Writing was my absolute favorite thing to teach my 4th graders, and there was always a point where we talked about using our five senses to enhance their narratives. At first, I thought it was just to embellish the writing, making it more interesting to read, but I am learning through this writing journey of… Continue reading Summers at the Lake Through My Adolescent Eyes

'Tis the season of weddings for our family this summer and with all that comes the excitement of new dresses and shoes (just a few of my favorite things!). But right now, my postpartum body is definitely NOT my favorite thing. It's something I'm working on. So...after searching, finding the *perfect* dress, ordering it online… Continue reading The Power of a Picture

Well we survived the road trip home (yay!) and had such a great time in an amazing city. My sister was a stunning bride and the wedding was perfect. It was in the suburbs at a beautiful nature preserve and the rain even held off long enough for the ceremony! Before we headed out to… Continue reading Chicago Part 2- Doing the Big City With Small Humans (and my first book review!)

My sister’s getting married in Chicago (YAY!! SO EXCITED!), so we thought, hey, let’s make a vacation out of it! We can go out a week early, see the Lincoln Park Zoo, run around Millennium Park, maybe do a museum if it rains. And then we thought about ALL. THE. STUFF. that it takes to… Continue reading The 8 Stages of Road Tripping With Small Humans

In our modern fast-paced, instant-gratification society, everyone is searching for the “quick-fix”. The miracle weight-loss pill. The miracle cabbage soup or cayenne pepper lemon water detox cleanses. And in 2011, I was just the same. I had found myself in a place where I was unhappy with my body. I had an idea of what… Continue reading My (in progress) Paleo Journey to Better Health

On Friday, I will walk out of a place that has become my second home for the very last time. I have spent the last eight years in my classroom, getting to know students and their families, learning so much alongside my kids, and developing a philosophy of education vastly different from when I started.… Continue reading On Teaching: What I’ll Miss (and What I Won’t)

I love almost everything about my 3 year old's preschool. Almost. I hate, and I mean absolutely DESPISE, the parking lot. Like I actually experience anxiety as I make the left turn onto the tree-lined street. First of all, there are only five spaces and you have to drive up a over a mountain of… Continue reading On the Kindness of Strangers

I never really understood how fully and fiercely my mom loved me until I had my baby girl. Becoming a mom comes with so many emotions; it's exciting and terrifying, exhausting and beautiful, all at the same time. All these feelings my mom handled with such grace. I owe so much of who I've become… Continue reading For Mama on Mother’s Day

It's a gymnastics "performance", a term I use loosely because they're 3 and this isn't an Olympic Training Center. Each gymnast gets a chance to show off their routines (complete with a "ta-daaaa" and salute) and they hold an awards ceremony at the end. As the coach hands out medals, she starts talking about the qualities… Continue reading On Storytelling

Now that our beautiful baby boy is 10 weeks old, I can finally sit sit back and reflect on the arrival of our new little chunky bundle. Naturally, I'd been warned that bringing him home would be a difficult transition, but you never really know until you're in it. Plus, everyone's experiences are different. Of course,… Continue reading Lessons from Baby #2 (and the Most Helpful Advice I’ve Received)