Life as I Know It

2023

Pinging Out My “Go-get-emeter”

I hope you are enjoying the first few days of 2023 and relaxing at least a bit after all the ...
new year

Shakin’ Off the Crazy in a New Year

Brrrr, it’s cold outside! Okay, so maybe it’s not intolerable, but when a girl was traipsing around in flip-flops and ...
toilet and tornado

Of Toilets and Tornadoes

Last week Missouri held a special severe weather test day and sirens blared in sync across the state. There is ...
my garden

Green Beans, Goulash & My Garden

My son and I are making a quick weekend visit to my hometown for my great niece’s high school graduation ...
Corona life

My Corona Life: Bewitched by Betty & Haunted by Homer

How are your stay-at-home days going? I can’t lie, y’all. A month into this Corona life and I’m seriously starting ...
Corona life

Adjusting to the Corona Life

I woke up early Sunday morning to make a quick trip to the grocery store ahead of the throngs of ...
urban trout fishing

Urban Trout Fishing with the Family

The weather progressively warmed up as we rushed into the weekend and the southern wind held off just long enough ...
life after Lombardi

My LAL (Life After Lombardi)

Wow, what a crazy week here in Kansas City! What started with three and a half hours of holding my ...
preseason football

Perks of Preseason Football

Yes, we are officially trying to cram as much fun into the last few days of summer vacation as humanly ...
Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School Sneaked Up on Me

Vacation Bible School sneaked up on me this year and for the first time in a very long time I ...
lazy summer

Lazy Summer Evenings

Do you ever have one of those lazy summer evenings that just strike you as being special for absolutely no ...
snow day

Celebrating (Another) Snow Day at the KC Zoo

Another wave of winter weather blew through town last night, which translated into another snow day for my second grader ...
birthday surprise

Applesauce and Pizza Birthday Surprise

Well, I am officially celebrating the last of my 40s and if last week’s birthday surprise is any indication of ...
headed to church

Are You, or You, or You Headed to Church?

Sometimes on Sunday mornings as I drive or ride to church, I like to imagine who else on the road ...
career change

The Leaves Aren’t the Only Thing Changing Around Here

Whew! What a whirlwind autumn it has been here at the Three-Acre Wood, as usual; but with the addition of ...
my waistline affects my wallet

Chapter 7: My Waistline Affects My Wallet

I cleared another hurdle in my Weight Watchers journey this week and it’s a biggie, because this is where my ...
second grade

Just How Grown Up is a Second Grader?

Yesterday evening was “meet your teacher night” at my son’s school and today is our last official day of summer ...
marbles

Have You Lost Your Marbles?

The end of summer is chasing us here in the Midwest, and my son and I are trying to cram ...
Chapter 6:  Gooooooooooooal!

Chapter 6: Gooooooooooooal!

It took almost seven full months, but I finally reached my Weight Watchers official goal weight! Yay! Sure, I wished ...
fishy

Something’s Fishy!

We added three new faces (and fins) to our family this week with the addition of our son’s long-awaited little ...
weight watchers

Chapter 5: Another Weight Watchers Milestone or Two

Last night I reached two milestones in my weight loss journey and I have some new bling to show for ...
sleep

This Mama’s Broken Heart and R.E.M. Sleep Cycle

It’s not even nine o’clock and the coffee is gone. . . It’s going to be a long day. Our ...
weight watchers

Chapter 4: Snacking My Way Through Weight Watchers Road Trips

Another month of Weight Watchers is in the books and with two road trips rounding out our family calendar, March ...
Gray Skies and a Contentious Woman

Gray Skies and a Contentious Woman

We have been discussing the book I Will! Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian by Thom S. Rainer during ...
weight watchers

Chapter 3: Still Winning by Losing with Weight Watchers

Today is another Weight Watchers weigh-in night, which reminds me that I am completely behind on my updates. With all ...
Lenten Season

Lenten Season Means Spring Cleaning for Soul and Home

I dropped off my first five items at the Hillcrest thrift store — good for me and good for others ...
weight watchers

Chapter 2: My First Month with Weight Watchers

January flew the coop and with it went my first four weeks as a Weight Watcher. The month seemed to ...
Chapter 1:  How to Join Weight Watchers

Chapter 1: How to Join Weight Watchers

Okay folks, I’ve officially been a Weight Watcher for almost two weeks now and I’m already seeing success. Yay! The ...

