Water park for fifth birthday


10



Read the Hobbit aloud with him. Afterward, encourage him to read The Lord of the Rings by himself.


9



At the hospital? Always confirm your name and date of birth and why you’re there.


16



Sometimes good people aren’t a good match. It’s better for both of you if you’re honest with yourself and with them.


17, 21



Fire drills. Practice what to do, where to go if the house is on fire. Have an escape plan.


5-10



Never follow an “I love you” with a “but...” Instead, follow it with “and...” or “that’s why...” Remember this when they’re young, teach it to them when they’re older.


10, 20



Remember that whoever you’re grieving would only want the best for you.


20



Just show up. That’s all we can really control. Show up, (don’t run) and take it from there. You got this.


21



C.S. Lewis books. (Children’s and adult.)


12, 21



Checkout Bedtime Math app. It’s a tool to make math fun.


5



It matters more “how” you go to college than “where” you go to college.


16



Keep a pair of nail clippers in the car - much better lighting outside. Clipping tiny fingernails is terrifying!


Infant-1



1

Your mother and I would never want you to sacrifice the wellbeing of your own family for us. They should always be your priority. In the years ahead, make the choices that affirm that.


21



Educate About Risks of Driving


12-15



Summer concerts at Wolftrap- get good seats so they can really get a sense of the experience.


13-16



“Courage is cheaper than Channel. It works better too.” - Scott Galloway


14, 15, 16, 21



When things get scary, look for the helpers. This is true in physical crises and existential ones. SCOTUS just passed down a few truly horrifying rulings, including reversing Roe v Wade. I’m disheartened in all that’s going on, but was reminded to look for the helpers, the activists, etc. Look for them…and join them.


10, 15, 21



Go to minor league baseball games this summer. Better seats, less crowds, easier, cheaper. Great players. Kids won't know the difference.


9-15



“We don’t see the world as it is, we see the world as we are. - Prince Harry Or to put it simply, wherever you go, there you are.


12, 15, 21



Teach them about Oliver Cromwell’s rule: “I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible that you may be mistaken.” Leave room for your mind to be changed by new evidence or perspective.


14



You tackled a big project and you're wondering if it will be a success. Ask yourself: "Was I fair?" Was I kind?" " Did I put in the work?" If the answer is yes, then rest well, no matter what the outcome. If the answer is no, go back and fix it.


17



Name five women who contributed to our country’s history.


8, 13, 16



Sometimes I think the best way to take care of them is to teach them to take care of others: Littler kids, sick or disabled, those who’ve been left out.


5-7, 1Infant-12



You are never too old to play in the snow.


16



You don’t have to keep it together. Let the tears come. Feel the loss. The big feelings never last long, they are a storm you can weather. Then the sky is brighter afterwards. Grief is medicine when expressed, poison when suppressed.


19, 21



Don’t be a dick.


21



We feel best when we create. No amount of food, video games or any self-destructive habits will fill that hole. So why fight it?!? Create something, even if it’s as small as a little sketch or poem. Grow a garden, bake a cake. Start a business! Whatever your beautiful heart desires.


12, 15, 18, 21



That little space between stimulus and response...that’s all the control we get. That space is ours to do with. That space is fertile ground for addiction, for faith, for peace or pain. When the sh*t hits the fan, resist the urge to run away from the pain. Trying to dull it will only make it grow deeper roots.


19



Love then when they least deserve it because that’s when the need it the most.


3, 13, 17



Listen to Celebrate Calm podcasts for help dealing with defiance.


4, 9, 15