Paris Mountain Hike

Longest. Hike. Ever. Okay, so not really, but for someone who’s been slacking off on her fitness routine the past few months, this hike totally kicked my butt. It was something like 2.5 miles.  I know, I’m a wuss. I DID have Eliot strapped to my back the whole time, but that doesn’t really exempt [...]

Read Full Post »

Gillian’s Room

Finally finished! Whew! I feel like I’ve been off the grid for weeks working on this stuff. We’re 3/4 through the projects, taking a small break before finishing up with the boys’ room. I’ll post more pics of that when finished. for now, here are a few shots of  Gill’s room and I’ll do some [...]

Read Full Post »

I Don’t Want it That Way

It never ceases to amaze (and slightly frustrate) me how God uses situations with my children to remind me of the truth I know. It’s so blaringly obvious too, not just this subtle, “maybe that could apply to me as well.” No, it’s this in-your-face declaration of “you do know you’re behaving like a two [...]

Read Full Post »

Another Thing I Learned the Hard Way

There’s being frugal, and there’s being smart, and when you’re a busy mom, sometimes the two don’t work together. Like in that moment when you decide to finish off your kid’s orange juice because you don’t want it to go to waste. So you pick it up and start guzzling down that orangy goodness, only [...]

Read Full Post »

Home School Mom Survival Skills: The Absolute Basics

Someone could write a book on this topic–not me–and probably already has, but there are a few things that I’ve learned are absolutely essential to surviving your day as a mom who teaches her kids at home. No, they really don’t have anything to do with the kids–you can read all of that in the [...]

Read Full Post »

Thirteen Days Ago

Thirteen days ago she was addicted. Habitually, compulsively, drawn to her thumb like a . . . well, what’s more trite than a moth to the flame? Every day. After every confrontation, every disappointment, every moment in which the world around her got just a little too big for her to understand. When the hours [...]

Read Full Post »

Pinchanzies

There was this really great moment the other day as I was driving Liam and his buddy Brayden to Giggle Bugs to play, when I couldn’t help but listen in on snippets of their conversation. ” . . . as the pinchanzees were swinging from the trees . . . “ ” . . . [...]

Read Full Post »

Did That Really Just Happen?

Liam: I love it when it’s buttoned. Gillian: I hate it when it’s buttoned. L: I Love it. G: I Hate it. L: Love it. G: Hate it. L: LOVE IT! G: HATE IT! L: LOVE! G: HATE! (Then, simultaneously . . . ) L&G: Love, hate, love, hate, love, hate, love, hate, love, hate [...]

Read Full Post »

Hauling Out The Holly and Everything That Goes With It

As I mentioned yesterday, I don’t normally get my Christmas decorations up the day after Thanksgiving because we traditionally stay in GA with the Martins/Jacksons/Stovalls, etc. on the Friday after and I’m just too beat to use up my Saturday. This year though, thanks to VZW and Black Friday madness, Andy was working and there [...]

Read Full Post »

The Wee Small Hours

I don’t suppose it’s really surprising, seeing as I’m writing this at 1:30 in the morning, that last night we couldn’t sleep. Usually Andy’s an out the second your head hits the pillow kind of guy, but we were both mind racing. We ended up actually having a wonderful time watching some shows together, raiding [...]

Read Full Post »