Prologue: My Weight Watchers Story

With the new year comes resolutions, goals and promises that we hope will renew our lives, transform our bodies and ...
Instagram Favorites

A Few Instagram Favorites of 2017

I absolutely must say that Instagram has become my favorite social media platform during the last couple of years, probably ...
substitute

A Substitute Life

Early Tuesday morning last week I stood staring at the calendar posted on the front of the fridge and was ...
s'mores

Campfire and S’mores — Family Favorites

Making s’mores in the backyard is one of our favorite family activities each fall, because there’s just something about a ...
the calm that comes between October and December

The Calm That Comes Between October and December

What a crazy fall it has been! Hmm, that sounds familiar, because I believe I echo that same sentiment every ...
solar eclipse

Solar Eclipse Quite the Sight in KC

Wow, what an exciting day in Kansas City! We started the morning off with clouds and rain and polished off ...
be still, and know

Be Still, and Know

My goodness, what a busy spring and summer we have had here at The Three-Acre Wood! So busy, in fact, ...
fresh air

Fresh Air is Good for the Grumps

I’m always amazed at how quickly a little fresh air erases my child’s crummy moods. My little guy apparently swallowed ...
bacon in the shower

I Ate My Bacon in the Shower

Wow! What a spring! It has been an entire month since I have taken a breath long enough to write ...
40bagsin40days

40 Bags Sidelined by Spring Break

Whew! We are finally back from our nine-day whirlwind spring break tour of Oklahoma and southern Missouri, and its good ...
40 Bags in 40 Days

My 40 Bags in 40 Days Update: Day 10

Well it’s day 10 of the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge, and I have purged four total items from ...
exciting news

Morning Revelations of My Son

I was in the shower when my little guy woke up this morning with exciting news. As I poked my ...
Rest In Peace From the Hollow

Rest In Peace From the Hollow

Note: This post was written in Blue Jay Hollow (pronounced “holler”) where many of you may remember there is no ...
To Make a Mama's Heart Melt

To Make a Mama’s Heart Melt

Earlier this week I discovered that my iPhone would randomly make little memory movies using groups of photos stored on ...

Read the Bible or Bust: My Goal for the New Year

As the new year begins in earnest and we slowly come out of our evergreen scented, tinsel induced, confetti colored ...
snow

Fresh Snow Flurries and Family Fun

I’m not sure one ever outgrows the excitement of Winter’s first snow. . . now some of us get over ...
Flip Flops or Pantsuit for the D.A.R.

Flip Flops or Pantsuit for the D.A.R.

So what does one wear to her first D.A.R. meeting? Yes, this is my current quandary. Most of my knowledge ...
child

When Your Child is Not Your Child

I absolutely love it when I catch a glimpse of my child. . . well, not being my child. It ...
Gilmore Girls

A Gilmore Girls Binge, Good-bye & See You Soon

I have been binge watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix for weeks now and finally said “Bon Voyage” with the rest ...
apple core

Exactly Where Did the Apple Core Go?

After a late lunch Saturday afternoon, we decided to have PB&J’s for family dinner. My husband generously volunteered to assemble ...
free time

Hey, Where’s All My Free Time?

