Moments of Vacation.

We’ve been on our annual double-family vacation, during which I took a writing hiatus. I’m still gathering and editing my photos from the trip, but here are a couple of stories from my favorite moments. The Ghosterhood of the Traveling Skirt. All four kids shared a bunk room for the first time this year. It […]

Stepping Into The Light.

Trigger Warning: Dear Mom, don’t read this post. (I made the mistake of telling my Mom the some of the details of this adventure on Sunday. She asked me to please never ever tell her if I did this or anything like it again.) Stephens Gap Callahan Cave Preserve (no relation to any Callahans or […]

A Visit to Hilton Head.

It’s been over a month since mine and Chris’ annual anniversary trip, and I still haven’t finished this blog post about it. Because every time I try to write, I find myself in this situation…. I’m supposed to be blogging right now. But instead, I’m browsing online, trying to figure out the best way to […]

Revisiting The Past.

I know that the trendiness of photo re-creation was at its peak a couple of years ago, but for some reason, it peaked with me over the last couple of weeks. First, there was a soccer picture of my brother and I. We were more of a baseball/softball family, and we only played one season […]

The Reset Button.

It should be mandatory that all mothers get a day to themselves after the holidays are over, and perhaps two days if their children’s birthdays sandwich the holidays. There is a significant amount of damage done to the maternal figure’s inner wiring that can only be repaired by complete isolation and a significant break from […]

A Life of Adventure.

Yesterday, Ali turned 10 years old. Double digits. Officially a Tween. (I’ve been calling her a tween since she turned 9 but she is very insistent that tween only refers to double digits that don’t end in a teen. So at least we can put that argument behind us.) When I started this blog, she […]

What’s That Sound: Birthday Edition.

Today, this kid is turning six. He’s become quite an adventurer this year, always willing to take on a challenge. And ask questions. And ask more questions. And also more. Questions. Here are a few things he’s said or asked recently… “These mints are too spicy. I’m going to save them for when I’m older. […]

Kidtopia.

We spent most of last week making our children’s dreams come true, as we attempt to do every year. Okay we attempt it every day but at least once a year we actually succeed – and more often than not, it’s on this trip. The time had come for our formerly-semi-annual-but-now-annual beach trip with their […]

How PokemonGo Will Make Your Momming Better.

As I purposefully shy away from trends and adamantly avoid hopping on bandwagons, I was ripe to avoid PokemonGo completely. But I saw potential. Potential for entertained kids and interesting hikes. I mean, I’m pretty dang good at making hikes interesting. Sometimes we even find abandoned boobs! But despite how AMAZING I am, and despite […]

Finishing by the Skin of my Teeth.

We. Have finished. Like the Loaves and the Fishes, God somehow multiplied our days and we got in not the 165 required minimum, and not the 175 recommended, but 176 school days. One hundred seventy-six days of school since I took this picture. Despite the wreck. Despite spending a full week and the better part […]