Traditions
Donut Day
The arrival of each new child in a family is a blessing; unless you happen to be one of the kids who already staked a claim in that territory. Claim jumping is serious business. It’s hard not to feel a little displaced when everyone’s so focused on the new guy. We tried to be sensitive … Continue reading
Being Someone
Most of us want to belong. It provides us with the security of being part of something bigger than ourselves, but it also gives us a sense of identity. When Gerrit was about 6, he got a Batman costume for Halloween. Then Karen’s mom made a Robin costume for Tuck by hand. It was amazing. … Continue reading
EEeee!
Our family has lots of code words. Many of them began with things the boys said incorrectly when they were young and we just adopted them as our personal alternatives to the correct phrases. Others grew out of a desire to be discrete. When our boys needed to use the bathroom they often said they … Continue reading
Milestones
Growing up involves many milestones. The first few tend to be moments that inspire family videos and excited phone calls to grandparents. Our first laugh, first words, and first steps are enormously important events in our development, and they deserve to be celebrated, but most of us probably aren’t particularly aware at the time that … Continue reading
Rite of Passage – the preparation
We decided to hold the Rite of Passage for each of our boys when they turned fifteen. We knew that when they turned sixteen, and started to drive on their own, our opportunities for impacting their lives would decrease dramatically. Freedom is an exciting and powerful privilege, and we wanted to make sure that they … Continue reading
