Baseball season started for us tonight. My 9 year old is obsessed with it. He came home with an athlete’s high you only experience when you’ve had an amazing practice or game. He was talking a million words a minute, telling me about his hits, his catches, & the positions he gets to play in the first game. He couldn't stop talking about his coaches or his teammates & he then said to me, "Mom, I'm so proud of how tonight went." It made me so excited to see him so excited! As we ... Read More about I Don’t Want To Dictate My Kids’ Passions
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My Arkansas State Hiking Bucket List
1. Seven Hollows at Petit Jean State Park This is a 4.4 mile trail that features a waterfall & from the photos I've seen, lots of rock formations that look like they would be kid heaven for climbing in & out of while hiking. I have spent my entire life going to Petit Jean & have never been on this trail. Can you believe it??? 2. War Eagle Valley Loop Trail This is an 8.1 mile trail. I probably wouldn't be able to get all of my kids out there because of distance, but I'd love ... Read More about My Arkansas State Hiking Bucket List
That Year We Went Tech Free, Part 2
On Monday, I wrote my part 1 story about how our family went tech free for a year when my kids were 6 years, 3 years & 5 months. So where are we today in 2019 with technology? My kids are now 9, 6 & 3 and are allowed different amounts & types of technology based on what is appropriate for their ages. What is good for the 9 year old isn't necessarily going to be good for the 3 year old & vice versa. So while we have guidelines we like to follow, nothing is set in stone. We ... Read More about That Year We Went Tech Free, Part 2
Part 1: That Year We Went Tech Free
Ok, not completely tech free. But definitely tech limited! I have always been attracted to pulling a Chip & Joanna & getting rid of all the tv. But in all transparency, Todd & I are as technology dependent as everyone else. We each have an iPhone, Todd has an iPad, I have an apple watch, we have every gaming system on the planet because Todd is a major gamer, & I love social media. And hello, you're reading this on my website. Ha! So how did we make limited tech a lifestyle for ... Read More about Part 1: That Year We Went Tech Free
Food & Fitness Will Set You Free
Two years ago, I had a very unbalanced view point on fitness & food. I always felt like eating a certain way & working out 5 days a week was restricting. It was a task I had to do every day, I was telling myself no to certain foods that aren't I entitled to eat if I want??? Life is hard, why make it harder by limiting myself from eating the cookie! But eventually, being sick became harder & more of an impediment to my life & what I wanted for myself than fitting in a 30 minute ... Read More about Food & Fitness Will Set You Free
Who Can Be A Hiker???
Short answer: ANYONE & EVERYONE. Yesterday, in a hiking Facebook group I belong to there was a person who wrote a post basically telling parents we are failures if our kids are being carried on the trail & not pushing for more mileage. And while I do believe my kids are capable of so much more than I ever thought they would be at their age, this gentleman's post did nothing to encourage people to get out there & try something new. All he did was send the message that if you aren't ... Read More about Who Can Be A Hiker???