Family and Parenting – Choosing This Moment

On Riding Bikes and Modeling Love

Posted: July 22, 2022 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn No Comments

Sometime in August or September of last year, Katie and Abby were riding their bikes in the front yard while I tidied up inside. I peeked out at them from time to time, and it was clear they were doing more than just riding. They were playing some sort of game. One of them would … Continue reading "On Riding Bikes and Modeling Love"

I Do, Still

Posted: July 14, 2022 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn No Comments

In recent (and, if I’m honest, not so recent) months, Katie and Abby have had frequent conversations about the people in their lives whom they deem to be marriageable material. (I have no idea where this came from.) Abby’s young enough still that her list often includes such people as her dad or her brother … Continue reading "I Do, Still"

On Casting Votes and Raising Kids and Living Life

Posted: June 09, 2022 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn No Comments

Late last week, Katie picked up a campaign flyer that hadn’t yet made it to the recycle bin. “This guy has ‘the energy and skill to get the job done,'” she read, then narrowed her eyes. “Wait a second. Who sent this, anyway? Are they just saying that because they want you to vote for … Continue reading "On Casting Votes and Raising Kids and Living Life"

What I’m Teaching My Kids

Posted: May 14, 2022 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn No Comments

At a recent meeting at our charter school, Abby was admiring the keyboard skin on our ES’s* laptop. Abby has long had a fascination with technology. (Her running birthday request for the last three years has been a phone, and she was legitimately disappointed not to receive one when she turned five.) The skin was … Continue reading "What I’m Teaching My Kids"

There Will be Time for the Other Stuff Later

Posted: May 07, 2022 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn 1 Comment

I’ve read a lot about abortion over the past week. News articles. Legal analyses. Fact-checking pieces. Personal essays. Opinions. Twitter threads. (Confession: I tend to do this when a big issue catches my attention. I take a deep dive, become consumed by everything there is to read about it. I don’t necessarily recommend this approach … Continue reading "There Will be Time for the Other Stuff Later"

Happy Chaos, or, Babies are Good

Posted: April 27, 2022 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn 2 Comments

Maybe it’s because Emmeline’s still so little. Maybe it’s because we homeschool, so I have Katie and Abby with me when many of their peers are at school. Maybe it’s the spacing of our kids, or maybe there’s some magic tipping point between three and four that pushes us into the “large family” category. Whatever … Continue reading "Happy Chaos, or, Babies are Good"

On Making Lists and Not Wasting My Life

Posted: April 08, 2022 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn 2 Comments

A few months ago, I implemented something new in our homeschool: I started giving Katie a list. It always has the same things at the top. Get dressed. Tidy your room. Brush your hair. Practice the piano. And then, checkboxes for whatever she needs to accomplish that day. Math pages. Copy work. Spelling. Addition practice. … Continue reading "On Making Lists and Not Wasting My Life"

It Seems Like They Change Every Year: Some Thoughts on Routines and Striving for Perfection

Posted: April 03, 2022 Under: Family and Parenting By Jenn No Comments

Sometime when Katie was in preschool or kindergarten, my mom gave her a magnetic calendar. It had bright, colorful tiles, with places to note the weather and the season and the user’s current mood. It was the perfect addition to our nascent homeschool, and I was diligent to use it as a part of our … Continue reading "It Seems Like They Change Every Year: Some Thoughts on Routines and Striving for Perfection"

On Pink Sunglasses and Growing Pains, or, Joy in Every Stage

Posted: March 27, 2022 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn No Comments

I was recently chatting with someone about young kids and their development. I told her how amazed I am whenever I think about how much is happening in their brains and bodies from birth to age three. She nodded, then grinned at Emmeline, who was busy being adorable in my lap. “Is it hard being … Continue reading "On Pink Sunglasses and Growing Pains, or, Joy in Every Stage"

Three Sixteen

Posted: March 18, 2022 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn No Comments

Three sixteen. If you grew up in the church (and maybe even if you didn’t), there’s a good chance those numbers bring to mind the best-known verse in the Bible, the Gospel in a nutshell. Here’s John 3:16, from The Message: This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one … Continue reading "Three Sixteen"

Choosing This Moment

Finding the beauty in the everyday

Category: Family and Parenting

On Riding Bikes and Modeling Love

I Do, Still

On Casting Votes and Raising Kids and Living Life

What I’m Teaching My Kids

There Will be Time for the Other Stuff Later

Happy Chaos, or, Babies are Good

On Making Lists and Not Wasting My Life

It Seems Like They Change Every Year: Some Thoughts on Routines and Striving for Perfection

On Pink Sunglasses and Growing Pains, or, Joy in Every Stage

Three Sixteen