Author: Tamara Griepp

Disconnected Reconnection

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When we bought our lake condo, we decided not to install TVs there. Until Julianna was 4 we didn’t have one at home, and there are ways in which we miss the absence of one (though we are thankful for the distractive quality of it, and for Blippi of course 😉), so it followed to forsake the TV in our getaway place. The first few stayovers, the kids would get bored and ask for a show, and we would shrug and suggest an activity, to their many protestations. This Christmas week was the first time they didn’t ask. (Oh, what Continue Reading …

Sankta Lucia

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Luciakrona, Starboy hat, pepparkakor, and Dala Horse gummies (just for fun) are ready for our early risers. This year, Julianna and Elijah have set an alarm so they can bring Mommy and Daddy treats in bed to celebrate Sankta Lucia day tomorrow. Next year maybe we’ll make Lussekatter to add to the tradition, but this is a good start!

Climb On!

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Seeing these kiddos climb to the top amazes me! They struggle, question their journey (“Is this high enough? Can I come down now?”), stand still for a while on the way up with legs SHAKING from exertion…but they continue on. I think I love this so much for them because it is life. This is me, every day. I want to rise, but I get stuck along the way. Don’t we all? And still, we rise through the struggles, all in our own time.

Summer Reflection

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Last night I was so incredibly tired, not from lack of sleep (Tim owns that sort of tired), but from a summer of activity and moderating and mediating, that I sat down in bed right after we got the kids to sleep and didn’t get up again. This morning, when I went downstairs to get breakfast started, I was greeted with yesterday’s mail, including the memory book from our RV trip in June, and it is Beautiful!!! It brought back all the feelings: the quiet, the excitement, the joy, the satisfaction, and the wonder of that time. As the moments Continue Reading …

You can do it all by yourself.

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I am so impressed with this little girl (all the time)!! She has been asking to make banana bread from a recipe she found in The Little Big Book for Moms, and today she did it! This is a failing of mine, but when my kids have previously asked to help in the kitchen, I have said no. Cooking isn’t my strength, so I struggle even more managing little hands and feet in the space. Today, I said, “Yes, you can do it all by yourself. Let me know if you need help.” And she did it all by herself! Continue Reading …

Tuzigoot National Monument and Sedona

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I think we broke our internal clocks at Grand Canyon. Or maybe we passed through the Arizona vortex and that did it. All I know is that 11:21 p.m. last night, when we rolled in from the day trip to Tuzigoot National Monument and Sedona, it occurred to me that we had been at least three hours late for life since our return from that amazingly large hole in the ground. Children were asleep everywhere. No pajamas this time (because we were planning to be home in time for dinner). And even though it was the last time we’d see Continue Reading …

A Grand Adventure

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Each time we tried to discuss our ambitious plans to take the day trip, our brains froze. We truly got no further than “put them in the RV, have lots of food and water, and follow the navigation.” Tim and I brought our family to Scottsdale to see our dear friends, Julie and Aron, who had just moved here. Our visit had been set for a while; the whole RV plan was truly last minute, but transformed the entire journey from Trip to Adventure, and yesterday was no different. So without a set idea of where we’d stop for gas Continue Reading …

Monahan’s Sandhills State Park

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  The children slept snuggled together last night, falling asleep before we reached Monahans Sandhills. As we arrived and looked out into the dark, we knew they would love it, and we were not disappointed in their reaction!   Julianna charged off to climb and slide, then ran back and led Theo to the tops of the dunes.   Theo followed willingly when led, a bit nervous about the wind and the blowing sand, and when given a moment, crawled and dug.   Elijah discovered an abandoned kite and, after daddy showed him how to get it into the air, Continue Reading …

The fun has begun for our family of five!!

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The fun has begun for our family of five!! This is our first vacation in a few years, and I think we got it started right, with fresh cups of coffee and a fridge full of food. I had fun lightly decorating the RV last night (I’ll post pictures here or on Instagram @thehouseofgriepp of that) and making everything slide-proof, so the kiddos can play Legos and crafts at the table without everything rolling off. They’ve been busy since we left at 9:30!