Whew! Where did all my new found free time go? My child has been in kindergarten for almost a month ...
Sorting Out This Kindergarten Thing

Sorting Out This Kindergarten Thing

Tomorrow my one and only child starts kindergarten. . . and I just don’t know what to say about that ...
blue ribbon

Blue Ribbon Pickles

This summer has been super busy, but somehow I did find a few minutes to enter some items in our ...
VBS jellyfish 2016

VBS Should Be a Verb

Well I’m halfway through VBS prep week and I’m happy to report that my family is neither hungry nor naked, ...
Fourth of July Parade

I Cried on the Fourth of July

Independence Day started so innocently with family breakfast on the way to the local quintessential small town parade in Parkville, ...
Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar — 80s Icon, Rock Star & Anniversary Gift

My husband gave me an awesome anniversary gift this year — tickets to see Pat Benatar. . . without him ...
water slide

Backyard Water Slide is “Young” Family Fun

I’ve heard that children keep you young. . . and now I have proof. Yesterday was, as my son calls ...

“Nothing is Wasted” — Finding the Good in the Bad

I recently added a new book to my reading list, courtesy of Beacon Hill Press. While it wasn’t the type ...
Rocking My Mama-Made World

Rocking My Mama-Made World

All Grown Up! My son’s last day of preschool Today I dropped off my son for his last day of ...

A Few Favorites for National Children’s Book Day

Saturday was National Children’s Book Day and since my son and I love to finish our day with a good ...
rock the minivan

You, Who Rock the Minivan

Sorry Ladies, He’s Taken — Hubs is Rockin’ the Minivan To all of you who completely rock the minivan, (because ...

Animal Photos and Spring at the Zoo

With a preschooler in the house, we’re finally getting a taste of spring break. Monday morning our son asked his ...
rustic wreath spool

One Little Pig and a Rustic Wreath

My little guy and I have been in my hometown for a few days to celebrate my sister’s 49th birthday ...

From Belly Buttons to Live Births

Last week on our way to swim lessons my son and I started talking about birds, mammals and cold-blooded creatures ...
weight is over

The Weight Is Over, or Not

I haven’t shared my “weight is over” progress for a month now; because, frankly, there’s absolutely nothing to report. I ...
weight is over

My Weight Loss, Week One

Well now, isn’t this embarrassing. I only lost a measly half a pound in week one of my weight loss ...

Quilting and Football

Who says quilting and football don’t go together? It was Second Saturday Sewing at church this weekend, so I dragged ...
weight is over

“The Weight is Over” — My 2016 Weight Loss Goal

So here we are, almost a week into the new year, and I’m staring my weight loss goals squarely in ...

Simplifying My New Year

In bed by 1 and out by 9 — not a bad way to start my 2016. My son did ...

Find Your Magical Moment

Here we are at the tenth of December, just a mere 15 days from Christmas, and I’m still trying to ...

Swallowing Snot

My son and I have had this drainage, coughy gunk that apparently is going around right now, where you don’t ...

We Were There!

As many of you may know by now, the Kansas City Royals won the World Series Sunday night, beating the ...

Living a Large Fall

We have been enjoying such a gorgeous fall that I’ve hardly made the time to blog at all. Amid the ...
Is Meanness a 9-1-1 Offense?

Is Meanness a 9-1-1 Offense?

My husband and I have been talking to our now five-year-old son about emergencies and dialing 9-1-1 in the event ...

Less is More Between Now and New Year

I always think of October as the gateway to the new year, probably because as soon as I start decorating ...

Eating Crow in My Mama Mobile

Disclaimer: The salesman made me put up my thumb. There’s my sweet little Jeep Patriot I traded in the background ...

Snake Encounters 101 – The Preschool Version

Before we went on our back-to-back family vacations, my husband decided to have a little talk with our son about ...

Skipping Sparks

So I have to confess, I didn’t make it to Sparks this weekend. After all the summer vacationing, I was ...

This Little Piggy Went to (the Farmer’s) Market

It is a gorgeous late summer morning here in the Midwest, so my son and I decided to trek down ...

Routines, Trains and “Naked Ladies”

Whew, the summer vacations are finally fini, and I’m home to stay for a while. After a week with my ...

Concentration Can Wait

I used to think I was a pretty good multi-tasker. . . and then my son was born, carrying a ...

