The thing about boys is that they’re confusing. Like my laundry pile. It makes no sense. On Friday of one week I fold six loads of laundry (I got behind. So sue me), and nine days later, on a Sunday afternoon, I do the next three. And if the laundry pile is to be believed,…
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The Birthday Post
This is the post I’ve been wanting to write for a couple of years: the post in which I acknowledge the aging process. But I’m in this weird in-between time when, according to Merriam Webster and everyone who is older than me, I am most certainly NOT middle-aged; I am still a young’un. And yet…
Read MoreFunerals and Friendship
I spent Saturday at the funeral of a friend. It is sometimes a strange thing to be a pastoral musician. I have this gift, and I know—because I’ve been told so repeatedly—how much it means to families to offer it to them in the pivotal moments of their lives. It’s an honor and a privilege…
Read MoreCommando Olympics and other Quick Takes
-1- The kids have been entranced by the Olympics lately. Michael calls them “Olymp-kicks.” -2- I’m so glad I blogged about chicken legs a couple weeks ago. Because now when we call her that, we can’t be accused of copying Allyson Felix. -3- Last week my friend Kelley posted this status update on Facebook: Went for…
Read MoreThe Saga of Orthotics, and why it’s important to talk about it during an election year
I hope you’ll bear with me today, because there’s a reason I’m about to tell this story. One thing that sometimes accompanies an extra 21st chromosome is “pronation.” This means that due to low muscle tone, the feet turn out. Julianna has fabulous health and good cognitive functioning but her feet are regularly regarded as…
Read MoreBlind Spots
Sometimes it doesn’t make any sense to add my own words to the clutter in the blogosphere, because other people have said it so well. “It is Sunday morning, and I am once again late to church but determined to go. I moved to this new town in east Texas a few months ago, and I know…
Read MoreZipline!
I’ve wanted to zipline for years, but this is not on Christian’s list of things he wants to do, so I never had the chance. Until this week, when Alex and I were hosted by Eco Zipline Tours over in New Florence (for the locals, at the Hermann exit). I’ve reviewed the experience in full…
Read MoreFeeling Holy Vs. Being Holy
I remember as a child going to Confession and telling the priest that I never felt anything about my faith. I thought I was doing the right things, generally, but I wasn’t feeling anything, and I thought there was something inherently bad in that. He told me if I see a guy shivering with cold…
Read MoreThe Grace to Let Enough be Enough
“What come next?” There was a period of several months recently when Julianna was constantly asking this question: when a song ended on a CD, at the end of a scene in a movie, whenever we got back in the van after running an errand or going to a lesson. Lately, it feels like the…
Read MoreChicken Legs, Freckles and Pokin-A: The General Goofiness of Julianna
Since I shared my freak-out about Julianna getting older, I thought I should also share the stories about how much fun she can be. She’s getting much more interactive and mentally sharp, able to chime in on conversations and sometimes even crack (unsophisticated, but adorable) jokes. And she certainly recognizes humor now. Christian is a…
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