Into the Rabbit Hole ...

How many of us actually go out to eat with our kids? This is really a mixed bag. I mean seriously sometimes I just want a break from cooking dinner and cleaning up. So clearly we go out to eat. However with kids who are 3 and 1 - well this can end up being more stressful than worth it. Okay so here is where I am conflicted. Pros of going out to eat with preschoolers: 1. I don't have to cook. 2. I don't have to clean up. 3. I have the opportunity to teach my children how to have good manners in a a restaurant. Here is where my "pros" list ends. We went out to eat on Saturday night. It was actually my husband's idea because he had done some painting in our kitchen and declared the kitchen off limits to the entire family. I didn't put up much - I mean any fight whatsoever. However I did veto our usual family pizza haunt and hoped to actually go to a restaurant that does not serve a large pepperoni. Huge mistake. Can you relate? I had visions of my

How would I react to the modern day Jean Valjean? You know the classic scene in Les Miserables - the pathetic Valjean going from door to door in the freezing cold night looking for shelter and being turned away finally to find his sanctuary at the Bishop's church. The Bishop welcomes Valjean as a guest, loving him and showing him hospitality under his roof only to find Valjean returned the next day apprehended by the guard clutching a bag of the Bishop's valuables. The bishop shows uncommon mercy and gives Valjean his precious candlesticks telling the guard to release their prisoner. This moment is the crux of Valjean's transformation from pathetic and desperate to a shining beacon of hope and hospitality. All because of Christ like act of mercy. John Perkins says, "You don't give someone else their dignity. You can merely affirm it." Valjean's dignity always existed in his humanity. The bishop merely affirmed Valjean's dignity when he opened hi

What if we all supported and encouraged each other ? Seriously. All platitudes aside - all buzz words and heated discussions about how do we do this or that. I first want to recognize how incredibly hard being a parent is. This role is the most challenging and life changing I have ever faced. We are pulled in so many directions today. There are so many conflicting ideas about parenting. You read one book and it tells you to do time outs. You read another book or listen to another speaker and they say time outs will forever damage your child's psyche. I have a play date with one mom and she tells me all about how her children are signing and learning their colors before 2. Another mom tells me signing will delay your children's ability to speak. Every child is different. Every mom is different. Every dad is different. Every family is different. We all thrive differently. We all have different dreams for our lives. We are challenged by different things. What would it look l

A trip to a mountain town to explore a mine and have some apple pie led to an unexpected encounter and the discovery of an inspiring story of gifts and a disciplined pursuit of passion. I held my three year old son's small hand in mine as I grasped the wooden railing bordering a narrow back staircase. We followed a painted sign and rounded the corner. We were welcomed by warmth and the enchanting smell of cedar and lavender, or was it pine, or maybe almond ? The brightly lit shop's walls were lined with cedar shelves which displayed organized trays of hand made soaps labeled with signs like "mountain pine," "sea salt" "goat's milk and almond," and "lemongrass".  My fingers touched a bar of soap. I felt the soft material on my skin as I smelled lavender infused in the bar. A preschool scientist awoke within my son and he slowly and carefully picked up new soap bars from barrels and shelves, inhaled each, touched the oily soft textu