VBS Is In the Books

Whew! Another wonderful VBS is in the books and I plan to put up my feet and bask in the ...
Wonderful, Crazy, Exhausting Summer?

Wonderful, Crazy, Exhausting Summer?

I’m finally home from an eight-day trek across South Dakota with my husband and son and I can’t wait to ...

Pitching a Tent in the Great Indoors

You might be a redneck, or just testing out new camping cots; but any rate, yes, that is a full-size ...
weight is over

This Tortoise Lives with a Hare

So most of you probably know the old story of The Tortoise and the Hare, where the tortoise wins a ...

My Son’s Sorrow was Mother’s Day Gift

Well I might be the last to wish all of you a Happy Mother’s Day, so here’s to all you ...
weight is over

Where Did My Metabolism Go?

What do spending four days in Oklahoma and losing weight have in common? Absolutely nothing! Well, it’s not like a ...

Windows Down and the Wind in My Hair

Yesterday I packed my bags, kissed my husband, buckled in my boy and hit the road for a few fun ...
Guys Don't Get It

Guys Don’t Get It

Sometimes guys just don’t get it. Yesterday I asked my husband to take an old metal glider to a friend’s ...
weight is over

The Giant Barn Swing Diet Plan

So week number two has come and gone, and while not nearly as impressive as week one, these past seven ...
weight is over

The Weight is Over. . . Seriously. No, Really. This Time I Mean It.

So you might remember “The Weight is Over” series I started about a year and a half ago, about losing ...

Strike Up Summer with Free Bowling for Kids

So you probably already know that last week was Spring Break here and we played host to my sister and ...

Mom Essentials: For Women of All Seasons

The church ladies and I recently finished our latest Wednesday night Bible study via the Mom Essentials, 10 Words Successful ...
"Hate" is a Four-Year-Old Letter Word

“Hate” is a Four-Year-Old Letter Word

Every now and then I catch a glimpse of unexpected assurance that our four-year-old son is actually soaking up a ...
Poplessness for World Peace (or My First Attempt at Lent)

Poplessness for World Peace (or My First Attempt at Lent)

I’ve decided to give up soda for Lent. No , I haven’t converted to Catholicism, Lutheran, Presbyterian or any other ...

My Perfectly Not-So-Romantic Valentine’s Day

Well, I can’t say it was the most romantic Valentine’s Day ever, but it definitely was a good one because ...

Swim Lessons, Crying and a Mom’s Camera

So our four-year-old son finally started swim lessons last week. It was not pretty. I knew he would be anxious, ...

Going Down in Flames on Three

I almost got to three this weekend, as in “you better do as I say by the count of three, ...

Family Traditions — A Mom’s Responsibility?

When I recall my own family traditions from childhood,  I’m instantly flooded with wonderful memories and good feelings previously pushed into the ...

My 2015 Resolutions: A Step in the Right Direction

So it’s the season of resolutions, and I began these days of goal setting by focusing on three areas of ...

The Christmas Octopus

I get it now. . . I get the overnighted skates from Canada, I get the paying twice the price, ...

The Bait and Switch Christmas Tree

We opted for a real tree this year and planned a whole family outing to the local farm complete with ...

Snow Day, Snow Night

Yesterday was the first snow day of the season, so along with completely nixing my regularly scheduled plans, I was ...

You Say It’s Your Birthday

I celebrated my birthday at Dave & Buster’s last night with my favorite two boys. Today is another birthday for me ...

10 Reasons Women Shouldn’t Play Fantasy Football

Well, regular season football officially began last night and while my fantasy team is still waiting to get out of ...

Come On Four

Well there you have it. Just two months shy of my son’s fourth birthday and I just received my first, ...

My Blue Jay Getaway

I’m finally back from the Hollow (pronounced holler) after a week away with my family. When I say “away,” that’s ...

Off the Shelf — Live Inspired Book 2

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest and personal opinions. I’m finally getting the ...

