Mid-Scroll Musings

We're still months away from our month in France, but this trip already feels very real. I've been spending a LOT of time relearning French. It's been surprisingly cool to discover that some of the vocabulary and verb conjugations are still buried somewhere deep in my brain. I've been watching some fantastic French-learning TikTok accounts and listening to “slow French” podcasts, and I'm focusing less on studying French and more on actually getting used to hearing and speakin

A month in France sounds pretty dreamy. And it is. But we're not magically pressing pause on our normal lives for 32 days. We're giving some things up to make this happen.

Getting three kids excited about spending a month in France has been...interesting. My boys are completely on board. My 7-year-old isn't worrying about spending all day at a camp where he may not understand much of what the other kids are saying. He's focused on one thing: It's a soccer camp. In FRANCE. So as far as he's concerned, this is basically the greatest idea I've ever had. My ever-growing, always hungry 13-year-old is also excited. His primary focus? The food. Not wo

If you’re just finding this series, we’re taking our 3 kids to France for a month next summer, and I’m documenting the whole process—from why we’re doing it to choosing where we’ll stay, figuring out the budget, and eventually getting on that plane. Start with Why We’re Taking Our Three Kids to France for the Summer to get the full story behind the trip. This part of planning our month in France has been really hard for me. Because if we're going to be there for 30+ days, sho

If you’re just finding this series, we’re taking our 3 kids to France for a month next summer, and I’m documenting the whole process—from why we’re doing it to choosing where we’ll stay, figuring out the budget, and eventually getting on that plane. Start with Why We’re Taking Our Three Kids to France for the Summer to get the full story behind the trip. When I say we're spending a month in France, I don't really think of it as a 32-day vacation. That's not how I'm planning i

If you’re just finding this series, we’re taking our 3 kids to France for a month next summer, and I’m documenting the whole process—from why we’re doing it to choosing where we’ll stay, figuring out the budget, and eventually getting on that plane. Start with Why We’re Taking Our Three Kids to France for the Summer to get the full story behind the trip. One of the first questions I know people think when I tell them we’re going to France for a month next summer: How much is

If you’re just finding this series, we’re taking our 3 kids to France for a month next summer, and I’m documenting the whole process—from why we’re doing it to choosing where we’ll stay, figuring out the budget, and eventually getting on that plane. Start with Why We’re Taking Our Three Kids to France for the Summer to get the full story behind the trip. Once I decided we could actually spend a month in Europe, I had one pretty big question to answer: Where? My first two opti

I don't think there is ever a perfect time to do something like this. And I don’t think most people (myself included) ever even think about doing something like this, except for the moments when you’re watching Under the Tuscan Sun or reading Eat, Pray, Love. But there are windows. And right now, I happen to be in one. Next summer, we're taking our 3 kids to France for over a month. It’s not for a whirlwind European vacation where we try to see everything, check every bo

Every Monday, I log into each of my kids’ school accounts (as them) and check their teachers’ agendas for the week. The teachers are technically required to update each class period. In reality? That’s… optimistic. But Mondays usually give me something, even if it’s incomplete. And I can typically see what tests or quizzes might be coming up, as well as what assignments are due this week. Then I dig into their modules . Because when teachers aren’t updating agendas, the assi

It’s early, and nothing is indicative of what’s going to happen down the road, but getting started can feel both hopeful and scary. So here’s my honest observation from week 1. Week One Takeaways (lowest dose) 1. I Lost 5 Pounds The scale dropped about five pounds in the first week. We’re likely not talking about fat loss. It's probably a mix of reduced bloating, inflammation, and water weight. But considering I spent the entire month of January ‘back on track’ and couldn’t t

One of the biggest questions people have (and honestly, one of the most confusing parts) is how to actually access GLPs. Your doctor doesn’t think you’ll qualify, or doesn’t want to give it to you. You try to get it by prescription and it’s $1000 a month. You see ads all over your feeds for online companies and have no idea what is legit. The decision fatigue is real. So how do you actually access a GLP if insurance doesn’t cover it? I want to share what I did, because I thin

I’ve Always Been “Fit-ish”… But the Charts Never Agreed I have always been someone who is “fit-ish” - I was a competitive swimmer until I was 14, did travel volleyball, and ran and hit the gym as an adult. All this, and my size has ranged from a 10-14 over the years. Never truly ‘fat,’ but always somehow overweight according to the charts. The Lab Result That Changed Everything Just before turning 40, my fasting glucose was 99. This is still technically “normal” but for me, i

Memory boxes made by campers at ComfortZoneCamp Losing a parent is a wound that doesn’t heal the same way as other loss. It doesn't seem to ever close, and when it re-opens, it can even challenge you in new ways. For a teen, grief often shows up in flickers — sudden silence, frustration, withdrawal, or bursts of emotion. As the surviving parent (or caregiver), you may feel both inadequate and fiercely protective. Somewhere in the middle is the work: holding space, speaking tr

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