This is my favorite season. I wish I could end the post right there. Five words and — click — done. But, like most beginnings, the first five words only tell some of the story. The season is not ideal. For children who have hard histories, this season brings extreme emotions. Hope for a family that stays forever. Grief for the family that’s been lost.Joy for being well-loved. Fear of being well-loved. Their emotions explode.Waves of giggles. Swarms of screams. Abundance of hugs. Plenty of stomps. Somehow,surrounded by the twinkling… Read more Emotions Explode →
I’m glad you are here to celebrate! For more information, check out the CELEBRATE This Week page. Please use #clebratelu to share. One. Kris Long (top) and Dina Coverstone (bottom)… Read more CELEBRATE This Week IX →
Five feet.Three inches.125 pounds.Ten years old. Andy gave her a nickname.I was mortified when he suggested it,Thought it was offensive.Of course, She loves it. Boss. It’s not something she would want you to call her, but us — the ones who share a house and breathing space with her — we’re allowed to use it. I don’t use it. Boss. What mother wants her little girl to be called Boss?Sweet.Tender.Gentle. These are the words to describe a daughter. But not this daughter.She defines herself. Strong.Demanding.Bold.Confident.Self-Assured. Boss. She’s redefined my vision.… Read more Daughter Redefined →
I’m glad you are here to celebrate! For more information, check out the CELEBRATE This Week page. Here’s my quick little list: One. While trying to organize my thoughts and learning from NCTE, I made a list of people at the conference who impacted my thinking. There were over 30 names on the list and people from 18 different states. I love that I’m connected to a diverse group of professionals who help me see what’s possible when it comes to helping kids become stronger readers and writers. I’ll be… Read more CELEBRATE This Week VII →
Right now Thanksgiving and Christmas are coexisting in our house. I like this moment when one holiday unfolds into the next. It’s a season of gratitude and joy all rolled… Read more Healing Holidays →
If you were to watch our daughter Stephanie it wouldn’t take long to realize she doesn’t have a lot of grace. She is an athlete at her very core, but her motions aren’t fluid, her movements aren’t graceful. She is strong and bold and quick, but she doesn’t have a lot of grace. Instead she clomps and clunks. Regularly she trips, falls, and runs into people and objects. She doesn’t mean to hurt us, but she just doesn’t have a lot of grace. She sometimes gets frustrated with the constant… Read more {grace} Five Minute Friday →
A hug is the number one mood booster among men and women. I heard this fact on the radio today and it gave me pause. Whenever our kids get frustrated or angry or start sliding down into the land of no-self-control, we ask them: Do you want a hug. Sam always takes the offer. Always. Growing up with endless hugs must make it easy to take one even when you’re grumpy or angry or frustrated. The other kids have learned to take the offer. Hannah learned the fastest. It took… Read more hugs →
Happy Saturday! I’m glad you’re here to celebrate together. Share your links below. You can also share on Twitter (#celebratelu) or on Facebook at the Discover. Play. Build. page. Celebrations… Read more CELEBRATE This Week {#celebratelu} →
Go. Together.Brothers. They are learning to depend on together. It happens in ordinary moments. Sometimes sifting through arguments or misunderstandings. Ultimately, brothers are built as moments pile together forming trust… Read more {together} Five Minute Friday →
Ruth Ayres Writes 