I was trying to remember the Halloweens of my childhood…Little kids went trick-or-treating after school, the big kids, after dark. I remember jack-o-lanterns, those little paper treat bags, lots of candy, and a couple of my costumes. In particular, I remember a Rubik’s Cube costume I made where I couldn’t actually join my hands together to hold my trick-or-treat bag…I bet MANY people of my age had the same problem, because that was THE costume that year…1980 or ’81?
What kind …

Special Thanks to Davina Muse, our Trainings Coordinator, for sharing this thoughtful piece on Halloween:
Complicated feelings about Halloween?
Do you, as a parent, ever get an uneasy feeling about Halloween,  that uneasy feeling that says,
“Maybe there is something not quite right about this focus on the gory and scary and the gloomy for my young child?”
Or if your children are older, perhaps it is that frustrated feeling:
“ARGH! Here I am trying to hang onto a healthy diet for my children …

Dear Mr. L,
Where has the time gone? Does this happen to all mothers who start to see their little one turn into a boy?  It feels like it happened just last week.  A week ago, it still felt natural to call you bug and to assume you need some help with most things.  But, this week it feels natural to give you space to find yourself, to give you time to figure it out yourself, to give you freedom to just be yourself.
While you …

It’s giveaway time!
Kim’s Soul of Discipline series is now opening for parents with children over age 9.  This live webinar will begin on September 18th and continue with 8 weekly sessions.  Live session participants will benefit not only from Kim’s presentations, but from question and answer sessions during each on-line class.  Each participant will also have access to class recordings, so that sessions may be replayed or shared with a spouse.
Our giveaway this week is for one open seat in …

…I’m cooking dinner and eavesdropping on two jungle explorers who are fending off tigers on my back porch, based out of a big cardboard box which is their “explorer camp”. One is in a big blue hard hat, shooting arrows…and one is in a fireman hat, wearing gold medals he won this morning for flying to outer space…in the same cardboard box.  Both of them are dead serious.
 
At one point, the elder explorer comes in, out of breath, saying there …

The current under-current of cool air has me thinking of Fall. And though I still have batches of salsa to make and green beans to freeze, I am feeling little waves of excitement when I think about the changes that September will bring. My oldest will be heading back to nursery school for a few mornings a week, and her little sister and I will be enjoying more one-on-one time (a rarity around here).
Now is the time to prepare for …

As a relatively new mom of two boys ages three and five, I feel only minimally qualified to offer advice to other parents. After all, I’m a newbie at this, and as in all things parenting, I’m finding it’s a learn as you go type of thing. The road is winding, full of potholes and hairpin turns that too often distract us from the breathtaking scenery passing by all too quickly.
Today, I want to share with you what I think …

One benefit of daylight savings is the amount of available sunlight after dinner. We have ivy growing on all the fences that border our house. So, the ivy always needs pruning. I wanted to spend time outside with the boys after dinner and not think about all the dishes, toys and other distractions pulling me back inside. So, I started pruning our ivy.
Very soon after I started pruning, L and C starting digging. When they start digging together they generate a …

So, when it looks like bedtime is going to take longer than usual, I start to get anxious and everything starts to unravel quickly. Of course, I try to contain my anxiety but little ones can sense a change in emotion almost immediately.
The other night my husband was working late and wouldn’t be home until after the boys were asleep.
For us, the easiest way to put the boys to sleep is to give them each their own time with books …

The requests by L started early in the morning. He was asking me if he could build a lake in our backyard. It was just one of those days where my energy level was not high enough to handle the idea and mess of mud play. I convinced him (which is no small feat in itself) to wait until the afternoon when we would have more time to clean up and I was hoping I would get a second wind.
He …