I held the familiar white stick in my hand and watched in disbelief as two lines appeared in the result window. Positive. By this point in my life, I had lost count of how many times I had taken a pregnancy test. There were four miscarriages before our first child and a year of infertility before we had our second. Now that I decided two children was all I could handle, … [Read more...]
The Healing Power of the Family Outing
I love my life as a mom. I really do. But every so often I experience a case of burnout that has me dreaming of getting on a plane, train, or bicycle and hightailing it to anywhere where nobody knows my name. No mention of toilets flooding, cries that we are out of milk, or complaints about what I made for supper. Just peace and quiet. For a few weeks, there’s hardly … [Read more...]
Yes Kathy, There is a Santa Claus
For as long as I can remember, Santa Claus has been an active participant in my family’s Christmas tradition. My parents were really big on the magic of the season, and they went to elaborate lengths to make the holiday special for my two sisters and me. This included a personal visit from the big man himself. Each year after the early children’s Christmas Eve … [Read more...]
The Joy of Christmas and the Three Gift Rule
I remember how much my parents loved Christmas and made sure to make it extra special for my sisters and me. My mother made a gingerbread house each year and painted a holiday scene on the front storm door. My dad dressed up as Santa, and my mother threw pebbles on the roof to sound like reindeer hoofs. These people didn’t fool around. Of course the big event was when my … [Read more...]
The Christmas Music War
In just a few short days, a battle’s going to break out in my (mostly) happy home. Every November, my family starts its annual Christmas Music War. Each year it’s me against my husband, Joe, and the three darlings that I brought into this world. I might add after a collective 36 hours of labor and three, count them three, C-sections. This year, I’m taking a proactive … [Read more...]
