October 3, 2023
by Maralee
Comments Off on Making The Case for Toys
I was at a training about a month ago where a retired judge talked about the importance of creating a welcoming climate for kids who come to court. As part of his presentation he held up a board book and … Continue reading
August 23, 2022
by Maralee
Comments Off on When Pointing Out the Problem Makes You the Problem
Sometimes I think I am the pinky toe in the Body of Christ. I don’t mean that in a disparaging way. I think pinky toes are pretty important. Have you ever been walking through your house in the dark after … Continue reading
September 25, 2020
by Maralee
2 Comments
I want to tell you a story. The story of two acquaintances who treated each other with a reasonable level of civility online. I wish that didn’t sound like the start of a fairytale these days, but we’re living in … Continue reading
September 9, 2020
by Maralee
Comments Off on Every Baby Deserves to be Celebrated. Especially Foster Babies.
A couple months ago my neighbors brought home their premature twins after a lengthy hospital stay. It was a joyous occasion as our cul-de-sac hung streamers from trees and balloons on their porch. We lined the street and applauded as … Continue reading
June 12, 2020
by Maralee
2 Comments
We are in a cultural moment where there is a lot of noise. It can be overwhelming to decide you want to adopt a listening posture only to be inundated with voices (strong voices, LOUD voices) with differing opinions. It’s … Continue reading
March 18, 2020
by Maralee
4 Comments
Deciding to homeschool your kids is a huge decision. You think about what curriculum will work best for your kids and for your teaching style. You research. You talk to other people about it. If you have kids with medical … Continue reading
January 24, 2020
by Maralee
Comments Off on You’ll Never be Good Enough to Have a Voice. Speak Anyway.
There are people in this world that won’t agree with you. That’s fine. This is life. Some of those people will want to silence you by telling you that you haven’t done enough, experienced enough, advocated enough, marched enough or … Continue reading
November 11, 2019
by Maralee
Comments Off on We Take Our Kids to Funerals
We took our kids to a funeral recently. I was getting ready to explain to them how funerals typically go, until I realized they’ve actually been to quite a few funerals already. And every time we take them, I think … Continue reading
August 16, 2019
by Maralee
Comments Off on I wanted a baby. God gave me a grad student.
I have six kids and the oldest is twelve. Our family has been in the habit of adding a baby to the mix every couple years either through adoption, birth or foster care. But a few years ago, we found … Continue reading
February 6, 2019
by Maralee
1 Comment
Some things that seem to come naturally to other women are skills I’ve had to learn. Like how to make lady friends. I’m not much of a feeler (I’m an ESTJ and Enneagram 1, if that helps), so I’ve learned … Continue reading