Why I Spent A Whole Day…
Why I spent a whole day redesigning my website when my to-do list was a million miles long:
The Introvert In Me
“I need just a few minutes,” I tell my kids through clenched teeth, my voice unnaturally strained. I pick up my iPad, clicking play on an audiobook before I lock the screen and hand it off to my eight-year-old, who scampers off to his room. The voice of the Percy Jackson narrator trails behind him down the stairs as I consider his younger brothers.
Unsolved Mysteries: The Case of the Missing Puzzle Piece
Raleigh, NC: The puzzle was in the three-year-old’s possession for less than 48 hours when the piece went missing. After the initial excitement of finding a jumbo-sized Treasure Map puzzle in his basket on Easter morning, the box was left unopened for most of the day.
The World Keeps Turning
The weather was perfect; an early-spring stretch of seventy degree days with blue skies overhead, the puffy cotton ball clouds in the sky a sharp contrast to the ominous headlines of a new virus making its way around the world.
What I’m Really Saying
Dear children—
When I put down my book to tuck you in for the seventh time, I’m really saying:
I love you.
Laura, not Lauren
The year I was born, my name landed at 20 on the girls “Top Baby Names” list. For the decade overall, it came in at 23. It’s no surprise I’ve always known a lot of other Laura’s–they’ve been scattered throughout my life, some of my very best friends throughout the years.
Sunflowers + Sunrises
I settle into my hot pink desk chair, a mug of hot coffee in my hands, and gaze out the window. Below me, tracing the sidewalk in front of our house, sunflowers sway wildly in the early morning breeze.
It All Started In a Parking Lot
“Do you have a boyfriend?” he asked.
“No,” she answered.
The football game ended and as the parking lot emptied, they danced.
The Thrill of Hope
The thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices
I see the lyrics in devotional emails and on social media and blog posts. I write them on two chalkboards over my desk. The words have been stuck in my head for weeks; it seems like the official Christmas carol of 2020.
The Hand-Me-Down Cookbook
I have a shelf of books, up high where my children can’t reach them. They are mostly old books, ones that need to be kept out of reach of little hands. Some are copies autographed by the author; most are from the 1950’s; copies of Little House on the Prairie and childrens books that have been passed down from parents and grandparents.
The Monday Calls
When we suddenly and unexpectedly found ourselves under stay at home orders, with school cancelled, and an uncertain world outside our front doors, Monday nights became my favorite night of the week.
Scenes From Quarantine
We’ve been home for six weeks. I heard someone say "this is the closest we'll ever get to freezing time", and it's true. There is nowhere to be, no morning scramble to get out the door in time, no days full of errands or marked by carpool times.
Everyday Magic
Fall took her sweet time arriving in North Carolina this year. October started off with days that felt like July, hitting a record breaking 99 degrees before finally cooling off. The timing of the cooler weather coincided with a teacher workday, which made for a perfect day for a pumpkin patch adventure.
Write Anyway
Sometimes, words start swirling in my head, feelings and emotions that beg to get down on paper. I stop where I am, open the Notes app on my phone, and start typing. On those days, I have no choice. The words inside me have to be put into writing.
The Badge of Busy
I used to wear the badge of busy proudly. I would cram as much as I could into my days, running from this place to that, not seeing my home from the time I left for class or work until it was time for bed.
Measuring Motherhood
My wake up call comes early, in the form of a hungry baby. Once he is fed and back to sleep, I wonder if I have time to shut my eyes for a few minutes before my three year olds internal alarm clock goes off at 6:15.