by Erica Johns | Apr 23, 2015 | Mom to Mom, photography
Photo credit: Nicholas Nixon
I was really moved by this seemingly simple photography collection. Â
The premise is simple:
Four sisters get their picture taken once a year for forty years.
They don’t dress specially.
They don’t pose.
They don’t even smile in most of them.
And yet……wow! Â The passage of time. Â The emotions that come forth.
Go take a look at these, and see if you aren’t also moved by them.
What do you see? Â What do you feel? Â This is a free writing opportunity for you, my friend.
So many people are interested in photography these days, and I think it’s a wonderful skill to develop. Â This collection seems to me a reminder that sometimes there is great depth in an ordinary, unfussy subject matter.
by Erica Johns | Apr 21, 2015 | Mom to Mom
I love, love, love to spend time with other homeschool moms that have their radars up for ways to enrich their homeschools and family life, so I created the Enrichment Lifestyle group on Facebook. This space is meant to be shared by home educating women that want to encourage each other, share ideas and cool enriching stuff, make some new friends, laugh, and have a fun space to share the ups and downs of the homeschool journey.
Want to give it a try? Â Come on over and request to join. Â It’s free and convenient. Â I’d love to get to hang out with you there!
by Erica Johns | Apr 9, 2015 | Mom to Mom, True Confessions
*Why True Confessions? Because we’ve all been there and it helps to know we aren’t alone. (And if you haven’t? Well, good for you. Your turn is coming. lol We’ll keep the lights on for ya.)
Me: “How is it that you can’t do 48 minus 30?”
kid: “Because 48 is bigger than 30.”
Me: “Yes, it has to be. If you had 48 dollars and I took 30 away, how many dollars would be left?
kid: -staring-
Me: “If you had 48 pieces of cake and I ate 30 of them, how many pieces of would be left?”
kid: -staring-
Me: “If I had just 48 brain cells left, and then I lost 30 of them while trying to do math with you, how many brain cells would I have left?”
kid: “Ha ha ha. Very funny.” (finally writes answer on paper)
Got any True Confessions to share today? Â It’s Go Time.
[mashshare]
by Erica Johns | Feb 17, 2015 | Connection Points, Mom to Mom
Do you tweet? Â I want to know about it!
I’ve taken a few stabs at Twitter over the years, and I’m always kind of horrified at how…..commercial the whole thing seems. Â Everybody is just kind of hollerin’ away about their stuff all helter-skelter. Â Who reads that mess?
I guess quite a few people do, or so I’m told.
Well, I’d like to fine my twitter tribe: Â YOU. Â I can see that it would be fun to tell each other funny or interesting stuff throughout the day. Â It might even be fun to know what you had for breakfast. Â (maybe not. Â depends.) Â I’d care if I knew that your kids were down with the flu. Â You might like some of the stuff I’d share, too.
So, hey–if you’re over there, follow me and I’ll follow you*Â and let’s see if we can make all this tweeting as awesome as it supposedly is. Â OK?
*Who will I follow?  My Enrichment Lifestyle peeps.  So if I see that you are a homeschool mom or somebody else that makes sense, yup–I’ll follow you until I can’t follow anybody else.  If you’re some spambot-thingamajig that showed up here by happenstance and you tweet about viagra or diet pills or timeshares, I won’t follow you, and you don’t need to follow me.  Fair enough?
by Erica Johns | Feb 15, 2015 | Mom to Mom
After playing out in the snow, kids deserve a nice cup of hot cocoa, and this recipe makes the very best!
I’ve got two variations for you. Â Traditional, and the Healthier version!
Traditional:
3.5 cups of milk
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1/3 of a cup of sugar
dash of salt
Healthier:
3.5 cups of organic milk or any milk alternative (coconut milk, rice milk, etc.)
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder  (I like this type here)
2/3 of a cup of coconut sugar  (I use this kind)
dash of sea salt
The Instructions are the same either way:
1. Â Heat milk either on the stove top or in the microwave til warm/hot as you like it.
2. Â Whisk in the dry ingredients until smooth.
3. Â Enjoy with or without mini marshmallows and peppermint sticks!
by Erica Johns | Feb 15, 2015 | Mom to Mom, The Winds of Inspiration
We are expecting a big snow here in central Kentucky. Â Starting after midnight tonite the snow should begin to fall, and not stop until we have 8-15 inches, or so the weather people say. Â This is big snow for Kentuckians (and yeah, I grew up in Syracuse, NY so yes I DO know about BIG snow!) and very exciting for our kids.
We are ready to make the most of it.
We bought extra milk, since of course I’ll need to make lots of homemade hot cocoa.  🙂
We bought a couple more sleds so that we could have plenty of races.
We got some more pairs of gloves to keep fingers cozy.
And you know what? Â The Winds of Inspiration have come to me, and what did they say?
After-Midnight Sledding Party!
Oh yeah, baybee! Â (Because you know, The Winds of Inspiration are not to be denied!)
Once we get enough snow on the ground tonite, we’re going out to our backyard hill to make some epic memories. Â I am so excited, and so are my kids!
Fellow parents, ponder this: Â
Our kids get one childhood, and we get to spend it with them.
 There are no do-overs. Â
When you get the opportunity to do something
crazy
fun
unexpected
wonderful
and special
clear the deck and say
YES
as much as you can. Â
It is life-giving. Â
You’ll be making memories with your kids that are
gold
and
glue
for now and forever.
