School is almost done for another year and I think the teachers are trying to do me in. They've had to put up with the Brandsma boys for 9 months now and they are exacting their revenge by putting every field trip, every celebration, every project, every special day, EVERYTHING into the last month and [...]
I remember waiting for my 16th birthday with a mixture of fear and anticipation. I knew my life was going to change drastically. Freedom and independence were calling my name and it all hinged on whether I could pass that formidable test…the driver's test. I hopped into my parents’ big blue suburban and off I [...]
My mom had a plaque hanging in her kitchen that read "This house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy." It is one of my favourite sayings and one I quickly adopted as my motto after getting married and having a home of my own.When life gets busy and I [...]
Last week was exams and I thought life would be kind of quiet as the older boys buckled down and really applied themselves to their studies. Levi and I would respect their need for silence and stay busy in the kitchen and living room while the boys holed up in their bedrooms and studied the day [...]
Since the day Caleb was born, people have been telling me to hang on to each moment because time flies. This was the first I was hearing of this 'time flying' phenomenon. As kids, we tend to look ahead, anticipating each exciting milestone. And whenever you are waiting, time seems to act more like a [...]
I have five boys in this house and from the time they were little, they've been on a mission. The mission of becoming a man. (I feel as if I should grunt after saying that like they did in that old sitcom, Home Improvement) Just this morning, my four year old reminded me that someday [...]
I did it to myself. I've got no one else to blame. The buck stops here. I'd like to blame it on the school…or the church…or the world in general. I'd even like to blame it on my kids. But unfortunately the guilt for the chaos in my life falls smack on my own two [...]
Last spring, the parents of the grads made a video called, “Let Them Go” and rewrote the famous song, “Let it Go” from the Disney hit movie, Frozen. It was funny. But it was also true. And although I love them more than anything on the planet, letting my children grow up and go is [...]
Bring on the roadtrip! BC, Alberta, California, our family has done it with babies and all. My years of field trips on the bus have more than prepared me for what could possibly happen in the family van, I think…I have attempted all versions of the Roadtrip Mom: from healthy snacks in individual colour-coded containers [...]
I have been thoroughly enjoying the lazy days of summer. We sleep in, stay in our pjs till late and generally don't have all that many responsibilities. The calendar page of August has a lovely blank look to it other than the odd camping weekend and get together with friends. But it's only natural that [...]
