Birthday parties in America are a study in over indulgence, if you ask me. Of course you didn’t, but if you read on maybe it is something worth considering. As a new and very young mom I enjoyed throwing parties for Donny because I liked having time with his friend’s parents, my friends. But when … Continue reading Can you imagine not knowing which day you were born?
I rise early because I like morning. I especially enjoy the sunrise over the ocean. But the joy I get when I can share it with Donny, who also loves the morning, is the sparkle in my day. I shift my gaze from the colors of the rising sun spreading pink stripes across the ocean … Continue reading Seaside devotion
It’s nice when I am here and I get to give the team their salaries, especially Phiona because she is so hard working and grateful for her job, which she calls her ministry. For most women here the first thing they want to do when they get their month’s salary is get their hair fixed … Continue reading Our Children visit the Amusement Park.
I’m learning to canter on a horse. It is a distinct gait, different from a trot that has two beats. The canter has three beats and the motion from the top of the horse feels like a row boat going with big waves. It is fast and though I’m not completely in control of steering it … Continue reading What am I afraid of?
For almost two weeks I had the enormous joy of having all five of my children at home. Donny finished his sophomore and crashed with us for two weeks before I dropped him off with a friend to catch a ride to Pine Cove camp where he will be a counselor for six weeks. The … Continue reading FIVE
Why can’t I have a normal mom? Guess which one of my kids said that. If we go by age only, Jack at age ten still thinks I’m very cool. Donny has grown into an appreciative perspective of me because now he knows how difficult it can be to live independently and have responsibility. My … Continue reading Why can’t I have a normal mom?
Babies grow so fast. I recently purged Kira’s toys from all the baby items and replaced them with toys that encourage imaginative play and creative expression. She likes to pretend she’s a mama, pushing the stroller, putting her baby to bed with a blanket, feeding us, cooking for us, and of course bossing us all around … Continue reading The new normal.
We are ultra casual here about the whole celebration of Easter, in hopes that we will not commercialize such a meaningful and sacred holiday. I have a feeling Martha Stewart and other venders like her over do the importance of “putting on a great Easter” so that they can in return make some great money. I’m … Continue reading Who am I?
Flying with a toddler is exhausting. Let’s just begin with that truth. It doesn’t matter if the child is calm and perfectly behaved, or having a string of tantrums. Given the main ingredient to Kira’s sweet recipe is adequate sleep with ample time to roll in bed before greeting us, it is easy to understand … Continue reading Memorizing Anna Maria Island’s gifts to our family.
My upper body muscles are sore from kayaking. I performed a few imaginary strokes to confirm it wasn’t yoga. I biked three hours in the morning around the island photographing sights, stopping at shops, and marveling at the thirty-one flavors of paint colors on the island homes, which caused me to need an ice cream … Continue reading Island Bliss
Mzungu Mama 