Parenting

They say cleaning your house with young children is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos. The moment I finish cleaning the living room, I hear a crash in the bedroom that tells me a stack of puzzles has just been emptied on the floor.

"Moms, it’s time to loosen our grips. It’s time to admit that perhaps we’ve boarded the wrong train—a train we thought would take us to better discernment, but has actually led to fear, anxiety, and judging one another."

“Look Maggie, I walking Maggie!”

"In a world that would tell me a laundry list of conditions my little girl might have, I decided instead not to worry."

"Be brave, and talk about it anyway. I am a wife, and I would rather know if it’s an issue rather than allowing it to slowly kill my marriage."

It’s hard to believe that I will be sending a second child off to kindergarten this September. Having already sent one and being a teacher for over a decade doesn’t make it any easier. It has, however, taught me a few things on how to prepare my child and myself for this new journey.

"I looked away from what I was doing, over the mess of dirty children with fingernails that needed to be clipped digging sharply into my calves, and asked her what she meant... This girl. She's young. And she was so spot-on that I started to cry a little."

"I didn’t know that night, as we rocked back and forth in that cozy, worn rocker that it would be the last time I rocked you to sleep."