by Devon Barta on May 15, 2013
Today’s post is written by Happiest Home contributor and resident book reviewer Devon Barta of The Paperhouse. Enjoy!
Last week was a tough week.
We had four t-ball games, four gymnastics rehearsals that lead up to one gymnastic recital, gobs of work to check off a never-ending list for a local group I’m involved in, a stint as a fill-in editor for the local newspaper and all of the other normal-week stuff we ordinarily do.
I was at my max physically, and it was taking its toll emotionally.
So when Brock approached me for what felt like the 1,057th time to ask, “Will you puhleeze play Uno with me again,” I snapped.
And not the exasperated, palm-over-the-phone, “no honey, I’m working right now” brush off. I mean the bulging-eyes, frizzed-out hair, no-more-wire-hangers kind of snap.
Over a request for a ten-minute game of Uno by my five-year-old son.
And now that I think about it, his request might not have been as whiney as I’m making it out to be. In fact, I think it was a simple question, “Hey, Mom. Wanna play some Uno? I’ll bet’cha an ice cream I’ll win.”
He was tired of getting pushed aside by the chime of my phone and the bing of my email. He just wanted his mom. [click to continue…]
by Devon Barta on March 20, 2013
Today’s post is written by Happiest Mom contributor and resident book reviewer Devon Barta of The Paperhouse. Enjoy!
When it comes to children’s books, it’s nearly impossible to go wrong.
While in the earliest stages of reading, as long as children are interested in words, the formation of sentences, grammar rules and how stories affect our outlook, I believe just about any book will suffice.
Books are a child’s first instrument of education. And children’s books are usually the first time a curtain is pulled back, offering our children a glimpse at not just new cultures, worlds and characters but at actual words, rules and structure.
As long as they are reading something – a colorful board book, a whimsical Dr. Seuss rhyme or – a surprisingly pleasant read – Diary of a Wimpy Kid – language and stories are filtering through and having their first shot of settling into developing minds.
There are so many excellent kids’ books flooding the market that sometimes it’s hard to sit down and pick one to write about – or, in this case, gush over. The truth is, how good a book is really depends on the level and stage of development a child is in. But no one book has withstood the test of time or developmental stages in our home like Herve’ Tullet’s book, Press Here. [click to continue…]
by Devon Barta on December 13, 2012
Today’s post is written by Happiest Mom contributor and resident book reviewer Devon Barta of The Paperhouse. Enjoy!
The other day Jack told me that he wanted soup for lunch, that he wanted homemade soup with real carrots in it.
When I asked him why his request was so specific, he said because “Power Rangers eat homemade soup with real carrots, so if I eat the same things they do I’ll finally become a real Power Ranger and not just a boy wanting to be a Power Ranger.”
He stressed the words finally and just as if being a Power Ranger was something he had been dreaming of for a long, long time. Chances are, he probably has. [click to continue…]
by Devon Barta on October 17, 2012
For nearly thirty-five years I have never known how to pronounce the word chic. I knew what it meant, of course – stylish, trendy, cutting-edge – I just thought it was pronounced “chick.” And whenever I heard someone referring to something as chic in the fashion sense, I assumed the word they were using was spelled “sheik,” which of course conjured up images of this ….
… and would make me giggle.
As funny as this is, there are serious implications to consider. [click to continue…]
by Devon Barta on August 24, 2012
I’m very excited to bring you another installment of our monthly(ish) book essays from guest contributor Devon Barta!
My husband and I are just about to update the floors in our spare bedroom. They are currently covered in an olive green carpet that appears to have been around since before the Second World War.
Alex has a knack for refinishing hardwood floors, and I just about squealed when he agreed that we could get started on the project this weekend. The only problem? The room is currently being used as our go-to catchall, which means that a lot needs to happen before the real transformation can begin.
And by a lot I mean everything: All of the furniture must be removed and stored somewhere. But before we can get to that, all of the clothing and miscellaneous items covering said furniture must be removed and stored somewhere. And, while we’re sifting through that we’re sure to find a few trinkets and some oh-that’s-where-those-have-been types of items that now must be relocated, which of course takes even more time. And, heck, now that the room is cleaned out (but before the new floors are started) we might as well take the time to paint the walls, which are the same pukey shade of olive green as the carpet. [click to continue…]
by Devon Barta on July 10, 2012
I’m very excited to bring you another installment of our monthly(ish) book reviews from guest contributor Devon Barta! As usual Devon does a wonderful job drawing comparisons between literature and how it relates to her life as a mother. I hope you’ll read her essay on what this book taught her about mothering and fear.
One of the beautiful things about motherhood is that even though it comes with a new set of skills to learn and a new life to build, it also comes with heightened emotions, almost like a package deal. The emotions are there to guide us, filling us with the passion required for the task of raising children. And most are actually helpful.
Some, however, are duplicitous – like fear. [click to continue…]
by Devon Barta on May 25, 2012
Today, I’m excited to bring you something new – a book review by contributor Devon Barta. I hope you enjoy!
When I first became a mom, I heard “take care of yourself,” casually thrown my way, too many times to count. But it wound up being one of the first pieces of advice I tossed out the proverbial window.
Putting my own needs on the back burner felt right at the time, which I guess was due to my maternal instincts kicking in and forcing me to focus only on my children. But before long, I realized that all my self-sacrifice was causing me to wear down far too quickly – so I started to take the saying seriously.
I got my act together, exercised when I could, watched what I ate – and after a year had lost the whopping 80 pounds I gained while pregnant with my twin sons. Then to my surprise and utter joy, I found out I was pregnant again. The next nine months came and went, and I found myself back in the same position as two years before, 55 pounds heavier and never finding time to exercise or eat right.
Until I discovered running. [click to continue…]
