Bookends: April 2026
When my younger child turned two, we switched his car seat from rear-facing to front-facing. Although this child didn’t hate rear-facing as his elder sibling had, we still anticipated that … Continue reading Bookends: April 2026
Tag: parenthood
TBR List Declutter, Issue 39
Tangent: Physical Education None of us had any clue what field handball was, and my children had never taken a P.E. class before, yet here we were on a sunny … Continue reading TBR List Declutter, Issue 39
Is That Me Yelling? by Rona Renner
Is That Me Yelling?: A Parent’s Guide to Getting Your Kids to Cooperate Without Losing Your Cool by Rona Renner My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was another book … Continue reading Is That Me Yelling? by Rona Renner
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill My rating: 4 of 5 stars Dept. of Speculation is the August selection for the SBC online book club. To learn more about SBC or … Continue reading Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
Pandora’s Homeschool
“Mom, did you say eighty thousand people died in one moment?” asked my daughter. This afternoon, my children and I sat under the Tree of Knowledge, and they accepted with trust the apple … Continue reading Pandora’s Homeschool
Chaos, Wonder and the Spiritual Adventure of Parenting, edited by Sarah Conover and Tracy Springberry
Even before I became pregnant with my first child, I began amassing baby care and parenting books. Unsure of myself as a parent, I sought solace in the opinions of … Continue reading Chaos, Wonder and the Spiritual Adventure of Parenting, edited by Sarah Conover and Tracy Springberry
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Every night for three weeks, my nine-year-old and I snuggled together under a blanket, tea cups balanced on our laps. I read aloud in what my spouse says was a … Continue reading The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
The Childhoods of Trees
Have you ever seen a partially or completely hollow tree, still quite leafy and alive? This is possible because [the tree’s] “veins” are in the outermost layer of the tree, … Continue reading The Childhoods of Trees
Twenty-First Century Girl
I first became a Girl Scout more than 30 years ago. Each week, I walked through our northern California neighborhood to my Brownie meetings in my brown jumper, my beanie … Continue reading Twenty-First Century Girl
Classic Imperfect Happiness: Why I Don’t Care About Santa Claus
It’s less than a week until Christmas, I’m trying to finish reading two major works of classic literature by the end of the month, and I still haven’t finished knitting … Continue reading Classic Imperfect Happiness: Why I Don’t Care About Santa Claus
My Son’s First Sports Bra
I was organizing library books in my four-year-old’s room while he dressed for bed the other night. I looked up from my task. He gave me an odd little smile … Continue reading My Son’s First Sports Bra
Reader’s Request: Child Spacing and Family Size
My friend Stacy (of Sanity for Stacy) suggested this topic for a Reader’s Request post. Stacy wrote, “I’d like to hear your thoughts on child spacing, how you decided on … Continue reading Reader’s Request: Child Spacing and Family Size
Imperfect Happiness 