I Have an Announcement!
A Basement for Dancing Last night, for Monday Night Fitness Group, we have 15 children and their parents gather to dance and jump rope in my basement. The space isn’t fancy–it’s just big enough to let a group of children dance for one hour. As we finish up with jumping jacks and a game of […]
My Fight with a Ballerina
Early this morning, as the rain drizzles down, I drive across town to a ballet studio. I’ve never in my life been anywhere near a ballet studio–at least not one like this. I walk in, moody as the sky. Classical music, nearly muted, emits from a hallway. I follow it until I’m facing a wall […]
The Interrupting Chicken
I’m told I need to pick my children up in the sanctuary after their first day of Vacation Bible School. It’s a ranch theme, and I’m already smiling at the teenage helpers dressed in overalls, bandanas, and cowboy boots. I’m a little early, so I sneak in to see the skit that one group performs […]
What You Lose in the Rush
My oldest daughter has a horrible ear infection that’s so bad that the doctor actually looks inside her ear and says, “This is just a mess.” We’ve already had two ear tube surgeries and countless rounds of antibiotics for infections. What’s so hard is the sheer pain of it. The doctor asks where my daughter […]
A Science Experiment About My Mood
Last night we picked wild Queen Anne’s Lace for a science experiment. I wanted to show the girls how capillary action works. The stem of the Queen Anne’s Lace in a cup of dyed water, will, within a few hours, suck the water up into the flower and turn it the same color as the […]
The Eraser with Flair
We’ve moved past silly bands in my house. Now, it’s Sugar Shack Erasers. These little erasers come in the form of cheesecakes, donuts, ice-cream cones, and various pastries. They break apart into their various components: frosting, scoops of ice-cream, and toppings. You can break your eraser apart into as many as 8 pieces, and then […]
A Little Garden Magic
Early this morning my daughter picks a cucumber from our garden. It is shaped exactly like a “C.” The wonder of this! A vegetable shaped like its first letter! She holds it up and shows me, eyes wide. Would our eggplant come out like an “E” or the pepper in a big, plump “P”? It […]
My Tantrum in the Parking Lot
Well, let’s just say that I threw a little tantrum in the parking lot yesterday. But in my defense, I’ll set the scene: I’m in the minivan with the girls. I’d been sick for a few days. It’s a hot, sticky day, and we are circling and circling to find parking so we can go […]
The Fame That Lasts Till Lunch
My daughter tried out for the talent show yesterday. I’m amazed that she would do this. Amazed. Last year, she didn’t receive even one vote from her class for her dance routine. (It was freestylin’ to “Accidentally in Love”–the worm, the spins on your bottom–I’ll spare you the details because she would want me to.) […]
3 Ways to Love Life (According to a Young Photographer)
My five year old steals my camera whenever she can. She’s the most determined little girl when she’s setting up a shot. She’ll take pictures of anything–cats, babies, rear ends, her own feet. And it’s all equally intriguing and equally beautiful. As I found these photos other friends took of her yesterday, I couldn’t help […]