Tag Archives: parenthood

Be Juggling Flaming Bowling Pins while Riding an Unicycle

If you asked me how life is going right now, I’d probably laugh before answering.

Picture someone juggling flaming bowling pins while riding an unicycle. Now replace the bowling pins with a master’s thesis, the end of another school year, conference planning, countless emails, family life, an ever-growing list of ideas and health issues that stop me from falling asleep. Welcome to my current season.

Some days I feel like I’m absolutely thriving. Other days I can’t remember at 11:30am where I left my breakfast… or whether I actually ate it.

This spring has been one of those “full” seasons. I’m researching homeschooling and online learning to prepare to start my Masters thesis, comparing Grade 9 and 10 student achievement across different learning models. It turns out I genuinely enjoy looking at spreadsheets and statistics, which surprises no one who has ever watched me colour-code or create summary fields in a Google Sheet.

At work, another school year has wrapped up. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing students finish well, teachers catch their breath, and families celebrate another year of home learning. It’s also a reminder that education has never been one-size-fits-all. Every student carries a different story, and every family chooses a different path.

At home, life continues to remind me how quickly time moves. Our boys are teenagers now, building lives of their own and travelling around the world. (As I write list, JC has just landed in Lison, Portugal to compete in his first International trampoline competition representing Canada! CC is getting ready to go to the World Cup in taekwondo and our youngest is a practice players on the BC summer games team!) It’s a strange and wonderful transition, from packing lunches and driving to sports to cheering them on from the sidelines of growing into adulthood.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, I keep coming back to the reason I started Be Enough.

Not because I’ve mastered contentment.

Not because I’ve figured everything out.

But because I need the reminder as much as anyone else.

The world constantly whispers, “Do more. Be more. Achieve more.”

God quietly says, “You are already loved. You are enough. I am enough.”

I’m learning that my worth isn’t measured by another degree, another accomplishment, or another perfectly checked-off to-do list. Those things are good, but they were never meant to define me.

So if life feels a little chaotic right now, you’re in good company. Mine certainly is.

Here’s to unfinished projects, overflowing calendars, unexpected joy, abundant grace, and learning, one ordinary day at a time, that we have always been enough because of the One who made us.

Thanks for following along on the journey.

Have the best week!

Love ya, xoxo Joanna

Be Living with Teenage Boys 

Three weeks ago our youngest turned thirteen. The boys are now thirteen, fifteen and seventeen. Three teenagers in the house! I am not sure if what I am going to say next would be true for a family with mixed genders, but as we add a third teenage boy to the fold, I am noticing some patterns:

1️⃣3️⃣ – He wants to be more independent, but this independence often leads to boredom and then whining. He is embarrassed now when I drop him off to activities and doesn’t want me to stay.  Big feelings exist on the daily and we create space and honour those knowing this is “normal”. Bedtime tuck-ins are still mandatory and asked for every night.

1️⃣5️⃣ – We have solidly moved out of the early teenage stage and our 15 year old is now wanting his “mommy” again.  He is asking me to attend and actively watch every activity and loves one-on-one time.   He is making efforts to connect with others again, but still has big emotions, especially related to his siblings. Bedtime check-ins are a must and every night he asks, “Are you going to tuck me in?”.

1️⃣7️⃣ – This young man is almost an adult. He independently does most things and no longer wants any help with editing his writing from his wordsmith mom. The first few times that I did offer to help this year, he became minimally annoyed. (He is not one to move quickly to anger or sadness.). Our oldest now goes to bed later than us and is often the one saying goodnight to us, if we are still awake.

As we welcomed our third teenager into the fold, I now can internally say, “Oh, I have seen this before!” while I share a big mama hug and then gently correct a rude word or inconsiderate behaviour with a smile in my heart at these beautiful, incredible, growing boys.  We have always said that we don’t want to raise “robots” or “sheep”. I think we have done that!

I wonder what you remember about being a teen or what your journey with your own teens is like?  I am enjoying every second of this house of teenagers as I love change, evolution and watching people become their best selves.

Happy Friday amazing friends. Love what you do.

🤩 Joanna