By Macaile Hutt As a pediatric therapist, I feel so incredibly honored and thankful that I get to watch my sweet patients learn, grow, change, and become strong, brave, independent little people. I get a front row seat to so many special events and milestones in each and every one
By Jessie Horney My oldest child keeps losing her teeth, one tiny white chiclet after another twisting out and leaving gaping holes behind. Most recently, she lost one of her top front teeth and I held it in my hand for a long time afterwards, turning it over and examining
By Mindy Scott The captain of a ship has a very special role. He (or she) is responsible for the navigation of the ship and decides the direction the people on the ship will be going. He decides when and where to stop and has the responsibility to keep the
By Beth Markley I love scary stories. Love, love, love them. Until they get the better of me. The only time I ever got in trouble for reading anything I wasn’t supposed to was in the 5th grade. It was a loaned copy of “The Amityville Horror” I kept hidden
By Ruth Anna Spooner Watercolor is a notoriously challenging medium to paint in, but 9-year-old Claire thrives on it. Moving with precise and sure strokes, her small hand grips a fine brush as she adds the final flourishes to her latest masterpiece: a picture of orcas swimming in drippy swirls
By Sarah Lyons Having a sibling with special needs is a unique experience that provides both challenges and benefits. While there is no doubt that children love their siblings with special needs, the feelings that can arise during childhood are often complicated. The love, appreciation, and compassion they feel towards
By Jessie Horney When I take my kids to the playground, I have two options: 1. Follow them around and remind them to be careful. 2. Mostly ignore them and trust their intincts to keep them safe. We live in Meridian, the part of the valley lined with copycat subdivisions,
By Macaile Hutt Surprise! Just as you finally fell into a groove with your summer routine, it’s time to get back into a school routine and change everything up again. Ah, the joys of parenting. If you’re noticing extra behaviors, meltdowns, and changes in your child’s demeanor, you’re not alone.
By Sandy McDaniel School is starting earlier and earlier these days, so your precious children are probably immersed in surviving and learning. School should only be about learning, and we have subjected our children to hours of brainwashing by the media, wherein violence becomes both accepted and natural. When children
The following information is provided by Wednesday’s Child, an organization that helps Idaho foster children find permanent homes. Lovable and endearing are the first impressions you will have about Adrian, age 8, after spending just a short amount of time with this sweet, funny boy. Watching Adrian’s joyful excitement over
Many people close to me know the story of 2001. It was my senior year in high school, I had a serious girlfriend who I had just proposed to and a bright future of education and exploring the world. That was until we found out my girlfriend was pregnant. All
By Mindy Scott As moms, we are in the service business. We are in high demand, and needs are abundant. Somedays I feel like a waitress writing down (mentally) what each person needs and making a way to fufill the request. But sometimes I forget to write down MY order.
By Sandy McDaniel There are a lot of grandparents in the Treasure Valley; some of them cherish being a grandparent, some of them don’t. Some grandparents are not welcomed by the family to participate in the growth and development of their family. I am the grandmother of four grandchicks, as
By Bethany Camp This is one of my all-time favorite recipes when I am looking for something similar to pasta but don’t necessarily want to load up on processed carbohydrates. It’s a Moroccan-inspired dish with a ton of flavor. The “meatballs” are made with chickpeas so they are packed with
By Brandy Yearous It is hard to think of shabby chic home décor without using a farmhouse or barn window accent piece. The trouble is real windows are heavy, very expensive and are usually covered in toxic lead paint. We’ve come up with an easy solution that not only makes
By Beth Markley As I write this, it’s mid-summer and time to face facts: we have a kid bound for college in the fall, and I have some things to do to prepare. He’s not going to be close, either. He won’t be coming home on weekends to eat home-cooked
By Mary Ann Wilcox For the first three years of my life, I lived in a large, 10-room farmhouse on a sizable piece of property in southern California. When I was 3, my mother, father, brother and I moved from that spacious house into a 27-foot trailer with one bedroom
By Macaile Hutt With summer upon us and temperatures increasing, it can be difficult to find ways to stay active while still staying cool. It’s important for little bodies to stay moving and active, particularly in the summer months when school is out of session. To avoid becoming stagnant and
Josh beats a Rubik’s Cube every time The following information is provided by Wednesday’s Child, an organization that helps Idaho foster children find permanent homes. Getting to know 15-year-old Josh is a rewarding experience. Not only will you be amazed at his ability to solve a Rubik’s Cube in under
The Horney Village The connection from fireworks to Christmas Cutline: The author’s mother at Eagle Island, circa 1988. (Courtesy photo) By Jessie Horney It’s 100 degrees by lunchtime every day and firework stands pop up on every available corner, but I can’t help thinking about Christmas. The 4th of July
Intelligence types Discerning your child’s natural motivation By Daniel Bobinski You’ve probably heard of IQ, a person’s “intelligence quotient,” but did you know that intelligence is much broader than that? Standard IQ tests mostly measure a person’s ability to work with visual shapes, mathematical problems, language, and cognitive recall. You
Two almost-empty nesters at a baby shower By Beth Markley “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a baby shower before.” This was Mike’s confession to me as we were walking up to the door to our friends’ home on a Saturday afternoon late last year. Had I realized this
