Here’s a guest post from writer, Sophie Samuel. If you’d like to write a guest post for The Daily ReTORt, check out the guidelines here: Children are an integral part of a family and a home. A newly married couple waits anxiously for the birth of their first child and for more thereafter. We all love sound of little feet running around the house, the mischief and prank, the unbridled laughter and so many other joys that only kids can give. Now what exactly is the role of kids … [Read more...]
November 11, 2012 By 3 Comments
The Joy of a Laughing Baby
There is something magical about a baby laughing - especially when it's your own. On Friday evening, we were sitting in the living room with our three kids ages 11 and 8 years along with our newborn of four months. Our boy was on my lap while I was twirling one of his toys in mid-air and he was laughing to beat the band. I tried to finagle my iPhone out and record some of his jovial sounds, the :60 seconds below is what I captured. I just wanted to share a few moments of this … [Read more...]
October 13, 2012 By 1 Comment
A Funny Parenting Rap (because it’s true)
One of the best things about family is the fact that it serves as a never-ending stream of laughs and funny material - as well as an instant audience for both parents and kids. The link below is to an entertaining rap about the joys, pitfalls and pratfalls of parenting. If you are a parent (or even had parents) there are some funky lyrics in this rap that should be able to relate to. Additionally, one of the things that's so appealing to me about this type of video is that the jokey … [Read more...]
September 28, 2012 By 14 Comments
Great Expectations (as a parent)
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of an online writing acquaintance of mine, Erin Hatton. She's a blogger and fiction writer, other details about her are listed below but the most important factoid is that she's a mother of four kids. She writes about expectations of parents for themselves and their children - a topic that I've written about before - but Erin has a unique perspective. If you’d like to submit a guest post yourself, here are … [Read more...]
August 14, 2012 By 6 Comments
3 Things Parents Need to Stop Doing
Our two oldest daughters will begin another school year in just a couple of weeks. With that comes the annual ritual of obligatory school clothes shopping. Our girls are ages eight and ten respectively - clearly falling within the coveted marketing group called "tweens." Purchasing Power of Tweens Believe it or not, these youngster girls number more than 20 million in the U.S. and have an estimated buying power of more than $40 billion collectively. That number gets quadrupled by … [Read more...]
August 1, 2012 By 12 Comments
When Your Child has Cancer…
Our sweet Sarah was just six when she was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma. Our family's world was shaken. Our foundations were rocked. Our grief was incalculable. Life and Death in a Song One day shortly after Sarah's diagnosis, I was running some errands and listening to the radio when a song called Untitled Hymn started playing. It beautifully described all the different chapters we go through in life and finished up with a verse about the end of life. It closed with the … [Read more...]
July 31, 2012 By 9 Comments
Theology is no Substitute for Waiting Under an Oak
I have an eight-year-old son now. He’s skinny, like I was. He’s (mostly) gentle, a rule follower, and he prefers playing with Legos by himself in his bedroom and please stay out unless you are offering food. Check, check and check – just like I used to be. Practicing the Ritual of Waiting I remember late on Saturday afternoons, when I was his age, I would hear my dad shouting out of the farmhouse. His voice moved like a ripple. I scrambled toward the house as fast as I could, … [Read more...]
July 30, 2012 By 20 Comments
No More Mr. Nice Guy
One of the reasons I love being married is that I don't have to play the dating game anymore. I won. However, there was a time when I thought I would die alone and wrinkly. As a rehabilitated "nice guy" I'm here to offer some hope for anyone stuck in the dating morass. Nice Guy Syndrome First, some quick background. I grew up with military parents, strict discipline, attended church and was raised to be chivalrous. You know, holding doors, pulling out chairs and all that - a modern … [Read more...]
July 26, 2012 By 7 Comments
Nothing Makes Me Feel More Like an Idiot than Parenting
My kids are weird. Having my husband and I for parents really leaves them with no other option. Odd is hard-wired in their DNA. If you follow me on Twitter you've seen some of the stuff they say because I can't keep it to myself. The world has to know. Like: Daughter: "What's a catheter?" I explain... "OH NO! I am never asking you anything again!" or Me: "Son, you're putting your pants on backwards." Him: "Don't judge me." Matter-of-Fact Belligerence Probably my … [Read more...]
July 25, 2012 By 7 Comments
10 Tips to Dating over 30
I’ve been at this a few years. I’ve tried online dating and dating friends of friends. I’ve tried dating people I’ve known for years and people I’ve just met. I’ve learned a lot from the experience, including that just because he says he’ll call doesn’t mean he will (Yes, I realize perhaps that should have been obvious). So here are some of my insights in case they help any of you who find yourselves dating during the years when some cultures relegate you permanently to … [Read more...]
