It’s Sunday evening. We just finished wiping up the last of the crumbs from strawberry cake, once decorated with KC Royals lettering. New packages of an 800-piece Lego set are spread out on the living room floor. Three sweet kids are chattering, with just a tinge of sugar-induced volume. Earlier we sang “Happy Birthday” as 10 candles flickered, family gathered […]

When I was little, one of my favorite things to do was jump out of a moving swing. With a thrill and perhaps a little nervous exhilaration, I would jump from as high as a dared. The sound of passing wind would tickle my ears as I rushed through it on the way to the ground below. And then I […]

My daughter and I recently went on a road trip. As we headed for home, I spoke this phrase into my phone: “Hey Google, navigate to Hillsboro, Kansas.” It responded: “OK. Navigating to Hillsboro, Kansas.” And off we went. For the first few miles, landmarks were relatively familiar, but then we veered. As if it weren’t enough of an adventure […]

As you may have perceived from other columns I have written over the last several years, I am fascinated by the brain. My fascination began as I worked with a professional therapist in relation to my own trauma and depression. As my understanding broadened, I became more and more convinced that brain health is not optional. One particular realization I […]

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, […]

“Hey Google! Do you burp?” Before I could register the question, a loud, obtrusive sound pierced our kitchen. And that, followed by fits of giggles from my youngsters. Normally I am turned off by rude noises, but in that moment, I turned from the counter where I was preparing supper and laughed. Not an appeasing little chortle, but a real, […]

“Oh Lord, help me not sin in my grief.” I remember praying those words as waves of pain enveloped my body. For the second time in less than six months, I was losing a baby. The first was an ectopic pregnancy in the spring of 2011. I can’t pinpoint an exact date of loss because it took weeks on end […]

Right before a trip to Lake of the Ozarks over Labor Day weekend, I sat at the pediatrician’s office with kiddo No. 3. His ears hurt, and I wanted to get them checked before we spent a weekend solely dedicated to being in and around water. The appointment was scheduled easily enough, and in a whirlwind exit, I pulled into […]

“Mom, can we go see the Superman costume?” This, mere seconds after stepping out of the elevator shaft that took us 650 feet below the surface. I had been down in Strataca salt mine before, so I knew where the costume—as featured in the orientation video—was located. At the end of the self-guided tour. So, wisely I said, “We will […]

In the three months we have been in our new home, the hubby and I (and sometimes other helping hands) have worked hard to put a minute dent in a stack of to-dos. We’ve finished a bedroom and are close to finishing the hallway, all complete with do-it-yourself hardwood floors, scraped ceilings, new paint on ceilings and walls, and do-it-yourself […]