Back in the day when the boys were 2, 3, and 4 years old, it was a little rugged around our house. I was plagued by my inability to mother like I thought I should--you know, teaching my toddlers to use their manners, say thank you, and always obey. But since that rarely went as planned, I almost always opted to stay home and relish nap time rather than go anywhere. Occasionally we ventured to the grocery store where the boys, bit through the hot dog packages, chewed on a bag of chocolate … [Read more...]
When Trick-or-Treaters Make You Think of Jesus
I counted about 27 princesses and nearly as many ninja warriors. Not to mention a walking vending machine, and a few pixelated Minecraft characters. There were little girls who felt perfectly secure as princesses and insecure teenagers who were “too old” to dress up, but still young enough to be lured by candy. There were also the scary and gross costumes. Downright disgusting stuff that made me want to rush and cover the eyes of every tiny trick-or-treater on the street.Hordes of people … [Read more...]
When You Work for the Gift You’ve Already Got
Remember the fort/blind the boys built this summer for all their fall hunting adventures? Well, apparently a blind isn’t complete without certain hunting accessories. And this year for his birthday, Zach asked for all manner of them. Every time we went to the store he’d point them out. When they were on sale, he’d let me know. He’d tell me which store had them cheaper and when the shipping was free. But I kept saying, "No." He got tired of asking and waiting, but he was unwilling to spend … [Read more...]
When Freedom Means Giving Up
It seems like I’ve mentioned my love for music recently. As a word-lover I especially love meaningful lyrics. So when enjoyable music and thought provoking lyrics bump into each other, I swoon. This week as I was buzzing around my kitchen with my Ellie Holcomb Pandora station playing, I heard All Sons and Daughters singing Dawn to Dusk and I was smitten with one particular … [Read more...]
When You Pray About Your First-World-Problems
My pre-workout brain teaser. There is so much to be legitimately upset about, but last week, the thing that brought me down, was a first-world-problem.It wasn’t that Burger King no longer offers honey-mustard dressing, or that I had to spend the first three minutes of my workout untangling my earbuds.I was moping around because I lost my wedding ring. On Kurt’s birthday.That night, I gave myself a vigorous scolding, the kind I usually save for the boys: “Well, if you can’t keep track of that, … [Read more...]