As a perfectionist, I put a lot of pressure on myself. A completed project could always be done better, a piano piece practiced more, a meal better cooked. As someone who has lived with perfectionism for a lifetime, it goes without saying that I’ve always seen mistakes that I've made as bad – signs that … Continue reading Light Through the Cracks
Parenting
Church Camp
I think I speak for all parents of school-aged children when I say that summer is the absolute worst. I personally spent the first 5 years of each of my kids' lives waiting for them to be old enough to attend public school, thus cutting down the daycare bill. The first day that all three … Continue reading Church Camp
Jeff! I Love That Guy!
My kids are weird. I mean, all kids are weird. But my twin boys are really weird sometimes (so is my daughter, but that's a subject for another day). Interacting with my sons is like finding out there's an entire conversation going on that I was completely unaware of (and sometimes that is literally what … Continue reading Jeff! I Love That Guy!
The Weight We Carry
Originally written in 2020 I took the kids to the park yesterday and was looking forward to just checking out on my phone while they played. And then, 10 minutes after arriving, I was spotted by someone I had worked with years ago. As it turns out, she lives not far from me, and had … Continue reading The Weight We Carry
The Great Recorder Incident of 2022
In what can only be described as an obvious and unmistakable act of war, Michael brought home a recorder and gave it to Rebecca this afternoon. The shrieks, squawks, and squeals started long before the recorder was actually out of its packaging. Our daughter, when excited, has the vocal capacity to imitate what I can … Continue reading The Great Recorder Incident of 2022
The Pop-Tart Dilemma
There's a weird paradox I deal with as a parent, that nobody ever told me I would need to think about. And yet, I do constantly. It literally comes up every day. Sometimes multiple times a day. In a nutshell, it's this: I've realized that while my main goal as a (hopefully) good parent is … Continue reading The Pop-Tart Dilemma
Yenita
“Mom. I’m no longer calling you Mom. From now on, I am calling you Yenita.” I stare at my six-year-old son Charlie as he tells me this – his face is deadpan but his eyes (large, dark eyes) have a glint in them. “Ok…” I say. “But where did Yenita come from?” He shrugs and … Continue reading Yenita
Pocket Sized 