Life Stages

This is my eldest child when he was 12. My grandmother always said that you learn with your first child and enjoy the rest. My grandmother was both right and wrong, while I did learn a bunch that I corrected with my other two, I've enjoyed being his mother more than I could have ever imagined.

He's always doing something to make me laugh, and it always works. You try jumping onto a kid who rolls those big brown eyes at you and gives you a heart melting grin and see how strict you end up being.


Not very, let me tell you.

And then last week he went and grew up on me!! Irrevocably, no return grew up.


This precious baby got his driver's license!!

I don't know if I'm ready for this stage of life.

Homework with an 8 year old

When doing arts and crafts type homework with your 8 year old, you should make certain that all things that could distract wandering minds are far, far away.

Like empty paper towel rolls...



and dogs with swishy tails...


otherwise, you get a certain amount of whining, snapping, and growling...



until the onerous task is completed.

I Love History

And I love assignments where I get to help my kiddos learn more about history.

But when my youngest came home saying he had to make a paper bag puppet of a historical figure-I was flummoxed.

And then I decided to go wild and be creative. I cut up twine for hair, I cut up an old lace curtain for a jabot, and I cut up a pair of glasses that came complete with a humongous fake nose (sadly, the nose has been lost for a while or I would have used it too).

And I tried to teach my son about Benjamin Franklin...but hey, the puppet looks pretty cool!