Four hours of outdoor play meant early dinner, bath and bedtime for my grandchildren. The second day of spring offered nearly perfect weather punctuated by an unexpected thunderstorm. The parents coaxed the siblings through baths while I layered peanut butter and jelly on toasty blueberry bagels with strawberry cheesecake yogurts on the side for everyone …
Want or Need
With a pair grandsons tottering into the twos at roughly the same time, my daughters have each determined to nix nap time when at all possible. Some days, naps are still essential but days are measured on a case by case basis. Four children under five is more manageable when the weather is mild and …
Ransomed
“I want a turn to ride the scooter,” Thomas repeated as Amelia sped past him through the living room. “If you catch me, you can have a turn,” Amelia replied, circling around again. She laughed heartily as Thomas ran after her several laps through the kitchen. Finally he planted his feet and declared, “I caught …
Cast Off
Fair weather and longer afternoons means lots of outdoor play for the grandkids. Boat rides in the evening after dinner at Lolly and Poppy’s are a special treat. It has been so windy of late that only recently did we dust off the cobwebs for a sunset cruise. Last year, Timothy and Ezra, both pre-walkers, …
Beyond Belief
Ezra skipped his nap today. He’s nearing two and he is definitely beginning to test boundaries. He sees his older sister and cousins playing independently and even though he amazes us all daily with his climbing and running and new vocabulary, being the youngest, he must feel like he’s always playing catch up. Today he …
Lead Well
Monkey see, monkey do. We make animal sounds for babies to repeat when identifying animals long before they can say the names. We sing head, shoulders, knees and toes and teach little ones to identify eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Young children learn through mimicry but it can be taken to an extreme by their …
Rich Enough
“Yolly, I’m going to Dollar Tree to win a prize!” Amelia cheered as she bounded into the kitchen waving her dollar bill in her hand. “You mean you get to choose a toy to buy,” her mom corrected with a grin. I was immediately taken back a decade and a half, thinking with a grin …
Disown Jesus?
Since Amelia’s family came to stay, we have needed to establish a bedtime routine that works for everyone but also one that aids the children in adjusting to the major changes they’ve experienced in recent weeks. We have a reading light next to the rocker where we read our Bible stories. The current favorite is …
Give and Take
I am an oldest child as is my husband. I am constantly reminding Amelia and Thomas that we have this in common by sharing stories from my own childhood. As their younger siblings have come into their own and want only to be with the big kids doing exactly what they’re doing, I’ve tried to …
Finding Him Faithful
When I was pregnant with our second child, everyone in both of our families was convinced that I was carrying a girl because we had a son first and I carried the two very differently. If you’ve been pregnant, you’ve heard the old wives tales and all of the awkward questions. No doubt you’ve experienced …
A Fitting Reply 