Red Stick Mom

There’s a Facebook post going around right now. Bryce Brewer, a youth pastor in Washington, wrote an apology to all the girls that have been a part of his youth group through the years for requiring them to wear one-piece swimsuits to youth camps. It’s a great post. Through my grade school years, I went to many youth group pool parties with friends and never had a one-piece swimsuit. Why in the world would I? Keep in mind, the cute one pieces that currently exist now, were nonexistent during this time. Non-grandma one pieces took a break between Baywatch and Beyonce’s bodysuit rise. So, I always had to wear a huge t-shirt over my two-piece because that was the alternative....

I took a snapshot of my kids this morning. I intend to keep it close by, so it can serve as a benchmark. We have reached a turning point in our family. We have finally arrived at the point in life that most parents of small kids look to with anticipation for what feels like forever. Diapers have all been thrown away. Bottoms are being independently wiped. Mouths are being fed by utensils independently held the correct way (Well, mostly). As parents, we spend so many years training our children up to get to this point. Every time my kid runs her own bathwater, ties his own shoes, or fixes his own bowl of cereal, I almost want to run around the house with...

I feel like there are three distinct ways people generally go about the decision to have children. In the first way, couples painstakingly plan and wait for what feels like the perfect time. They ensure finances are in order, they live in an appropriate neighborhood, they’re at a point in their careers to take the time away, etc. This process takes years. Others go the route of “let’s just see what happens.” They discontinue birth control and leave it up to chance. For some, it happens purely by accident and they embrace it. This is obviously an oversimplification and doesn’t take into account those who struggle to conceive, but for the purposes of this post, it works. Bear with me… It dawned on me...

I read a devotional at the beginning of June about what it means to love little. Every day since reading this article how to love little has been in the front of my mind.You can read the devotional here:To Love Little Is Our Call - Blessed Is SheThe author of this article is SO RELATABLE. I mean, seriously. I cannot tell you how many times I’m at my wit's end and just want to tell everyone to be quiet and go away. But reading this made me realize that doing so can take others joy.Loving big is so easy. There is always a gesture to be done. It’s easy to bring a family dinner, donate to the church monthly,...

Yes, this is a post about bubbles, the often demanded, universally loved by toddlers, almost guaranteed to be spilled, bottle of soapy water with a wand. I have a newfound appreciation for bubbles and what they can bring to your life. Fun for Toddler Ah bubbles, this is often a go-to outside time activity for my toddler. If we’re outside for any length of time there are demands for “bubbles!” As a toddler with an ever-growing independent streak, he wants to “do it myself!” It is a way for him to have some control in his life and to exert his independence. There are demands to hold the bottle, he sometimes tries to eat the wand and, yes, drink the bubbles....