment with a link to your favourite (or not so favourite) family photo; one with a story to tell, maybe... I would LOVE to see your mess.
