When my oldest was about three years old, he pointed out every irrigation pivot we drove by. He got so excited about seeing them that we pointed them out if he hadn’t noticed them. He wanted a toy pivot, like the one his uncles got when they bought a real pivot. We took him to watch pivots running because he … Read More
Teaching Kids Respect
I hear a lot about needing to teach kids respect, both in conversation, and online. There seems to be a lot of agreement that kids aren’t being “put in their place” properly, like they used to be. The complaints of the older generation about the younger goes back to ancient Greeks though, so thinking that kids are not like they … Read More
Watching The News
This morning, I was watching the News while eating breakfast, and my 5 year-old asked me who Donald Trump was. While that question could have many answers due to his…interesting character, my son has been hearing his name mentioned on the News lately and wondered why. This led to a long discussion of elections, and why we watch the News … Read More
Being Just A Good Enough Mom
I was the oldest of four kids, so when my first baby was born, I wasn’t as worried about some of the things new moms are. I had seen my share of kids fall down, or get sick, so I wasn’t panicked over little things. There were some areas though that I put more effort into than I have for … Read More
Slipping Away
I grew up across the road from my grandparents. My grandpa, who died when I was seven, was a dairy farmer, so he was around during the day. He was my babysitter when my mom had somewhere to go. My grandma was a high school English teacher. After my grandpa died, I spent a lot of time with my Grandma … Read More
Too Much Testing
I went to a book club meeting today, and many of the other people there were teachers. One subject came up after lunch that often comes up in conversation with teachers: testing. Many of my relatives and closest friends are teachers, which is part of the reason I have chosen to home school my kids. The schools in my area … Read More
It Will Be A Good Story Someday
Sometimes there are times in motherhood that you enjoy in the moment, like when your kids are all sleeping like angels or playing happily. Sometimes there are the moments that you realize you will only enjoy years later while telling the story to someone else. My five year old woke me up yesterday by coming next to the bed and … Read More
My Mini Me
This week, I posted a picture on Facebook of my daughter opening the cupboard with my mixing bowls in it. A few days before, I had posted a picture of her standing on the top step of my two-step kitchen stool, grinning like crazy as she ate her older brother’s chocolate chips. My mom commented that she reminded her of … Read More
Real Life As A Stay At Home Mom
If you’re looking for a profession where you receive praise for your accomplishments, monetary compensation, and the feeling that you have completed the tasks that you wanted to that day, don’t become a stay-at-home mom. Not that it doesn’t have its’ own rewards, but these are not generally among them. I love being home with my kids, but the thing … Read More
The Truth About Milestones
When my oldest was born, he seemed “normal”. He followed the growth charts, he met his milestones on time. I was happy that he seemed to be developing normally, and I had no concerns about him. I had begun talking by about the time I was 9 months old, but I didn’t expect he would necessarily begin that early. It … Read More