Parenting since 2010.  Feels like this should be a patch of honor indicative of the time spent honing those parenting skills that I spent so much time thinking about.  However, there are just as many days – today included – that I feel like I just started parenting yesterday. I’m in my third year of [...]

This year we will be traveling for the New Year and in wanting to keep in tradition of the girls participating in our festivities we prepped some party gear.   I bought some party hats at the local dollar store and painted them a solid silver (two coats).     The girls painted the hats [...]

I’d just like to wish you and your family a very Happy Holiday! May the joy, laughter, and potentially teary tired children contribute to the memories that will last a lifetime.    

Most every gesture of children’s first friendships are, as my sister says, “adorable.”  Such moments often elicit oohs and awws from nearby adults.  We fawn over children who hold hands, however, it’s easy to overlook the importance of such candid expressions of early friendships.   It is harder to pin down what constitutes friendship between [...]

A teacher friend that I just told about the blog shared with me that she knew what to do with preschool aged children, but was wondering if she was doing enough with her infant son.   It was such a touching moment in an otherwise rushed conversation. Z’s mama was essentially telling me that she [...]

Greysen was deeply occupied in pretend play when she proudly announced an idea: her animals were going to sleep – outside. I offered to help her find a “suitable” blanket. She confidently told me that she was going to use the one from her bed.  I cringed ( just a little). The concrete on our [...]

  I have a significant extended family. Big. To accommodate family gatherings, homes have been remodeled AND furniture is taken out so everyone has room to roam.  One of the guaranteed highlights is seeing and visiting with the children.  We all love to dote on the youngest and newest to our family.   As much [...]

When I think of sensory play and art, I don’t think of them interchangeably because each is so uniquely valuable. I guess that this distinction is not really an important one to make in most circumstances. I do think it is useful for adults to consider the two separately because the expectations of the two [...]

We came across this as we walked to the kitchen for breakfast. Just a little bit of sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day.   I set-up a morning invitation to play where the rainbow was.  Inspired by the rainbow, I offered more watercolor choices then Greysen has ever had at once.     I didn’t [...]

It’s finally starting to feel like autumn around here.  The triple-digit heat has gone, and in its place rain has showered our desperately dry yard.  Recently on an afternoon walk, we gathered up leaves along the way.  We passed over apples left to rot on the sidewalk, dry browned leaves, and stopped to inspect bark [...]