On Monday night, my son had his first Cub Scout pack meeting. He put on his official uniform and smiled at himself in the mirror, then asked if I would take a picture to send to his grandparents.
On Belonging
Darndest Things: Issue Three
My youngest son, Miles, is two-and-a-half — one of my favorite ages.
Kids this age crack me up as they transition from the baby stage to the kid stage. Miles has this staccato way of talking that makes me want to video-record every sentence.
Recently, our neighbors spotted a cougar on their trail camera, and we have all been more cautious in the woods and yard because of it. A few days ago, Miles asked me to carry him from the car to the house in the dark so the “Too-ger” wouldn’t get him.
Once inside, he puffed his chest up and said, “Guess what, Mama,” emphasizing every word, “If I ever see that too-ger, I’m going to Hulk-mash him and throw him in a bol-cano full of hot lava.”
Grand Edits with Cheryl O’Neil: Revising Life after Domestic Abuse
In light of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I offer the touching story of my friend Cheryl O’Neil, a true warrior against violence and abuse.
Cheryl’s life is a testimony that even after decades of painful abuse, healing and restoration is possible.
First Blog-iversary and Some Happy Little News
Readers, Dearests, Friends,
I’m tickled to announce that after a year of “trying out this blogging thing,” Revisions of Grandeur is here to stay. I purchased the domain for the blog and can now be found at revisionsofgrandeur.com (Don’t worry, your old links will redirect!).
A year ago today, I published my introductory post at Revisions of Grandeur. I tried way too hard. I was nervous as all get-out to hit PUBLISH. I had no idea what my next essay would be about. Sixty posts later, I feel so at home with my audience. We’re growing together and going strong, and I have lots of folks to thank for it. Continue reading
The Bully Who Pushed My Hot Button…
One comment I hear often about my personality is that I’m calm and collected — that I keep my cool in high-drama situations.
It hasn’t always been this way, but when one is subjected to blessed by three messy, active boys in under four years, one has a tendency to learn to tolerate high levels of noise, roughhousing, and tomfoolery.
It takes a lot for me to lose my cool, but last week it happened. It wasn’t my kids who fanned my flames either — it was a stranger in a restaurant who crossed the line and did something I just can’t ignore.
NYC Take Two: Tribute to a Friend
It’s been four months since Adam died.
Adria and I were visiting him in New York where he’d moved after accepting an associate professorship at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in Manhattan. He invited us out for a vacation, vowing to be our trusty tour guide. We had an incredible three days of running around the city, seeing all the major touristy sights and a handful of gems we would never have found without him.
On the fourth day of the trip, Adria, Adam, Lisa (Adam’s girlfriend) and I set out to walk the Brooklyn Bridge and check out Adam’s favorite park, Washington Square.
Maps, Poems, Ice Cream, and Other Remedies
Last weekend, my family and I took a day trip to the northernmost region of Michigan, way up along my beloved Lake Superior. On the map below, we were at the tippy-top of the Keweenaw Peninsula, in Copper Harbor.
Why I Won’t Monetize My Blog
As Revisions of Grandeur has grown, several folks have asked if I make much profit off my blog or if I plan to monetize (allow advertisements on) my blog. Though the idea of making some cha-ching off a blog could be enticing, I’ve decided that monetizing is not for me. Here are five reasons why.
20 Essentials for New Moms
Recently, a friend of mine who is pregnant for the first time (yay!) asked if I had any tips on what kind of baby STUFF I couldn’t live without when my littles were littler. I’ve been asked this question a few times, probably because I gave birth to three boys in less than four years and have lived in three different houses since we started having kids. We’ve had a lot of baby stuff pass through our doors, but there are only about twenty things I would not want to do new parenthood without.
Here they are…
Made to Serve
Hello, friends!
I’m here with my coffee (brewed by my peach of a husband) and my waffle-requesting children, thinking about what it means to serve.
Let’s be honest, some people just don’t like the idea of serving. It conjures ideas of oppression and enslavement. But that’s not the kind of serving I’m talking about. Continue reading
