People at different ages just see the world differently. When it comes to peeing, our little Smunchie really didn’t understand why it wasn’t ok to let loose in the closet. When I told her she shouldn’t do her business in there, the look I received from her when she replied “Why?” made it very clear…
Category: kids
Stop telling me our relationship with our teens should suck
“Mommy, I feel weird and embarrassed sometimes about our relationship.” My heart sank at my 15 year old’s words. I loved our relationship and thought she did too. In fact, parenting teens had, to this point, proved to be my favorite stage. I told myself not to take it personally, “Oh, ok. Want to tell…
To save our sanity- quiet time
With 9 people in our home (the ages 2, 4, 6, 11, 13, 13, 15, and 2 thirty-somethings), finding personal space physically and emotionally can be challenging. The early days of parenting taught us very quickly we needed to help respect the needs of everyone in the family for space and quiet. Remembering how my…
An open letter to anyone that has waited for my family when we were late
Dear People that get upset when my family is running late, I am sorry for the inconvenience and frustration you experienced waiting for us and I regret to have caused you any consternation. I promise, running late isn’t because I don’t respect you or your time. It is possible that it wasn’t intentional and may…
Love Stones
It all started when the 4 year old that had been enthusiastic about going to her little Waldorf Kindergarten class 3 days a week suddenly became reluctant and difficult, often refusing to go into her classroom. We tried everything, being gentle and listening to her, being firm but lovingly telling her that she was…
Jealous of how these kids can sleep?
Not too long ago we shared a funny picture of Smunchie sleeping inside a cabinet with The Leaky Boob Facebook page. The Leakies joined us in sharing pictures of funny places and ways their kids have fallen asleep. There were so many great ones, we couldn’t fit them all in one post on TLB so…
Cultivating Wonder for a Better Tomorrow
“Why is it that the human mind can sort of grasp ‘forever’ but they can’t grasp ‘infinity’? Aren’t they basically the same thing?” My 12 yr old daughter, who we have affectionately dubbed our “Storyteller” for our online audience, reminds me often about the pure joy of wonder. She asked me this question a couple…
Trimming our Christmas Hopes and Dreams
This morning, minutes before our crew of ballerinas headed out for their first performance of the Nutcracker, as we were all still seated at the breakfast table, I felt the need to inform our children that this Christmas would be different. It was probably not the best time, as half of our family needed to…
Sheets, clothes pins, clamps- FORT KIT!
If you build assemble it they will come build and play. For hours. For the last two years we have taken an approach to Christmas gifts that was a little different from what we had done before, each person got their stocking which was filled for them personally and one main gift such as a tricycle,…
The magic continues
They planned, rehearsed, and performed a ballet complete with programs, tickets, costume changes, and an intermission. Led by 12 year old Squiggle Bug, they pulled it all together and performed it in candle and lamp light thanks to lost power for the night. It was magical. The story, the imaginations, the giggles, all of it,…