Why I Didn’t Cry on the First Day of Preschool
I'm tempted to think it is because I am an unemotional, cold-hearted jerk. Maybe you are tempted to think it is because I never carried him in my belly and my attachment is not as strong.…
8 Tips for a (More) Organized School Morning
Whether our kids are in favor or not, most of us are waving goodby to a carefree summer. Schedule and routine are about to become the norm again. (This is me high-fiving you for surviving another summ…
Raising World Changers: Is this Really a Good Idea?
My kids struggle with changing their undies and their sheets, much less the globe. Two of them are currently grounded from the X-box, one of them is in the throes of The Terrible Fours, and the res…
Three Unconventional Ways my Dad Modeled God
Growing up, I watched him open Father's Day cards like a classic North American dad and I told him I loved him on a weekly/monthly basis. Probably. If you don't count a few of the teen years. I did…
Our Failed Adoption: Why Parents should Never Compare
The van ride was warm and bumpy but at least we had no air conditioning whatsoever. The kids fiddled with our camera, taking videos of shanties and clothes drying on bushes until the tiny to…
What Every Kid Needs to Know about Their Identity
Nicknames are a sign of affection and most of mine have a few that have come and gone over the years. But one kid in particular has had many, many. And most of them at his own insistence. When h…
Favorite Parenting Strategies of a Big Family
From time to time, the kids in my house behave poorly. And by time to time, I mean every few seconds. Which is totally endearing and life-giving all at the same time. The only thing more fru…
Long and Short: Parenting Beyond this Exact Moment
"Hey little brother, sneak into big brother's room. He has candy. Get some for us." What would you have done if you were around the corner from that discussion? Intervened? What a grea…
Parenting your First Kid Vs. Parenting your Last
"I don't know what's more exhausting about parenting: the getting up early, or acting like you know what you're doing." -Jim Gaffigan My Sweet and I have seven kids. And because th…
The Book List: 2017
Some memoirs, a true murder mystery, a few disappointments, a kick-in-the-butt and a few stepping stones for my parenting journey. I scoffed at my yearly goal to read twelve books by sneaking in a few…