Sunday, December 30, 2012
My children list their favorite things about the holiday
- OPINION
- Devone
-
Sunday, December 30, 2012
This week Sadie suddenly waxed poetic in her 8-year-old way: “One of my favorite things about Christmas is listening to the oven beeping, because I know that something yummy is baking and it’s almost ready to eat. And I like the way the trees smell. And I like to decorate and use all the sparkly glitter and pretty ribbons.” (She frequently asks the dreaded question: “Hey Mom, where do we keep all the glitter and the glue?") “And I like the sound of bells and the smell of snow outside. And I like the way Christmastime looks – the dim lights and the lights outside and the way the snow sparkles in the sun.” Wow. It appeared that she had been giving this list of Christmas favorites a lot of thought. When she was three, she loved to sing “…
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Tears, fears and too few answers
- OPINION
- Devone
-
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Like every other parent in the country -- or maybe even the world -- I've spent the last week reevaluating. Crying. Praying. Holding my children close. Breathing them in. Thanking God that they are still here with me. In moments when I am alone, I find myself with unbidden tears streaming down my face. I don't even realize they are there until they start dripping onto my shirt and then I remember. I can't stop thinking about it. Even when I don't think that I'm thinking about it, it's still there, niggling away at my subconscious. Those names. Those faces. Those ages. The same age as my sweet Josie. I ache for those mommies and daddies. Those brothers and sisters and grandmas and grandpas and aunts and uncles and cousins and friends. I …
Sunday, December 16, 2012
This year, my family created a new Christmas tradition
- OPINION
- Devone
-
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Before last weekend, I’d never been to a real ballet. And to be honest, I’ve never been that much of a fan. Too long, too boring, too many people, too much traffic… you know what I mean. I couldn’t understand why people would actually go to see The Nutcracker every single year and make it a holiday tradition. My two oldest daughters, though – Sadie, age 8 and Josie, age 7 – are big fans. So to kick off the holiday season, my mother-in-law took the three of us to see The Joffrey Ballet’s version at Playhouse Square. None of us (besides Grandma) had seen The Nutcracker before. The girls donned their new Christmas dresses (they’re always looking for a reason to dress up), and we headed downtown. There were several events going on, so it was …
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Warning: This Column Was Written Under Heavy Doses Of DayQuil
- OPINION
- Devone
-
Sunday, December 9, 2012
At our house, we are suffering through what will henceforth be (un)affectionately known as The Plague of 2012. And when I say “we,” mostly I mean the two adults in the family. Chills. Shakes. High fevers. Aches. Pains. Nausea. Swimmy head. Coughs. Misery. I can't unwrap a cough drop without my knees knocking, teeth chattering and hands shaking. My 7-year-old even looked at me in dismay and said, “I’ve never seen you like this before, Mom.” My husband -- conked out on the bed thanks to some Nyquil -- snored in agreement. The only thing worse than having the flu is the flu coupled with Mommy Guilt -- which is, for those who do not know, that gnawing feeling that your slacking on your mothering. For the past two days, my poor children have …
Sunday, December 2, 2012
The toys were bad enough when I was worried about slipping and falling on them
- OPINION
- Devone
-
Sunday, December 2, 2012
The ridiculousness that is my life never ceases to amaze me. Picture it: It’s the day before Thanksgiving. Adelaide is playing with a ZhuZhu pet – a fuzzy little brown hamster with wheeled battery-powered feet. She’s holding him and letting him run around on the floor, over the couch, up my leg and (I should’ve seen it coming) onto my head. The hamster is running. The wheels are turning, and they are turning fast. His little wheeled feet wrap my curly frizzy hair around them 30 times in 3 seconds. That hamster winches himself down flat against my head before I even know what has happened. Do you understand what I am saying? I have a hamster attached to my head. The little sucker is not about to come off. He is hopelessly entangled right …
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Just because it doesn't work out how you plan doesn't mean it isn't working.
- OPINION
- Devone
-
Sunday, November 25, 2012
There’s a Garth Brooks song that says “some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” It took a lot of growing up for me to really understand these words of wisdom, but now I think I finally get it. I’m thankful that I’m an only child. If I had siblings, I probably wouldn’t be nearly as close to my cousins. I’m thankful for all the times that my daddy said no when I asked permission to do something – he saved me from a lot of danger, heartache and tears. All of those no’s meant that he loved me – that he cared. I’m thankful that my parents divorced. If they hadn’t, I never would have known my stepmom or my stepdad and my kids would have missed out on two wonderful grandparents. I’m thankful that I didn’t marry my high school …
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Devone is thankful for her children -- even when she feels like she doesn't deserve them
- OPINION
- Devone
-
Sunday, November 18, 2012
I’m an only child. So when I had my second child, I naturally assumed that she would be just like my first. Little did I know that they would be complete opposites. It turns out that all four of them are as different from each other as morning, noon, night and naptime. It’s humbling to think that out of all of the other moms in the world, God chose me – me – to be their mother. Me, with the not-so-idyllic past. Me, with the back problems and the weird propensity for popping my bones out of joint. Me, with the strange fears and the ridiculous built-in klutziness factor. Me. Shouldn’t they have gone to someone better? Someone more capable? Yet even when it’s a rough day (and we’ve been having a lot of those lately) I am still thankful that …
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Devone is ready for the next holiday, but Halloween candy is still taking up plenty of space in her home
- OPINION
- Devone
-
Sunday, November 11, 2012
I am completely Halloweened out. With the storm, losing electricity and all of the rescheduling due to bad weather, it seemed like “Halloween season” was interminable this year. My girls even got tired of wearing their costumes, if that tells you anything. We went to a local church’s festival one week and to the mall trick-or-treat event the next. We went to Halloween Story Time at the Library. We watched “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “FrankenPooh.” Then I decided that I hadn’t suffered enough so I threw a big Harvest Party on the last day of October. Our power had JUST come back on after the hurricane, so I looked inadvertently scary to the neighborhood children – I wasn’t really in costume but I did bear a close resemblance…
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Devone on her career change and why it's silly to judge it
- OPINION
- Devone
-
Sunday, November 4, 2012
I’ve always thought of myself as a fairly smart person. I made straight A's in school (well, except for Algebra). I graduated early from college. I like to learn. I like to read. I like useless information. I like watching biographies. I like taking IQ tests (or any test, really). But lately I feel like I have nothing to contribute. As far as having a grown up conversation, that is. I mean, what do I have say? Jed’s poop was kind of green today. Adelaide used the self-checkout at the grocery store today. Sadie learned the word “collinear” today. Josie figured out how to make paper airplanes today. I made a bushel’s worth of applesauce today. Not the greatest topics for a cocktail party (not that I ever go to cocktail parties). I know that …
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Why do so many girls look like they're headed to a haunted Playboy mansion?
- OPINION
- Devone
-
Sunday, October 28, 2012
When did Halloween become “How Trashy Can I Look Night?” Maybe this has been going on for a long time and I just never noticed it. Maybe it’s because my oldest daughter is just now getting old enough to wear a costume other than a fuzzy unicorn or a bumblebee, but we’re dressing up to go on hayrides and get some free candy. So could someone please tell me why most of the girls that I've seen this year look like they're on their way to film some creepy adult movie? When did Snow White add fishnets to her royal attire? And why do the fairies have more than their sparkly wings out on display, if you know what I mean? When did Alice decide that stilettos are proper footwear for prancing around through Wonderland? Look around you this …
Sharon
12:30 am on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
What a heart-wrenching tragedy this was! Everyone should read this and consider how precious every minute of every day is. I pray for a hedge of protection for my children and grandchildren and for you and your family as well. more ›