Hey Friends! Happy Mother's Day weekend! I've updated the following post from a few years ago, and I think it's worth sharing again...It wasn't originally even a Mother's Day post, but a simple tool for helping our family's recognize and take some steps to support us moms the way we quite naturally support everyone else I wanted to share it now, because: Moms, After all you do -- all year long -- this is one weekend I truly hope you get to feel
family
A Few Thoughts after 12 Years of Homeschooling.
Homeschooling thoughts this year...(I usually do one homeschool post per year. Here it is. :) ) --also a note on ads in the PS at the bottom.... Recently someone asked me how long I've been homeschooling, and I calculated that this is my 12th year. Wow! That makes me feel tired crazy (so many things, but mostly) grateful. In case you don't know my story, I'll begin by saying that I never dreamt of being a homeschool mom -- even up to the year that we
The Biggest Goal I have this Year
How we can be world-changers. You and me. Recently, I've talked a lot about New Years' goals and all kinds of ambitious plans here on the blog. If you're an Enneagram fan, you're not surprised that I'm an Enneagram 3...also known as "The Achiever." And I confess, I love it. I love dreaming, writing, creating, and sharing. And when it's done, I can't wait to do it all again. But over the past few weeks I've been shifting my priorities a bit, and in case
Merry Christmas from Hawaii {greetings, photos, and a note to read before the New Year!}
Merry Christmas -- or Mele Kalikimaka, as we say in Hawaii -- from our home to yours... I hope you are having a wonderful, peaceful (we can try!) hope-filled Christmas season. I love to imagine where each of you are and what Christmas looks like in your world. I know (from taking an unofficial Facebook poll) that many of you will have a white Christmas this year, and our family is totally jealous really happy for you. It's summertime for my southern hemisphere readers, so your Christmas
Coffee Date: Back to School, My Son is Going to College, and I-could-use-a-hug-Edition.
Aloha Friends! Man, did summer fly by or what!? And how are you? Refreshed? Worn out? Ready for a new season ahead? I want to hear, so please don't forget to make it to the bottom and leave me a little update! (That's part of the deal with coffee dates! ) I'm excited to catch up on things...So grab a seat (and your favorite beverage!) and let's dive in! First, let's get the painful exciting part over with: By the time this goes live I will be in California, getting Josiah
A Conversation about Home.
My first morning back from my 5-week trip to California, I did an Instagram/Facebook post sharing the morning view from my living room in Hawaii... ^^ deck reconstruction (still) in progress... ;) Along with the photo, I shared this caption: When we are on the mainland, the conversation never fails to come up: Should we consider moving? There are so many pro's to that idea: we'd be closer to family, lower cost of living, so many more opportunities for kids and school and travel
When Your Kid Argues about Everything {5 tips}
Hi Friends! I'm just barely back from nearly five weeks in California. It was such a fantastic trip, with some great surf, (Luke had some great heats, and took 2nd place in the National Air competition! :)) and a thousand more memories made. While I unpack suitcases and hug my boys a repeatedly (five weeks is way too long!) I wanted to share one more READER FAVORITE POST from my archives. This may be the post most discovered through google-searches, proving that I'm not the only mom with a
Birth Order: What Middle Children Need Most from Their Parents
I seem to have a pretty good sample for a study on birth order... Josiah, 15 (below, left), Jonah (on the right, below,) 13, and Luke (center, below) almost 11. Levi, who arrived six and half years later, throws me for a bit of a loop. I always say he must fall somewhere between a first born, and a baby. (And a Tasmanian devil, but that's another story.) But really, I have always been intrigued by the topic of birth order. Not only do I have a great sample to study in my home,
