Mommy the Hypocrite
My little boy is turning six in a month, and for at least six months I’ve been hearing all about the Angry Birds cupcakes he wants for his birthday party. Every time he mentions Angry Birds I change the subject. I don’t like Angry Birds. I don’t want Angry Birds at his birthday. In fact, [...]
Angry Mom
Today’s guest post author has asked to remain anonymous. I can still vividly remember the first time I hit my daughter. She was about eighteen months old and didn’t want to get in her carseat. I was frustrated by her wriggling and whining, and somehow my hand came up and slapped her on the cheek. [...]
Patriarchal Blessing
In a couple of weeks my youngest daughter will receive her patriarchal blessing. She’s only thirteen, but for six months now she has been pestering me and my husband about getting her blessing. At first I brushed her off, thinking she wouldn’t be able to understand the blessing’s significance at such a young age, and [...]
A Valentine for My Village
Two weeks before Valentine ’s Day my daughter’s teacher sent home a box with instructions to decorate it and bring it back for the class party. We’ve made Valentine boxes for the past few years, so I was no stranger to the tradition and was at least grateful that this time we were given a [...]
That Thing That is of Most Worth
Popham Beach State Park, Maine In a recent Worldwide Leadership Training Conference, attendees heard someone’s thoughts on “that thing that is of most worth to a woman in this life.” If someone asked you what that “thing of most worth” is, how would you answer? Some years ago I went through a very tough [...]
“Is Not This the Fast that I Have Chosen?”
Like most of you, I’m guessing, I haven’t always understood or relished the law of the fast. On Fast Sundays as a young girl I hated that hollow, gnawing feeling in my stomach and I passed the time in Sunday school fantasizing about my favorite treats—custard tarts, vanilla slices, lamingtons—always resolving to buy two of [...]
The Art of Story
On Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 at 7:45 a.m. the eyes and ears of many in the world of children’s literature will be on Dallas. That’s where and when the Association for Library Service to Children (a division of the American Library Association) [...]
Sunrise, Sunset or Where Did the Summer Go?
This morning my children will don their new school clothes and, toting new backpacks stuffed with sharpened pencils and blank notebooks, they’ll head out the door for the first day of school. And, just like that, summer vacation will be over. Like me, you may be wondering where the summer went. I always start summer [...]
Typical
Today’s guest post comes from Karin Brown. Karin is a stay-at-home mom to three girls and two boys, ages ten years to ten months, who consistently keep her on her toes. She is an active volunteer at her children’s elementary school and enjoys collecting re-tellings of fairy tales, specifically Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. [...]
It’s Coming…
Friends, the Summer Break is almost upon us. Swimming pools, lazy mornings, popsicles, anytime cuddles, late breakfasts, and warm nights are just around the corner. And like an evil twin follows messy bedrooms, bored kids, days upon unscheduled days, and endless bickering. I am caught somewhere between counting down the minutes until we are free [...]
Mothers and Daughters
Today’s guest post comes from Amira, who has lived, worked, traveled, and studied around the Muslim world. Visiting the Great Mosque of Djenne or the Registan of Uzbekistan sounds much more enticing than seeing the Louvre or the Colosseum. Fortunately her husband agrees and they have happily lived together in the Middle East and Central Asia. [...]
State of Bliss
I’m feeling dizzy these days. My husband and I divide our time into seasons and spend winters and summers in Utah and springs and falls in Illinois. For the past three weeks, however, I’ve been in Boston. I just got back to Illinois last night and spent the morning at the temple for my Friday [...]
Parenting and Happiness
Twenty-one years ago I wrote the following in my daughter’s baby journal: “It’s a lovely morning—sunny, yet hazy in the hills with wisps of fog. The baby and I have had a pleasant morning playing downstairs. She squealed and rocked on her hands and knees as I played her Raffi tape. Then I fed her [...]
Pointers for Nana
I am expecting my first grandbaby, a girl. Her due date is April 2nd which also happens to be my daughter’s birthday. My daughter will get all sorts of tips and attention as a new mother. The baby will bask in the glow of gushing and cooing – heaven knows I’m providing my share already! [...]
A Simple Wish
I stumbled through the dining room this morning, bleary-eyed and hung-over on last night’s dose of cold medicine. My vision was cloudy, but I laughed as I passed the wooden box with the word “simplify” written decoratively across the front. It is overflowing with cords, spare chargers and every unclaimed accessory to random electronic gadgets [...]
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