Many years ago, I had a summer job as a night nanny for newborn triplets. The parents hired me to help with night feedings so one of them could sleep! Two girls and a boy… these were this couple’s only children. I remember one morning, in the moments just as the sun was beginning to […]
We shuffled forward, inch by inch, until we were at the front of the line. A short man in a black suit jacket called us to his register. While the boys played under and around the counter, the man issued us our hotel keys. I took in my surroundings, marveling at the ornate lobby in […]
For years I woke up angry. On good days, I was just resentful, but most days I got out of bed highly irritated. This was because my wake up call came in the form of two cute little boys. My kids are five and six now, but in the early years, I would sleep for […]
It’s Spring Break here in San Diego, and since my husband still has to work, I am tasked with entertaining two boys instead of just one. Thankfully, I have friends in the same boat. Earlier this week, a neighbor and I were bemoaning the fact that we had to do our grocery shopping with two […]
One day not too long ago, when we picked up our boys from Sunday School after church, one of the teachers pulled me and my husband aside. She waited until the kids ran out of earshot. “That Henry,” she said, referring to our youngest who is just five, “He’s a smart one! I couldn’t believe […]
We had a positive parenting expert speak to our MOPS group last month. She opened with a visualization exercise. I don’t like these types of exercises mainly because I don’t like being told what to do or keeping my eyes closed. But since I’m the lead coordinator for our group, I wanted to set a […]
I’m lucky enough to live in a townhouse community where I know most of my neighbors, some of whom are colleagues and many of whom are friends. We share a wall with another young family: Missy is a friend of mine, her husband teaches at the same university as my husband, and their two kids […]
My six year old son had a milestone moment this week: he lost his first tooth. He’s young for his grade and had looked on for some months as his classmates lost tooth after tooth. So it was with great excitement that he held up his tooth, safe in a tiny plastic treasure chest, to […]
I perused the shelves of the bookstore, careful not to let my pregnant belly knock anything down. I was drawn to the selection of pretty journals and notebooks; I’ve always loved writing, and journaling in coffee shops used to be one of my favorite hobbies. I hadn’t written a word in over a year, since […]
I’d like to think that Jesus was an introvert, just like me. Never mind that he had twelve men always at his side, and that he dealt with crowds on a regular basis. An introvert is someone who draws energy from being alone, and there are a number of occasions when Jesus withdraws to a […]