Colorado Crockers

I just watched a TED talk (which I am completely addicted to, by the way) about finding your life's purpose in under 5 minutes. Now, if that isn't worth doing than nothing is! And seeing how it is 1 am and my children are asleep and my brain is not, I might as well tackle the meaning of my life. Ready? 1. Who are you? Hi, my name is Gretchen. I am a daughter of a King, wife to Matt, mother of 4 beautiful children under the age of 8, a teacher, a friend, a sister and daughter. I am a seeker of truth and asker of questions. I am a ridiculously idealist cynic. I am passionately reserved and an extrovert who needs her space. I am a jack of all trades but master of none. 2. What do you (love to) do? (i.e. what are you supremely qualified to teach other people?) I like to cook but I don't like to follow recipes and there is a good chance I like to cook because I REALLY like to eat. I like to sew but I don't really know how to use a pattern and I usually only sew...

I was single parenting this week. I have a fair amount of experience in this, generally it goes well. Our hardest moments revolve around leaving the house. This makes having to be ready and in the car at a bit after 8 on Monday for school a bit of a circus. This Monday was no different. I had made the girls cinnamon toast, completely forgetting that Addilyn doesn't love it. She politely asked for plain toast and I told her that was fine. By the time breakfast 2.0 was ready for her, she was dressed and ready to walk out the door. Fast forward about 5 minutes and 1 piece of jelly toast later... I am not sure how a 5 year old girl even manages to make as big of mess as she did with 1 piece of toast. Apparently, some of the jelly slid off her toast and instead of licking her fingers or grabbing napkin, she proceeded to wipe her hands on her khakis...and her new shirt...and face...and even in her hair. It was 1 piece of toast. It required a full wardrobe change and sponge bath. ...

My 8 year old has a rockin' thigh gap. Not familiar with thigh gap? You must not be a tween aged girl or fitness obsessed 20 something. Google the term, you will get some pictures of what some call beauty. Lucky for me, my 8 year old doesn't know it is considered cool to have said thigh gap. She also doesn't know that the "cool kids" are often the ones who pretend they don't care about school, she doesn't know what a rainbow loom is, or that clothing from Justice is in for kids her age. She is into legos and robots, superhero comics and American girl dolls. Because she is 8. She has never had a "boy friend" or even pretended to, but she has a lot of little boys she like to talk about minecraft with. Maybe it is because we homeschool, maybe it is her personality, whatever it is, I am pretty sure I can take no credit for her general disinterest in things that are popular. Her drummer beats and she happily marches on beat. I struggle with th...

I have found myself not posting much lately. Obviously, since the last time I wrote was JULY! Despite moving cross country, living in the in between for over a month while single parenting, getting the kids enrolled in school, homeschooling, painting and updating a new house, and getting a bunny, I have stopped writing because my internal editor has been working over time. See, I process in my head and refine ideas in my writing. When I don't have time to write, and thus refine, I find I avoid it least it seem unfinished. So this is me, getting over myself. I will write half thoughts, drop terribly unbaked ideas, and subject you all to all types of  drivel  that may not make a drop of sense. You have been warned. So today is Eliana's 8th birthday. I am afraid up until this point I have learned more from being a parent that I have possible been able to pour into this kid. I get the better part of this deal, hands down. I hope that maybe MY learning will slow down so I...