Bringing U.S. liberties to your family By Sandy McDaniel July is usually the “free-est” time for children as there is no school, fewer responsibilities and the weather is warm. It is also the month in which we celebrate the Fourth of July. I’ve probably written 30 columns about the dangers
Harpers learn pain, reward of fostering By Kevin Harper Our family started fostering over 17 years ago. My wife, Diane, and I initially looked into adoption and thought it was too expensive, so we literally put the big three-ring binder of information we had accumulated up on a shelf. About
Rocky Mtn. Sign Language Mom gets big surprise when baby signs Cutline for Paula and Rose McCall: Paula Wise Baker is shown with her 2-year-old daughter, Rose McCall. Paula started teaching sign language to Rose when she was just a baby and has now started her own sign language business
Horney Village 7 tips for traveling with kids Cutline for Kids Sleeping: Clara, 3, and Sammy, 2, sleep in an airport while traveling with their parents. (Courtesy photo) By Jessie Horney When I was 22 years old, freshly married and kid-free, I had the foolish confidence of someone whose main
Explore your state Enjoy Idaho as a family this summer By Daniel Bobinski I’ve long said that Idaho is America’s best-kept secret. At least it was. According to Census Bureau figures, Idaho is now the fastest growing state in the country. Don’t fret — Idaho is still ranked 39th in
Crafting Made Simple Bath bombs as gifts By Brandy Yearous If you find yourself wanting to make your mom or someone else very special a personalized gift, bath bombs are a hands-on easy way to make a present for someone in your life. Bath bombs can be dropped into a
Adoption: A Different Kind of Love Story ‘Unexplained infertility’ – soul-piercing words Cutline for Chicas Photo: The DeWinkles’ six little “chicas” (“girls” in Spanish) include, left to right, Brynn, Janelie, Angelina, Raina, holding Cora, and Eleana. (Photo by Emily Robinson Photography) By Katie DeWinkle Cory and I got married in
Girl, meet world! Building future leaders through Girl Scouts Cutline for Archery pic: Girls Scouts have the opportunity to learn many things, including archery skills. (Contributed photo) Submitted by Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Let’s face it: Our society can be pretty tough on girls. We see it in education,
Horney Village Mom, someday you’ll miss that robe By Jessie Horney Dear Jessie, Someday you will miss that pink robe draped over your bed covers. The one worn thin by round baby cheeks pressed against you in sleep. The one with the left shoulder constantly caked with spit up or
Pressure cooker kids Fundamentals essential to well-being By Sandy Spurgeon McDaniel It is difficult to read columns with bad news about our children today, and I want to share highlights of Fountain Valley, Calif. high school English teacher Steve Shultz’s column in the March 2018 edition of Fountain Valley Magazine.
Wednesday’s Child Christian and Kyle: bonded, resilient brothers The following information is provided by Wednesday’s Child, an organization that helps Idaho foster children find permanent homes. Two endearing siblings, Christian and Kyle, are the very definition of resiliency. Kyle, 11, and his younger brother Christian, 10, are searching for a
Adoption: A Different Kind of Love Story A hidden pregnancy, a grand reunion Cutline for Megan & Hannah at Adoption Conference: Because of their shared experiences, birth mother Megan Bryant, left, and her daughter, Hannah, right, are committed to helping others understand the beauty of adoption. They are shown here
Beyond Type 1 partners with Miss Idaho 2014 Submittted by Beyond Type 1 Beyond Type 1, a global non-profit organization focusing on education, advocacy, and curing Type 1 diabetes, has announced the newest extension of its DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) awareness campaign and new partnership with the Idaho Chapter of the
Holiday meaning beneath candy and gifts
By Jessica Horney
Holidays are a scam.
By the time you read this, my kids will either be in an Easter candy coma, or the bitter owners of yet another complaint for their future therapists: “She didn’t even believe in Easter baskets. Easter baskets!”
I can’t
Personal branding Living your purpose with passion By Genny Heikka I had a conversation a few months ago with a young woman who’d recently gotten married. She and I we were talking about the phase of life she was in, and I asked her what her biggest challenge was. She
No rough and tumble!
Do your children fight all the time?
By Sandy Spurgeon McDaniel
I teach workshops on anger, so talking about fighting is literally the tip of the iceberg. What we need to look at is why we are so angry as a nation. We're all rushing through life, constantly late,
Irene’s Insights Creative décor ideas for pet spaces By Irene Woodworth How do you incorporate your “furry, four-legged kids” in your home’s décor? As I have lived with our two small dogs, I have realized that there are challenges in keeping all of our pets’ belongings in an organized way
Boise chapter giving beds to more kids
Cutline for Sleep in Heavenly Peace Workshop: One of the Boise chapter's Sleep in Heavenly Peace workshops was presented on Mike Rowe's Facebook program, “Returning the Favor.” The group holds “build days” to make bunk beds for children in need in the Treasure Valley.
When parental 'chutzpah' meets reality
By Jessie Horney
My oldest child is 5 years old, so in terms of parenting advice, I'm your basic punch line. My friends and I talk about raising our children every time we're together, but most of us are early on in the journey, babes in
Math success Using grid paper to help your child learn By Zoie Hoffman Most of us remember using grid paper (also known as graph paper) in algebra and geometry to create graphs, plot points, and manipulate shapes. For a long time I only associated this paper with graphs and the
Jobs well done Gauging a child’s readiness to perform work By Mary Ann Wilcox A child’s readiness to work is dependent upon his age, his past experiences, his level of skill development, his emotional stability and his physical growth. Often, children are ready physically to handle certain skills but are
