Growing up a Lutheran in the ’70s and ’80s, potluck lunches were the best day of the whole month. Cliché, but true. And thanks to Garrison Keilor, even those who didn’t grow up Lutheran know about the Lutheran’s Love of Potlucks. This is most certainly true; no one can put together a table of mismatched...Continue Reading
Traveling with kids–traveling with four kids, one too young to carry his own stuff–is an ordeal. They want to help with all the packing, and unpacking, and transporting, but they don’t know what they’re doing. And they have crazy ideas, like stuffing all the bags full of toys, and rollerblades, and pita chips. So, now...Continue Reading
This year, when I heard some stores would be open on Thanksgiving, I told the kids this was the beginning of the end of Thanksgiving. Unlike Halloween or Valentines Day or Christmas, no one makes big money off Thanksgiving. Churches and great-grandmas won’t produce multi-million dollar commercials reminding Americans to stop and acknowledge the blessings...Continue Reading
Traveling through the Southwest for Thanksgiving Break has confirmed we have two kinds of kids: those who believe a cactus is sharp and those who have to touch it themselves. Kids who touch the cactus are also the ones who feel my hot curling iron, who pick up the hotel phone hundreds of times to...Continue Reading
Visiting Galveston in the summer is like sitting at the popular table in junior high. Although it’s fun and exhilarating, it’s also crowded and loud. You might find yourself looking around, thinking, “There’s gotta be more than this.” You would be right. During the winter, the crowds thin out, the pageantry fades, and Galveston becomes...Continue Reading
Two important truths we have all learned by now… First, every single person is extremely gifted in some unusual way. Not Mozart-piano-playing gifted. Not Steve-Jobs-visionary gifted, maybe. But in some equally important way, each of us can do one task or activity with extreme ease. Because this is a gift, we each take it for...Continue Reading
Growing up, mail during Advent was a really big deal to our family. We received lots and lots of Christmas cards, filled with those goofy family letters, beautiful pictures of Jesus, and thoughts about His birthday. I remember sorting through the evergreen and cherry envelopes, recognizing some senders by their distinct handwriting, giddy to know...Continue Reading
This week, the temperature in Houston dipped into the 50s. Clearly Starbucks was packed, every Houstonian posted about “THIS WEATHER!” on Facebook, the dogs slept in a shivering heap, and my kids declared themselves frozen. Let’s chat about this frightful weather in some Fraudulently Asked Questions. FAQ #1: You look cold, Nate. How are you...Continue Reading
Two summers ago, right before Elisabeth and Sam were to start Kindergarten the first time, another mom snuck me a list of 100 Sizzling Sight Words. “This is the list!” she said, like she had stolen an advance copy of the Bar Exam. “They’ve got to learn this list of words to go on to...Continue Reading
For just about the first decade of raising kids, I had a wonderful relationship with 100-calorie snack packs. Or, really, any portable food. Who wouldn’t adore pre-packaged energy for hypoglycemic, grumpy toddlers and kids? The right snack in those bright, little packages (Oreos come to mind), could bribe kids into their car seats, halt temper...Continue Reading
