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Show them how to be grateful
At the end of November, two days after Thanksgiving, my oldest and first daughter, Edie, will turn three. And almost three, apparently, is the age when you become aware of your birthday and what it means, because for the past month or so, birthdays have been the big topic of conversations at our house. Her […]
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What is gratitude?
Thankful. Grateful. Blessed. I see this saying all over. But, knowing WHY gratitude is good is distinctly different from knowing WHAT gratitude is. And, probably the most important is HOW to be grateful. Here are 5 tricks I use to ensure I cultivate gratitude: Gather around the table For me, a kitchen table represents the […]
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What is Giving Tuesday
While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the more widely known retail holidays, Giving Tuesday is becoming pretty popular in its own right. Celebrated on the Tuesday following American Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday helps raise awareness that charity is an important component of the holiday season. The nonprofit services company Neon says nearly one-third […]
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Perhaps no day is more synonymous with a certain dish than Thanksgiving is with turkey. As tasty as turkey can be, this flavorful fowl doesn’t find its way onto many families’ dinner tables unless it’s Thanksgiving day. Secret family turkey recipes may reign supreme in some households, but holiday hosts with no such resources can […]
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Homestead dreaming in the Bakken
I don’t remember when I started dreaming about a North Dakota homestead. I am a pretty logical gal so I knew that all the prior houses that we remodeled and sold while our kids were small were leading up to moving out of town. We realized that house number four was our ticket and the […]
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As soon as my southern drawl is detected, I am usually greeted with something like, “Aren’t you from the South? Southerners are so polite.” Folks from all over the world marvel at our use of “yes, ma’am” and “no, sir”. My imagination is not large enough to consider growing up and not saying “yes, ma’am”. […]
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Ask any parent and they will say, “We want to raise children who are grateful, responsible and respectful.” Parents start out with a good heart filled with the best of intentions going down the path of parenting. But sometimes, we make a detour down a path of overindulging children. It often seems like the right […]
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On politics and potty training
Since this Ask A Dad column coincides with the birthday of my wife, Sweetest of Annettes (sorry, all other Annettes), I am asking her nicely to please ask me the monthly question. Take it away, sweetest of hearts! Q: Will you take out the garbage? It’s starting to stink. A: Done. That was certainly anti-climactic. […]
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Nothing prepares you for the first time your kid gets sent to the principal’s office. And, when the reason he is sent to the principal’s office is because he’s being a jerk, you want to crawl under a rock. At five years old, my bright, wild boy went to Kindergarten this year. Gone are the […]
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It was a few days in the heat of August that I crossed the parking lot by where I live and I had a distinct familiar feeling. I really can’t put my finger on what it was but I thought to myself, “I feel fall in the air”. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t wishing […]
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Taking the kids along?
We took our first family trip this past weekend to Nashville. I call it a family trip because it was no vacation. Or as I have so affectionately answered when my family and friends asked, “How was your trip?” and I answer, “Awesome – in a ‘don’t touch that. Stay close to us. Get off […]
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Sports are a great tool to teach young people various lessons. Sports can instill a sense of teamwork and responsibility in youngsters while promoting a physically active lifestyle that can benefit kids into adulthood. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly 30 million children participate in youth sports in the United States […]
