Jeff was asked to send along some advice for our friend Peter, who is about to become a new dad. His note was so great that I thought I should pass it along. Whether you are a new dad, an old-pro dad, or somebody’s favorite uncle, read and enjoy. And have a great Father’s Day! Dear Peter, Wow. Beth has given us a tall order. Advice for a new dad. My ADHD brain starts to fire on all cylinders. After... Read more
At the risk of sounding like a prude, I wonder why things had to become shocking, crude, and mean-spirited to make us laugh. Read more
Zach and Ezra ran in the house, panting, waving their water guns high in the air, and announcing triumphantly, “We got him! We got him!” When I could get them to calm down enough to tell me what they were talking about, they explained that they had taken their new guns to the end of our block to lie in wait for joggers. After chasing and missing a few, they finally found one slow enough to soak with water. Wasn’t... Read more
BK (before kids) I met 2 women with vastly differing parenting styles, both of whom rooted their parenting in their beliefs about the nature of God and humankind—their theology. Donna emphasized God’s order and the sinfulness of humanity. Therefore, providing babies with a structured environment including scheduled feeding, napping, and playing would corral their sinful natures. The baby was not the center of the universe. Instead the baby was a part (albeit an important part) of a community, so the... Read more
Lings had her learner’s permit for a whole 12 days. I avoided driving with her the whole first week, when Scott took her out 3 times. I resisted her pressuring me to let her drive during our trip to Chicago. (“I’m 100% positive that it’s not in the rental car agreement to let an unlicensed 16 year old drive.”) But then Monday night, exactly a week from when Ling got her learner’s permit, Scott booted me out of the front... Read more
There’s nothing like a college reunion to raise a slew of emotions—and for me, amidst much joy, laughter and celebration, lay the bittersweet taint of regret. Last week, I took my daughter on our first college tour, and attended a reunion celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Northwestern University Graduate Christian Fellowship. And while I enjoyed every bit of the whole process (other than developing some weird tendonitis on the top of my right foot from walking so much), regret... Read more
If you struggle with perfectionism like I do, come on over to Whole Mama and see how a paper I wrote at age eight spoke to me from my memento box. Read more
A few days left to save on the children's DVD series. Read more
On our first visit to the Museum of Fine Arts last year, our tour guide Jake asked the boys, “Do you know the three rules of an art museum?” Ezra responded quickly and exuberantly. “No violence!” “Okay – four rules,” Jake replied while laughing. I don’t know what kind of kids Jake normally gets at the museum, but for my boys No Violence has to be at the top of the rule list. They just can’t keep their hands off... Read more
On Saturday, my oldest child turned 16. On Monday, she got her learner’s permit. And yesterday, I walked with her all over my alma mater, Northwestern–our first ever college tour. Today we look at University of Chicago. Whew! Time flies when you’re having (or even not having) fun. As I’ve talked about this college trip at the end of her sophomore year, almost everyone (including my husband), says something like, “Wow, you’re starting early!” And of course, I suspect they’re... Read more
What She Said
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