2010 March

How do you talk to a 4-year-old about Easter

March 31, 2010

I am not good at crafts. I am not the mom who will beautifully dye and decorate eggs or create an Easter tree. I admire Spring wreaths from afar and instead let my boys wallow in the Spring mud up close. I feel hopelessly inadequate in the face of all the remarkable ideas out there [...]

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Love & Laundry: A Point of Grace Giveaway

March 29, 2010

**This giveaway is now closed** I have discovered my theme song. I know because it has the word, “laundry” in the title. You think I’m kidding? I am so not. I have written at least 20 posts featuring my ongoing, usually losing battle with our family’s laundry bulge. How is it possible that laundry plays [...]

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Some of my favorite places in the world are

March 25, 2010

My dad’s back yard in Pretoria, South Africa. The Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic. Shevchenko Park in Kyiv, Ukraine. The corner of Delaware and Constitution Ave, Washington, D.C. during Cherry Blossom season. The white rocking chair with yellow lining in my kids’ room. OK, your turn. And if you want to share photos of [...]

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Some days I feel covered in ick

March 23, 2010

Don’t worry, this post isn’t about potty training. Or about gastro intestinal bugs. You don’t have to be a mom to relate to this post. Because some days, I think, we all feel covered in ick. There’s the slimy goopy ick of worry that I feel my feet squishing around in. There’s the impossible-to-scrape-off ick [...]

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On anchors and socks and storms

March 21, 2010

There’s a small, dirty sock in the hallway. It anchors me. No matter what storms of worry might rage. No matter how small the boat might seem. That smaller-yet-still sock anchors me. It anchors me to this And this in turn leads me hand-over-hand, down the knotted rope blindly seeking security until my fingers wrap [...]

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I wonder why I never

March 18, 2010

I wonder why I never went back to my childhood church after I returned to South Africa I wonder why I never told the first boy that said he loved me that I loved him back. I wonder why I never remember to close the microwave door after using it. I wonder why I never [...]

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Some perspectives are better than others

March 16, 2010

Pete and I are 35 and still have never owned a house. We rent a quirky little home with a backyard that is at times better suited to bundu-bashing than games of baseball or catch. The carpets are stained with melted play-doh and mud has been tracked in irreversible trails throughout the house. Our boys [...]

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The great Gussy giveaway

March 15, 2010

This contest is now closed. The winner selected by random integer generator is comment #149: Kjirsten. Congratulations! This is Gussy. She is great. Gussy has a lot to say. Every minute you doubt yourself is a minute wasted that you can’t ever get back. And Gussy has a lot to sew. Gussy is my kind [...]

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I'm still learning how to

March 12, 2010

I’m still learning how to accept criticism with grace. I’m still learning how to find my home in the Lord and not my zip code. I’m still learning how to get my kids to stay put in bed after I put them down. I’m still learning how to make more than three dishes with chicken. Ok, [...]

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Note to self: how to not treat the husband

March 10, 2010

I had an illuminating trip with Peter a couple weeks ago. This is Peter. He is my husband of 11 years and 2 baby boys. It started at 4:30 am with a taxi ride to the airport, followed by several sausage biscuits, cini-minis and a super size coca-cola. Disgusting? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely. I rediscovered that [...]