Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Category Archives: Reflections

Musings on life based on my personal experiences.

Most Popular Posts 2015

Most Popular Posts 2015

It’s tradition this time of year to take a stroll down memory lane and revisit the most popular posts of the year.  As a writer it gives me a helpful perspective on what my readers responded to most.  As a reader it gives you guys a chance to catch up on what you may have missed and, if you’re new around here, get a big picture of what this site is all about.  In looking back over the posts, I realized I didn’t write anywhere near the amount of posts as I have in year’s past.  Now that there are two…Read the rest of this entry →

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The Stinkbug Saga

The Stinkbug Saga

Last Monday we were almost late to school because of a stink bug.  Yup, a stink bug.  Actually, a brown marmorated stink bug to be exact.  But that’s how the saga ends, not begins.  Let me back up. It had to be at least a month ago when I first noticed him (her?) motoring around the walls around our kitchen table.  “Look at the stinkbug!” I announced to Baby Zu, pointing.  Her eyes lit up as her gaze followed him around the room, and her tiny pointer finger bobbed up and down excitedly.  “BUH!!!!!  BUH!!!!!!!” she sang out.  We watched together for a…Read the rest of this entry →

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Post-Halloween Tips from the Archives

Post-Halloween Tips from the Archives

Back in the days when I actually had time to write (ie one child, who was in preschool a couple mornings a week), I loved writing seasonally appropriate posts for every holiday, Halloween included.  Now that I’ve got a toddler running me ragged a lot less time, those sort of posts have gone on the backburner.  Back when Baby Zu was a newborn, I threw all the blogging “rules” out the window in the hopes of keeping my sanity (it helped?!?)  While writing soothes my soul, not putting pressure on myself to do it means a lot less stress – and…Read the rest of this entry →

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Big C’s First Project: Big Emotions, Little Body

Big C’s First Project: Big Emotions, Little Body

“BUT I WANTED TO SEND IT!!!!!!!!!”  A distraught Big C let out while fighting back big crocodile tears.  He was trying to put up a brave front on the way out of the climbing gym, but the waterworks let loose once we got to the car. It was the end of Day 2 of Big C’s very first “legit” bouldering project (ie, only using holds that are “on.”)  For a while now he’s been able to climb the easier routes in the gym using the intended holds, but bouldering had always been a free for all “rainbow” session, using any holds…Read the rest of this entry →

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From 1 Kid to 2…How Outdoor Adventures Have Changed…

From 1 Kid to 2…How Outdoor Adventures Have Changed…

A couple of weeks ago I received a question from reader Patricia T. that really made me stop and think.  She basically wanted to know specifics about how life has changed for us since adding another child to our family.  In her words – “…I’ve had so many people tell me that the second one really shuts your life down.  Now, I’m trying to take that with a grain of salt, b/c I think we (I’m assuming she meant outdoorsy folks) are cut from a different cloth.  But it still worries me.  What’s your take on this?”   I wrote a…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN