You Incredible Mama, You!

October 23, 2018 by

This momming thing is no joke, folks.

For serious. Just the half-millisecond I think I have it sorta-kinda-figure out, ka-chow! Something new pops up and I feel clueless.

(Sorry for the Lightning McQueen “Ka-chow” reference. My son has watched Cars 3 no less than 14 times in the last two weeks. #NotExaggerating)

But me feeling clueless is so stinking weird. I would say I am reasonably intelligent human. Some might say I’m even nerdy book-smart. I’m working on my PhD and I’ve always tried to get the best grades possible.

So how can it be that the things my children do (and don’t do) throw me for such a big loop? [Read more…]

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Playground Guardian

November 5, 2014 by

You might have noticed that in this current season,  Wednesdays are my days to work toward some super-awesome God-sized dreams. So here is a blast from the past straight from the archives. Enjoy, dear friends… and thanks for the grace. 

***

We waited for this precious experience every single day.

Small children snarfing down their lunch, tater tots flying, ketchup splattering, milk dribbling. We were racing against the clock.  We had to get to recess.

Sure, recess came three times a day throughout my years of very early youth. But the length after-lunch recess was solely dependent on our ability to inhale our food and power walk from the cafeteria to the outside door. (Note: Sometimes a second grader’s definition of “not running” is different than the principal’s definition. And you had to walk that line carefully, or the five minutes you spent in the office during recess for “running” would nearly break your heart. Not that I would know.) [Read more…]

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The Rule of 4.0

May 24, 2012 by

“Moooommmm… I… didn’t…do…good…on… (sob)…my (gasp)… Chemistry… (sniff)…tessssttttttt. I…won’t…get…an.. A!” 

That is a real (ok, paraphrased) excerpt from a conversation that I frequently had with my Mom on the phone my freshmen year of college at K-State.

Chemistry was a nightmare. And when I bombed that first test, I was convinced my life was over. Seriously. Up until that point, I had only gotten a “B” on a report card ONCE in my life, and that was my freshmen year of high school in Algebra. (What IS it with freshmen year? And boo on math.) [Read more…]

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25 Reasons Why Moms Rock

May 14, 2012 by

“But Moooooooommmmmmmmmm…”

“Mom, you just don’t understand.” 

“Whatever, Mom.” 

Aaahhh, the sweet, sweet sounds of my childhood. (My teenage years were kind of brutal. Just ask my parents. Apparently, I had something called an “attitude.” Pshaw. Whatever 😉 ) [Read more…]

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In Ready Position

April 10, 2012 by

I never really liked gym class. No offense to any gym teachers out there, but I rarely looked forward to gym, especially during that middle school phase…

Each day when I was down in the musty locker room changing my clothes, my heart would start to pound as I thought about what activity awaited me at the top of the stairs. One of the most dreaded gym sessions of the year? Basketball.

To this day, I still can’t do a lay-up with good form or dribble down the court without “traveling.” It’s not that I didn’t try– I just was never very good. I was THAT kid– you know the one– the kid that always got hit in the face with the ball. (Don’t believe me? I once got my lip split open by a ping pong ball. My face naturally attracted flying objects. It’s science.) [Read more…]

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Dive In & Just Keep Swimming

March 26, 2012 by

My heart was pounding. The sun was beating down on the back of my neck. My little feet left wet footprints on the warm concrete. I shivered… from the gentle Kansas breeze or nerves, I couldn’t tell. I approached my target. Breath. Step. Breath. Step. Breath. Step.

The higher I climbed, the harder my heart pounded. I reached the top and peered down to the deep blue water. My Mama was looking up at me, her hands shielding her eyes from the sun, watching my every move. I inched slowly to the end of the board. Then I turned around, heading back towards the ladder. [Read more…]

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Playground Guardian

March 6, 2012 by

We waited for this precious experience every single day.

Small children snarfing down their lunch, tater tots flying, ketchup splattering, milk dribbling. We were racing against the clock.  We had to get to recess.

Sure, recess came three times a day throughout my years of very early youth. But the length after-lunch recess was solely dependent on our ability to inhale our food and power walk from the cafeteria to the outside door. (Note: Sometimes a second grader’s definition of “not running” is different than the principal’s definition. And you had to walk that line carefully, or the five minutes you spent in the office during recess for “running” would nearly break your heart. Not that I would know.) [Read more…]

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Treasure Hunting

February 15, 2012 by

We were on a mission.

We had changed into our “play clothes.” We had our plastic shovel and bucket in hand. Time to get down to serious business.

We were going treasure hunting.

“Treasure hunting” was one of my sister and I’s favorite activities when we were younger. In fact, it ranks right up there with tormenting each other. Specifically: me convincing her that the flower blooms on our bushes where actually “wild broccoli,” thus she should consume them for nutritional reasons, as well as daring her lick the frozen iron handrail on the front porch as the school bus came down the driveway. (Both instances resulted in the first two times I got grounded. Ah, memories.) [Read more…]

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A Spirit of Discovery

November 15, 2011 by

I’m not gonna lie… Sometimes I miss being a little kid.

Ok, I will admit—I am still clinging to some of my childish ways, like getting really excited to go out for ice cream (although now I prefer frozen yogurt) or enjoying a good Disney movie (most recent favorite: Tangled.) But as I returned home to Kansas for a visit, my little dog Justus reminded me of childhood aspect that we should all hold onto. [Read more…]

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