When I tell my children the secrets to everything from a happy marriage to success in life to finding best friends, I’m pretty sure the biggest three are going to be these: Take chances. Get messy. Be real. This past week in Nebraska reminded me again how important these things all have been in my…
Category: the big stuff
What You’re Doing Matters
“…And I have to love you this fiercely: So that you can feel it even after you leave for school, or even while you are asleep, or even after your childhood becomes a memory.” Have you seen this video essay about motherhood for the Mom2.0 Summit? It’s worth the 2 1/2 minutes. 🙂 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8K9s7_k3TM] The…
Pregnant With Cancer?
ChemoMama has started a blog telling her story of fighting breast cancer and continuing with her pregnancy at her new blog, Pregnant With Cancer. I had no idea that there were chemo drugs that were safe for pregnant women. Head over to read her story if you want to know more and also to see…
Thank You
Many of you know that I write a parenting column and have been writing about abuse issues lately. I have been receiving many angry comments on those articles from parents who believe that the only way to raise good children is to use violence to “train” them. But this post is not about them. This…
A Challenge On Behalf Of Children
Many of you have probably heard about the little girl who was killed by her parents this month as a result of them following the Pearls’ advice in “To Train Up a Child.” I wrote about it here if you’re not familiar with it. People have been silent about the Pearls for years, even though…
Lessons From Victoria
Victoria is 11 but sometimes I forget she’s not 17 or so. Or maybe 34. Victoria was one of those babies that people always said had an old soul. Look! At one day old, she was already deep in thought. Over the years, we haven’t parented Victoria (or any of the kids) in a strictly…
Crafts from Aunt Leslie
Years ago when I sent out the Magical Childhood newsletter, I sometimes shared crafts from my Aunt Leslie. My Aunt Leslie ran a day care in her home when she was younger and she loved kids and crafts. She used to send us crafting supplies and gorgeous handmade cards, ornaments and treasures. Her letters were…
Savor it Anyway
There’s an image that I keep in my mind for the rough days of motherhood. My kids and I were with our friend Tiffany and her kids, and we stopped at a nursing home to visit her elderly mother-in-law. Alex was less than a year old and one of those babies who was generally happy…