Whenever the children come to me wanting to tattle, I encourage them to try to motivate or encourage their sibling to do the right thing, before ever coming to Mom. “Don’t jump the gun on the Matthew 18 thing… go through step one before step two.” It seems like a good plan most of the […]

So, I took advantage of the half price sale over at Heart of Wisdom this week, and we seem to have some interesting results already. I just have one question…

Did your kids do this when YOU studied Egypt?

Although Hillary Clinton and I are diametrically opposed on say, every issue under the sun, I do have one point of agreement with her book,  It Takes A Village.  I have not read the book due to this same circumstance of being opposed to her opinions,  but I have to be honest-I rather like the title. […]

I would not have believed it if I had not experienced it first-hand today. No offense to Doug Philips, or any of the other speakers and writers I had heard expounding on the merits of the practice. I was beginning to think the whole idea was merely a product of their own optimism with no […]

Tevye once said in Fiddler On The Roof, “And how do we keep our balance? That I can tell you in one word: tradition!” I know little (Ok, none) about fiddling on the roof, especially eight months pregnant, but I’ll agree that tradition can be a good thing.
Our children started conniving about planning this […]

When Mr. Visionary and I retired last night, we found this notecard on our pillows. I wonder if it has anything to do with our 16th Anniversary on Friday?

 
 
Tradition is that the children prepare “all by themselves” a fancy dinner and dessert for Mr. Visionary and The Mommy and serve us in our room. There […]

Some unexpected company dropped in this afternoon.  (I’m glad we had some Toll House cookie bars left. Southern hospitality, you know.)

The Flower Child & The Engineer getting back to their branches roots.

Dear Dad,
 
I want to tell you this Father’s Day about some of your qualities.
 
You are patient: thank you for teaching me how to drive the little tractor.
 
And you are peaceful: Like when the cops said they could take Mom away.
 
And you are kind: You are so kind in helping us build the tree house. […]

Father’s Day, 2006
Dear Father,
 
Greetings in Jesus’ dear name. I like how the other day you told me how I was getting big and tall. I felt proud.
 
I reallly like how you take me out to breakfast, lunch and dinner, and spoil me with junk food.
 
I really like how you talk to me and chat. I […]

Dear Dad,

I like it how we shoot the BB gun together and work on the tree house together, because I like spending time with you.

I like it when you take me out to run errands with you. You are a good tree-climbing teacher.

Thank you for teaching me how to play football […]

Dear Dad,

Happy Father’s Day!

I like it that I get to go milking with you. I like climbing on the stall doors in the barn and watching you milk Millie.

I love our wrestling fights especially when we use pillows. You make Family Night so much fun.

I like to ride bikes together. […]

Dear Dad,
 
I like you because you are so nice and you love me. You wrestle and have pillow fights with us, and you are lots of fun.
 
Some other stuff I love about you is that you ride me on the tractor, and you carry me when I am tired. I like wearing my working boots […]

I used Mommy’s Yipstick to put kisses all over your picture.

Two year olds can make you quickly flip-flop back and forth between panicking because of their dare devil antics and melting because of their incredible cuteness.

                                           The Doodle & The Flower Child
 
 
Examples:

 1) We have recently been forced to install a cow bell on the front door, as the Doodle has taken up […]