Liz Johnson

65 POSTS
0 COMMENTS
Liz is mom to second grader Jonah, preschooler Gwendolyn, and toddler Theo. She and Troy married and bought a Beaverdale home in 2010. A teacher on maternal hiatus, Liz prefers reading to housekeeping and uses West Wing reruns to settle her mind. She believes any problem can be solved with fiction but loves to explore her reality in Des Moines.
What to Expect at Iowa State Historical Building
Have you been to the Iowa State Historical Building in Des Moines' East Village? If not, add it to your list of places to take your kids. You won't be disappointed!
Entrance
My first impression upon...
The Transition of Summer
We were approximately 15 hours into summer break before our 8-year-old stared at me and said, “What should I do?” Her two brothers turned to me, eager to hear my response.
I won’t repeat my...
10 Ways to Keep Kids Reading This Summer
Do your kids complain about summer reading? Summer is a great time for kids to rediscover the pure joy of reading for pleasure, without a school assignment looming. It's important kids keep reading in...
Why Reading Graphic Novels Counts As Real
Dog Man was the first graphic novel our kids brought home, many years ago. Our then-first-grader devoured it, as did many of his classmates.
I was not a fan.
The book’s premise (the main character is...
Farewell to Our Family Car
She was a lovely gray, indistinguishable from the many other metal-colored Sienna vans on the road. Her name was Misty Stephenson III, a title decided by our children somewhere in Colorado during a family...
5 Des Moines Parks with New Features
We are fortunate to have so many amazing parks in Des Moines.
Des Moines has a thriving parks system that experiences constant reinvention, driven by national trends and innovative planners. Aging parks and empty spaces...
Weekend Trip: Loess Hills
It was time for a new family state-cation.
We were already planning a visit to Omaha to watch a cousin’s baseball tournament, but everything in the city was booked. Instead, we found an Airbnb an...
What if You’re Wrong?
Our 4-year-old son is currently obsessed with the book series Who Would Win. If you aren’t familiar with the series, each book features two animals the author pits against one another in an epic...
Stay-at-Home Dads Need Love Too
People have plenty of thoughts about stay-at-home parenting. We love it, we hate it, we judge it, we misunderstand it.
We also tend to assign the label to only one parent: mom. But as research...
5 Ways to Show Teacher Appreciation All Year
It’s that time of the year again - Teacher Appreciation Week.
If you’re looking for a list of gifts for your child’s favorite teacher, this isn’t it. If that’s what you need, check out this...