Auction Lover Off the Ol’ Block

I introduced my three-year-old son to the auction last week and can I just say, “I’m so proud.” He kept ...

Does God Have Bones (and Other Things My Three Year Old Wants to Know)

The other night as bedtime came (and passed) I was finally drifting off to sleep in a quiet house, when ...

A Book in Hand — Letters from Skye

Yesterday was the first truly spring-weathered day we’ve had this year and what a gloriously welcomed one it was. My ...
His Social Graces are no Match for His Vocabulary

His Social Graces are no Match for His Vocabulary

So we’re entering a new phase in our family — the turn thirty shades of red because your three-year-old just ...

You are What You Watch?

Our three-year-old son loves minions. He has never seen Despicable Me, but who doesn’t love a little yellow guy with ...

I Found a Head of Lettuce on My Kitchen Floor

Okay, so I admit it. December is kicking my tail. It’s not necessarily the Christmas of it all, but the ...
Toys in Heaven

Toys in Heaven

My husband, three-year-old son and I were watching an animated movie this week, and a character in the show passed ...
The Nightmares of My Toddler

The Nightmares of My Toddler

Do your kids ever wake up crying in the night? As a parent, I know it must have been a ...

Choosing Chores for Our Toddler

This morning my husband started sorting laundry and our ornery three year old immediately started wallowing around in the filthy, ...

Angie Harmon is My Political Sister

I recently read an article in the September issue of More magazine and just had to share a little bit ...
Poop in the Parking Lot

Poop in the Parking Lot

Yes, we’re still potty training. Still. Our little guy seems to get the ”pee pee” part of this whole process, ...

A Long Time Ago in an Oklahoma Town

It’s an even day, and look, here’s my newest post for the September Sapphire Even Day Blog Challenge. Hopefully I’ll ...
Are You Ready for Some Football?

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Call me Commish. Yes, as in commissioner. . . commissioner of our new fantasy football league. My husband and I ...

Bye Bye, Baby Bed

I go to bed in mourning. We broke down our only child’s baby bed this afternoon and made way for ...

Being a 40-Something Dirty Girl

I finally put my money (and ego) on the line and registered for the Dirty Girl Mud Run taking place ...
A Fine Thursday in Topeka

A Fine Thursday in Topeka

It was “Take Your Toddler to School Day” for my niece’s parenting class, so I dropped off my son at ...
Daddy Loves Water Babies, Momma Hates Shaving

Daddy Loves Water Babies, Momma Hates Shaving

It’s Water Babies time again, and I think I’ve finally figured out why my husband gets so excited that I’m ...
drive thru lane

Double Drive Thru: Here’s How it Works

Here is some quick drive thru etiquette for those of you who don’t quite know how to navigate the double ...
Better than Sick Leave

Better than Sick Leave

I’m not suppose to get sick — I’m the mama. But since my husband brought home some funky germs and ...
Amtrak

Amtrak Made Me Cool

Two of our nieces spent a couple of their spring break days with us this week, and I frantically searched ...
This Dude’s a Doll

This Dude’s a Doll

My sister-in-law arrived last night bearing gifts for my son, one of which was a Ken doll — yes, as ...
Running Like Forrest

Running Like Forrest

I’ve heard of this thing called a” Runner’s High” but what I really want to know is if there is ...
Warning: Inappropriate Use of Anatomically Correct Vocabulary

Warning: Inappropriate Use of Anatomically Correct Vocabulary

Don’t even ask where the conversation started, but my two-year-old son now knows the existence of “boobies” (thanks honey). In ...

Who Knew PBS Rocks

I visited my Mom several days this week, and she is one of those people in this world who refuses ...
Tag, You’re the Parent

Tag, You’re the Parent

Kudos to single parents — I don’t know how you do it sometimes. . . especially when your child does ...
Dinner and a Show

Dinner and a Show

Stop by our house at any given time and you are sure to see a show. Yes, my husband and ...

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