The phrase “Look it up” isn’t unique, but it’s one I’ve chosen to use for these Lessons from the Nook in honor of my Grandpa, who taught his kids to both ask questions and to find out the answers for themselves. If one of them had a question during dinner, he would smile at them … Continue reading Look it Up: Lessons from the Pirate Nook
Author: Rachael Smith
Look it Up: Lessons from the Nook
I’m a scientist who is proud to be raising little scientists. I’m a nerd who loves fantasy who is proud to be raising nerds who love fantasy. Our adventure conversations are usually full of out-loud thoughts where those two things and dreams meet. Here are the wonderings I recorded from our most recent adventure: What … Continue reading Look it Up: Lessons from the Nook
The disappeared park: a lesson in flexibility
This past weekend our adventure was to revisit the Lowry Nature Center. We hadn’t been since the beginnings of Covid. Partly because we liked visiting new hiking paths to keep life interesting and partly because we moved during the pandemic so it felt like part of our “before” life and wasn’t at the forefront of … Continue reading The disappeared park: a lesson in flexibility
Let the Adventure(s re-)Begin!
Oh. Hello there. I’m going to start blogging our adventures. It’s one of those things I keep meaning to do, then decide the adventure wasn’t “good enough” to be our first adventure back on the blog. The more time passes. Then I wish I had been blogging. Then decide I will start blogging our adventures … Continue reading Let the Adventure(s re-)Begin!
How Do People Blog?
Ok, it's been way over a year since my last post...so I know I can't call myself a blogger... But part of me would really like to be? I think? But how do people blog? Like, how do they have something meaningful to say EVERY. DAY? And how do they have the time to write … Continue reading How Do People Blog?
The Year of the Easter Fox

"Mom, is the Easter Bunny, like, a person?” My five-year-old has these giant, blue eyes filled with innocence and the longest eyelashes you’ve ever seen. Just hearing his tiny preschooler voice ask this question breaks my heart a bit...No! Not yet! I thought I had more time! Maybe I can stall one more year?…Tread lightly, … Continue reading The Year of the Easter Fox
What kind of animal are shrimp?

Dinner conversations in our nook are always interesting. Tonight we were having shrimp scampi. Our kids know that our food comes from animals. Tonight they learned that shrimp comes from shrimp. Then this happened: 7 year old: But why do we eat animals? Because we have to kill them to eat them and that hurts … Continue reading What kind of animal are shrimp?
Why you can’t argue with a four-year-old
4: Where's my other tortilla? Me: You ate it. 4: No, I had three! Me: Yup. One in your tummy, that one with a bite out of it and this third one on your plate. 4: That's not a pattern. Me: ...Right. It's just...what is. 4: blue purple blue purple. See, that's a pattern. Me: … Continue reading Why you can’t argue with a four-year-old
The Writer Who Finally Made Zero Dollars
Well, October is officially over. And as everyone packs away their Halloween decorations and hangs up this year's costumes, I'm closing a big chapter of my life as well. This fall has been a crazy whirlwind of my daughter starting kindergarten, my son starting pre-school, and me marketing my first published book. It's been stressful to … Continue reading The Writer Who Finally Made Zero Dollars
Tales from the Nook

When I started this website, my “Author Page”, I thought it of it as a way I could possibly market myself and my books to my meager (read: currently non-existent) audience. And I had never blogged before, but wordpress is first and foremost a blogsite so I figured it was as good a time as … Continue reading Tales from the Nook