That moment when you step back and watch

We’re already getting into a pattern with the new school year. The kids get up, I make sure they eat breakfast while I make school lunches. I encourage Cameron to practice piano or guitar (or both). I convince both kids to stop fighting. We walk to school and I go to work. When I get…

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All kinds of love

In the last month, Jordan had a chance to be a flower girl in two weddings. One for one of my former students and one for my uncle who was able to find love after we lost my aunt to ovarian cancer. After attending Camp No Limits, there was a lot of discussion about how…

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The give and take

I’m feeling the pull of life in so many directions these days… I feel the pull of my career sending me in so many different ways. I feel the pull of my children who need my time, attention, love and guidance. I feel the pull of my students who are looking for assistance and knowledge.…

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Five tips I wish I knew six years ago

Six years ago Jordan came into our world and changed our perspective on what it’s like to raise a little girl. I’ve said this many times, but I’ll repeat it again. I asked the doctors if Jordan was okay after we discovered she was born with one hand… I looked up into Randy’s eyes and…

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Sharing my passion at #140conf

I’m in Hutchinson, Kansas attending a 140 Characters Conference. Today’s topic is a collection of stories from small towns. If you like Twitter, you can see the discussion with the #140conf or #140confsmalltown. This is an opportunity for anyone to pitch an idea to speak about for 10 minutes. My topic? How my job taught…

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I was two months pregnant on 9/11

I wasn’t even a mom yet when September 11th happened, but I reacted like a parent. I was crushed to see our nation change. Our comfort and ease of our lifestyle ended that day. Sure, we’re still incredibly safe. But travel and concerns changed. I was hard at work in a newsroom that day ten…

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Home at last

I’m finally home after a week away from the family. Jordan leaped into my arms… She was so excited I was home. It’s so darn sweet and it just keeps getting sweeter. I was about to go to bed when I found this pile of stuffed animals on my side of the bed. Jordan put…

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It happened again

I was out with the kids… and I saw someone smile at me from across the way. I smiled back because I didn’t want to be rude. A few minutes later, he comes walking over to me, says my name and how happy he is to see Jordan. I feel so bad. I couldn’t remember…

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Where's the guidebook?

When Jordan was born, I often wished there was a guidebook that helped parents of limb different kids. You know, a checklist of things you can do to make sure your child is getting the care he or she needs. My friends used to joke that this blog was the beginning of a guide for…

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Free play vs. Scheduled play

When I grew up I had a friend who did everything. She played piano, she danced, she did sports. I thought that was really cool but I never got a chance to play with her because she was always somewhere doing one of her activities. I had one thing. First it was dance, then piano,…

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