The auditorium of hundreds of people quieted to a hush as she walked on the stage. My heart skipped a beat as I saw young adults putting their cell phones away and young children sitting on the edge of their seats, enraptured by this beautiful...
Oh glorious Monday! You heard me right, I am celebrating Monday today because 1) I love May. Bring me aaaaalllll the flowers. And 2) my husband is home. He was away on a 10 day trip, and I can't lie, it wasn't pretty around our...
I’ve been through a lot of heartbreak in my life. In addition to the real, lasting losses in my life—the death of my father and my mother’s mental illness—there are scores of disappointments. Awards not won, books not published, stories rejected, and opportunities on which...
I’ve had some pretty awesome dates lately … with my toddler. Last week, we started a ritual I hope we continue for the rest of our lives. We held hands walking to the coffee shop, ordered a kid’s hot chocolate and a small decaf coffee,...
Around the World with Kate and Mack is a delightful book! It is a published by Wycliffe Bible Translators, written by Melissa Paredes, and illustrated by Ben Rupp. I estimate this book would be the most fully enjoyed by children age 4-10 years but it can be engaging for 2...
Once upon a time in this country, we did things like eat meals, visit with friends, go on walks, visit museums, and spend time with family without taking selfies of the whole experience and sharing it with 1,000 other people. I remember having a rotary phone...
Good Monday morning friends! In the midst of post-Easter sugar meltdowns, I have some practical tips for managing your children's emotions. If you have spent any time in this space here, you know two things about me. First, I’m not necessarily the practical one. I like...
Every year, our family hosts a Passover Seder in our home. What began with 10 college kids crammed into our small apartment at George Washington University campus has grown to become our family's favorite annual tradition. Our home bursts at the seams with families, food, and...
Last week my baby girl turned two. TWO! Astounding yet I can’t even remember a time before she brightened our lives. A few days shy of her second birthday, in the agony of waiting two minutes for toast, sweet baby girl looked me straight in the...
Resurrection Sunday is my favorite day. Some {non-judgmental} context … we don’t “do” Egg hunts, Easter baskets or the Easter Bunny. Matching outfits is the lone non-Jesus related thing we do on this day - remnants, I suppose, of a childhood where my mother made us...