Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

Fifteen

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Cate’s birthday is perfectly situated right between my birthday and Mother’s Day. Her life is a gift over and over again for me. She made me a mom and her life continues nudging me to be a better person. 

Another woman gave her life and chose me to be her mom – a gift beyond anything I can truly adequately express my appreciation. Truthfully, as I get old and my firstborn girl gets older, the gift of adoption seems more complicated and more beautiful. In so many ways parenting Cate has come naturally because she’s so much like me. Physically, I didn’t think she’d look like Greg and me, but she blends right in, a sweet reminder God had a plan greater than anything I could have scripted. And, believe me, I tried. 

Cate is a kind leader, country music fan, aspiring photographer, an introvert who loves a night at home with no plans, and a basketball fan. She’s finishing her freshman year and already thinking about what comes next. I’ve watched her navigate shifts in some friendships this year. 

I joke about her building a house on the other side of our property, but maybe I’m not really joking. My daughter is someone I have chosen since the day I met her in an Indiana hospital room and will always want to choose. It’s a sweet thing to truly like the girl you’ve been gifted to raise. 

I love having Cate sit next to me upfront in the minivan so we can talk about her day and our lives. Rachel asks regularly from the seat behind us, “Why do you guys always chit-chat?” I’m thankful we have so much to say to each other and that I get to be Cate’s mom. 

Happy 15th birthday, Catherine Anna. Your life is a gift to me, your dad, your brother, your sister, your relatives, your friends, and the world. Watching you grow and become has been another gift to me. I know you’re going to do great things because you live out the story God began before you were even born. Let’s keep chit-chatting about it all. 

*****

Look back on her life: One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Baptism. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Of course, you can read more about her birth, adoption story, and early life in my book, “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” too.

Help kids have healthy eating habits

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I have one kid who loves to eat meat. I have one daughter who loves vegetables. And I have a third daughter who grazes but eats a variety of foods. I’m not a strict mom when it comes to food choices, but I do prioritize sitting down to dinner together. Of course, those dinner meals aren’t always smooth, people often have complaints about food, and I have to remind at least one kid to sit down. 

In addition to prioritizing family dinners, I also want to champion healthy eating at our home. Here are some ways we can do that:

Make cooking a family activity

Most of us take more interest in meals we have made ourselves, and we’re more inclined to give new dishes a go if we’ve played a part in their creation. There will be times parents (me definitely included!) want a quick, easy dish for the family with minimal hassle, but it’s a great idea to let your children help out if you have time. Make cooking a family-friendly activity, let your children help out in the kitchen, and encourage them to share ideas for dishes they’d like to try to cook with you. When I need meal ideas, I often find inspiration in my kids’ suggestions. They know how to add foods to our grocery list, thanks to Alexa. Of course, sometimes I Google quick, simple ideas like a garlic aioli recipe or other side dishes.  

Talk to children about nutrition

When promoting healthy eating, nutrition not dieting should be the focus. Each body is reliant on the nutrients it needs to function properly. Talk to your kids about why healthy eating is beneficial, highlight the benefits of eating different foods, and explain what different ingredients and products offer. 

I try to include a fruit or vegetable with almost every meal we make at home, even if that’s sliced apples with the Red Baron pizza. I know my youngest two kids are less likely to eat sauteed vegetables with the rest of us, so I will often cut up a cucumber for them to share. Feeding your family doesn’t have to be complicated!

Of course, food fuels us physically, but I believe food can be the catalyst to deep, meaningful relationships too. I wrote a whole book about that.

Make mealtimes enjoyable

It’s important for children to have a positive relationship with food, but it’s not always easy to achieve this goal. If you’re eager to encourage your kids to embrace healthy eating, make mealtimes enjoyable. Sit down together as much as possible, chat about the day, catch up, and put phones and devices down. Take this time to engage with each other. This month we’ve started an “Attitude of Gratitude” activity during which each person names what they’re thankful for from that day. I record the gratitude gifts in a journal. (And, yes, I’ve referenced Ben Rector’s song “Thank You” as we do this.)

Most parents go through times when getting children to try new foods or eat healthily is a challenge. If you’re keen to encourage your kids to take an interest in healthy eating, cook together, try new recipes, talk to your children about the importance of nutrition, and make mealtimes a fun, regular part of the day.

Also, I need meal inspiration, if anyone has any easy, delicious recipes to send my way!

How to organize your home

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I love order more than everyone else in my family, but life is busy and messy. Even so, I’m always trying to implement habits and routines that help bring the chaos of five people living together under one roof to some kind of structure. 

Create Positive Morning Routines

Oh, this may be the hardest habit to create here. A couple of the extreme extroverts love the mornings. They sing and play and pester those of us who aren’t as chipper in the morning. My work-before-play is also in full force each morning. 

Even so, creating a positive morning routine for the whole family is definitely a must when you want to enjoy your time together and set yourselves up for the day ahead. We cross paths in the kitchen as we’re eating breakfast and packing lunches or snacks for the day. One kid doesn’t come out of her room until she’s ready to leave. The youngest has to be kept on task the most. 

But one thing that has been good for all of us is reading a devotion together once we’re in the minivan together on the way to school. We worked our way through “Roar Like a Lion” by Levi Lusko recently and it helped us individually and collectively so much as it prompted conversations about home and school life. (Here’s a review I wrote about “Roar Like a Lion.”)

Put events on a calendar

Using a noticeboard in the family home is definitely something that you should think about doing if you want to make sure that your whole family stays on track. It takes a little bit of the chaos and confusion out of the equation if you know when upcoming events and appointments are. Right now, my kindergartner likes to mark off the days on the wall calendar we have hanging in our kitchen. It helps give her some perspective on days. 

A shared Google Calendar has greatly improved the communication between Greg and me. I can see his work calendar and add things he needs to know about to our family calendar. He can choose whether to see my own personal appointments and commitments. It’s definitely been a good way to keep us on the same scheduling page. 

Make meal plans

I like to meal plan, and I like to ask my husband and kids for their ideas while I’m making that plan. Sometimes they have really good food inspiration! Planning meals makes our afternoons flow a little easier. Often, I plan a few different meals with the freedom to swamp which day I use them. If I know I’m going to have to leave for an evening meeting or prep dinner quickly after soccer practice, I may plan a Crock Pot meal. 

Clean out regularly

Clutter stresses me out. Often I have a pile of items to donate going. I’ll toss in clothes the kids have outgrown or items we no longer need. You can sell Barbies and other old toys that are no longer used by your older kids as you get rid of clothes that are now too small.

Give belongings homes

“Each thing has a home” and “Like items go together” are things I’m often telling my kids. Books go with books. Clothes with clothes. Toiletries in the bathroom. Shoes in the closet. Jackets on the coat rack. For a long time, we stored wintry accessories in a catch-all storage closet, but then I realized making them more accessible in the drawers in our foyer meant people would be quicker to put away their hats and gloves. 

The world is messy, so having a structured home is efficient and brings peace. Routines help bring about that order in ways that work for your family.