It is early morning. I stole away from the nursing baby and am sitting in my little quiet corner of the world, on my back-deck, surrounded by potted plants and birdsong. I am writing and contemplating my messy life. I am a homeschooling mother of seven children. My husband and I have a home business…
Tag: children
Motherhood and Creative Fire, Keeping the Flame Alive
I am the mother of seven children. This weekend, I hit publish on a dream come true. I’ve spent the last 11 weeks in a state of creative flow that I have not experienced since I became a Mama twelve and a half years ago. Looking back, I remember the shock my body went through…
Looking Deeply Inside Myself (The beautiful work of journaling)
5:17 a.m. My eyes open in bed. I had a dream that woke first my mind, then my body. My face is pressed against a sweet, softly-sleeping baby. In the dark I lift him up and carry him across the room to place him gently in his crib. He doesn’t wake. A small miracle. I…
First Birthday (love song for a baby)
You came to me from a distant landThe secret place of my innermost beingYou traveled miles and milesTo find me You came in the space between my two greatest sorrows. When the lamp of my womb went out, suddenlyLeaving me with a cold-wind feelingLike the door to every chamber of my heartHad been left blowing…
Free 3-Week Creative Family Culture Curriculum for At-Home Learning (Easy, Fun, and Adaptable for All Ages)
Wishing you could gather up your family together and do something meaningful with your time at home? Do you love the idea of art and creative play, but don’t know where to begin or how to teach it? Are you looking for something easy, with little-to-no preparation required and no previous experience needed to teach…
Embracing This Breath
The perfect beauty of this morning actually hurts me. As I steal a quiet hour in my little garden with a cup of coffee, the world saturated in green, trees in bloom, birdsong, the first signs of new life coming up in my raised beds… My heart aches. The unabashed brilliance of life. It stings….
Words About You, Creative Family Idea Box #14
This is a sweet and simple way to encourage your children and help them to know they are special and loved. Get an envelope for each child and print his/her name on it. Have everyone write words about each person on slips of paper and “deliver” the words to the proper envelopes. At the end…
Treasure Hunt, Creative Family Idea Box Day #13
Kids are natural treasure hunters! Get outside, take a walk, find some woods or look in your own backyard for natural treasures. Anything can be a treasure! Be inspired by your children’s natural curiosity and wonder. Find something to photograph or bring home. Draw your treasures or write about them in a journal, or tell…
Things I Like, a Sensory Snapshot (Creative Family Idea Box Day # 12)
You might be surprised to find out what your family likes! Fill out this sensory snapshot for a peek into some of the lesser-known likes of your children. Have them write (or have little ones draw) as many things as they can think of. (If your children need some motivation, set a timer, choose one…
Poetry Delivery Project, Creative Family Idea Box Day #11
This short, sweet, simple poetry project will help those you love to know you are thinking of them from afar. Choose a poem, read it aloud, and send it via text or email to a friend or family member. Allow each child to choose his/her own poem to send. (Even the youngest children can choose…
Create-a-Flavor Popcorn Contest, Creative Family Idea Box Day #9
Dump the spice rack and contents of your pantry onto the kitchen table, make a huge bowl of plain popcorn, and create your own flavor. This was so much fun! I was really surprised at the creativity and spirit of adventure that this little challenge brought out in my children. (I even had one…
No-Stress Paint Party, Creative Family Idea Box Day #8
You know why I love watercolors so much? Because it just doesn’t matter how big the mess is. If there are any spills, it is just water! There is no reason painting can’t be a regular part of a child’s life. Surprise your children with a paint party! Set the table with brushes, watercolors (even…