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Below is my on-going list of good books and series for boys age 8-10/11. in no particular order, and obviously they can be good for girls too!) Homer price– Robert McCloskey. A feel good novel about a boy and his small town adventures. Anything by McCloskey is a win, picture books included! On the wingsContinue reading “Chapter Books for Boys”

I remember walking to school with my mom; she walked so fast! I had to do a double step to keep up with her! And somewhere along the line of life, I kept this pace of walking too fast, and rushing everyone around me. In a recent podcast by Kim John Payne, he describes hisContinue reading “Rushing”

I remember the nights when my younger daughter would lament that she could not yet read. While her elder sister could stay up a bit later, book in hand, she would color, play with her stuffed animals, but audibly announced her frustration that she could not yet read. We reassured her it would happen- andContinue reading “Book Series for Little Girls”

The hill was just the right level of difficulty for my 10 year old self. Steep enough to be a thrilling coast down, but not so terrifying to worry about skinned-knees. My sisters and I would ride down this hill again and again over the next few days. Our favorite campsite was just a lessContinue reading “Biking the Camp Loop”

The nights would be sticky and humid, and the cicadas chirping away. The sun was still high in the sky after dinner, and my dad and i would begin our weekly trek to grandma’s. On these nights, I got out of dishes-and-sweeping duty. For many summers until I graduated high school, I would join myContinue reading “$5 and a Watermelon Slice”

Not much about 2020 and 2021 feels “simple.” Not much about parenting feels simple! But I recently I stumbled upon the aptly named “simplicity parenting” style, and I’ve been trying to implement the ideas into our family life. This method should be called “common sense parenting.” The counselor and educator, Kim John Payne, works withContinue reading “The Simplicity Parenting Style”

Anything that gives light must burn. As I was returning a stroller-full of books to my library this week, I began chatting with a stranger about the work of parenthood. He had commented on my double stroller- a contraption he hadn’t seen before- or perhaps not noticed before. He had spent the last 10 monthsContinue reading “Light”

My toddler is not quite three years old, so I suppose many would say he’s in the thoroughs of the terrible twos. But are they so terrible? Some days, I would say yes. But as we are closing in on his upcoming third birthday, I’m more often like to say: Terrific twos. This age bringsContinue reading “I ate your crackers all.”

As parents, we are striving to teach our kids right from wrong, virtue from vice, how to pursue the good, even when it is time-consuming, less comfortable, and downright hard. But how do we do this? And what sort of exceptions should we have for them? If we expect our kids to clean up afterContinue reading “Growing up, Expectations, and Mercy”