For as long as I can remember, I've been torn between my passion for teaching and my deep desire to be present with my children. While I cherished every moment of my teaching career, the pull of motherhood was always stronger, and being away from my kids was the hardest part. Every mom faces the… Continue reading Writing Struggles… My Juggling Act
Author: ljochim
Rewrite
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com My ode to rewriting... How many words would words rewrite if words could rewrite words? Would words rewrite the wrong words right, or rewrite the right words wrong? And if words could rewrite words, how long would the rewriting go on? As I’m working on formatting my next children’s book,… Continue reading Rewrite
Fresh Starts New Beginnings
January 2025 ✨ Ah, the new year—time for fresh starts, big dreams, and shiny new goals! Every January, I find myself bursting with ideas about how I want to live not just this year, but the rest of my life. It's a mix of excitement and hope that feels like the perfect moment to turn… Continue reading Fresh Starts New Beginnings
Stirring and Mixing to get the Stories Just Right
Poffertjes from my kitchen in the Netherlands. Stirring and Mixing to get the Stories Just Right Writing a story for little ones is kind of like making blueberry pancakes. If you take a pinch of this and a dash of that and stir it all together. Gently fold in love and a hug.... Perfection. As pure… Continue reading Stirring and Mixing to get the Stories Just Right
Oudewater Weigh House ~ Something Wicked This Way Comes
With Halloween almost upon us and magic in the air, My friend Ruxi and I visited a weigh house in the Netherlands and thought I would share. We traveled to Oudewater on a bright sunny day, But what lay before us, neither could say. Canals, leaning trees, we followed the winding path Driving back through… Continue reading Oudewater Weigh House ~ Something Wicked This Way Comes
Ready or Not… Here I come! Kindergarten Readiness Part 1
Kindergarten~ The foundation of a child's education.
Preschool Readiness
When is my child ready for Preschool? As a mother, teacher and now writer, I thought I’d share some personal advice for new mommies and daddies entering the world of school. It’s a big world out there and at times it may seem a tad overwhelming especially with the helicopter moms or coach dads out… Continue reading Preschool Readiness
A Child’s Garden
Before I became an author, I was lucky enough to teach kindergarten to children when kindergarten was truly kindergarten. The word kindergarten means… a child’s garden. Kindergarten is supposed to be a place where children learn by playing, singing, experimenting with art, textiles, sewing, tools, sand, rocks, water and above all, literature. Today’s kindergarten in… Continue reading A Child’s Garden
Hot off THE PRESS
Hot off the Press Blueberry Pancake Publishing would like to give a warm welcome to Ashley Gordon who has teamed up with me in the daily running of our company. Ashely comes to us with a degree in Behavioral Neuroscience from St. Edward’s University. Ashley and I have known each other for over 20 years… Continue reading Hot off THE PRESS
The Creative Pen
Hello, my friends and Happy New Year! A big hello to all my new subscribers. You’ll find I try not to overwhelm my friends with too many posts. 2023 is here and zipping through the long month of January. They say a lot of people get depressed during this month after the hustle and bustle… Continue reading The Creative Pen
Blueberry Pancake Publishing 