“Penny, NO! No, no, no, no, they just got this all ready for the grass tomorrow!” I hurried outside wondering how, in a few short minutes, two little girls could find the one thing they shouldn’t do in our big, child-friendly back yard. We were...
Today I held a pair of tattered ballet shoes in my hand, hovering them above the garbage, pondering the possible reactions of my three-year old if she discovered my subterfuge. Wisely, I put them aside, having just enough prescience to know that throwing them away...
Dearest Joseph, Today you are three! And I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. The day I thought labor would never progress and then - in what seemed like a moment - with my midwife coming just in time to catch you,...
We've been changing our children's diapers for nine years, eight months, and thirteen days - but who's counting? Our fourth child, my son, has been out of "day time" diapers for three weeks now. He has even endured a few road trips without accidents. I...
Anyone else have memories of walking into an office at 7:00 a.m. and opening Outlook, complete with color-coded flags, alerts, reminders, and perfectly prioritized task lists? Organization with a side of coffee and an hour of quiet before the rat race reruns begin. So structured, so...
We all have them. The days that seem to come at us like a tidal wave, knocking us off our feet and causing us to lose our footing before we even even have the chance the lift the necessary first cup of coffee to our...
We were sitting on the couch in our living room - all six of us. My husband had called an informal but necessary "family meeting." Why? Well, for one, I was so stressed that I was experiencing heart palpitations. I told him I just needed...
When I was about eight years old, my father got a job working for Delta Airlines which moved our family from Fruit Heights, UT to Gainesville, GA. I remember the pain that came into my heart when my parents told me the news. How could...
“Rain, rain, go away!” I sang, trying to cheer my cabin fever frustrated sons. Several days of continuous downpour had us all antsy for sunshine. We decided to "set up shop," using a large tumbling mat to construct the back and side walls of our new building....
When I was a child, I always looked forward to going to my Aunt Sharon's house; First because I loved playing with my cousins (I had no sister) but a close second was my Aunt's hugs and her cooking. Everything she made was from scratch...