Pediatric surgery can be especially daunting when it’s your child having the procedure. Even if you have had surgery yourself, you might not know what to expect, or how to best prepare your family. Pediatric outpatient surgery is fairly common; I know in our house, we have had four ambulatory procedures. Two surgeries for our … [Read more…]
Baby registries make shopping for new parents easy. Finding great gifts for second babies is not as straightforward. It is often tough to know what to give to a family when they welcome their second, third, or fourth child to their home. Many parents don’t register the second time around, though baby “sprinkles” (mini showers) … [Read more…]
Our Favorite Discipline Guides This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Always a believer in teaching our children how to function as adults in this crazy world, I latched on to discipline guides early in my … [Read more…]
The piles were growing with each passing season, and I kept adding to them. As our youngest continued moving forward out of her babyhood, I started to wonder what I should do with all of this baby stuff. When her first birthday passed, and the piles kept growing, so did my cluelessness. What do I … [Read more…]
Big day! My first guest post (ever!) was published on Grow Christians, a blog currently under the guidance of a new editor who, in my ever so humble opinion, is a rockstar! Help me up; this is my song My great-grandmother was so influential in my spiritual formation, and this piece is a tribute to … [Read more…]
“What’s it like living with five women?” a friend asked The Engineer one afternoon on the side of the soccer field. “There are a lot of feelings. Big ones. And lots of talking about these feelings.” Wise words, dear husband. And those big ones tend to come from one child in particular. My first-born is … [Read more…]
There are a handful of moments that stand out so clearly in my parenting memory. These are the times when I realize that the next words out of my mouth have the potential to significantly shape my child’s worldview, or, if not on that grandiose scale, then they could certainly shape my family’s trajectory through … [Read more…]
As the snowflakes fall outside the window, my mind can’t help but wander toward warmer and brighter days. I know it is on the horizon, as the camp forms pile up, and the girls ask for some new activity or trip every day. Summer. Not my favorite time of the year, that’s for sure, as … [Read more…]
The New York Times had an article a few years back that emphasized the vital importance of a family narrative when it comes to our children developing a strong sense of self. The knowledge that they are part of a bigger whole, and a whole that has had both shining moments, and those not as … [Read more…]
As we approach milestones in our own lives, I’ve found it pertinent to preserve these milestones for our children to reflect upon in the future. Lessons learned in motherhood, memories treasured, values cultivated; these all need to be passed on. Half of my childhood was spent without my father, because he died in a car … [Read more…]