A while back I had Billy into the local clinic for a sports physical. The doctor scanned his chart, did some quick work with his …
SNOW DAY! | Backwoods Mom
Anderson Hill, near Ninilchik, Alaska… In celebration of our first completed week doing our schooling at home…and after all the kids were finished with their …
Honesty Is Not Lost »
A few weeks ago my mother’s wedding ring fell from her finger while she was shopping in town. Now, this is a small town…so there …
All In A Days Work »
I just found the lunch I was supposed to eat today sitting on my desk between my laptop and the pencil sharpener with two bites …
Sneaking Out …The Next Generation »
I spent half my teen years suspended over the frame of my daylight basement bedroom window, either sneaking out … or sneaking back in. So …
I Sit To Save Lives »
I’ve spent the past twenty years wishing I was one of those perky, pony-tailed, runner-chicks I see on the side of the road. You know …
I Live Here…For Now »
One boy turns to the other and says, “Just because you live here, doesn’t mean…” “I live here?” the second boy interrupts, a broad grin …
Fishin’ At Midnight »
Gotta love that Billy just came in from work at midnight carrying this guy…guess who’s cleaning fish?
Things Anthony Says »
When Anthony came to us he was six years old. That very first day we knew we were in for a challenge. But we also …
The Feel Of The Food »
This morning I followed a trail of broken, dry, Top Ramen noodles down the hall, across the living room and to the garbage can where …
The Downfall Of Duct Tape »
Today I laid down 99 cents each for those balsa wood airplanes for my three youngest boys. I don’t know why…an impulse buy at the …
I See Clear People »
It’s a simple story really. A simple story with a big impact. I’ve tried to elaborate it. I’ve tried to embellish it. But in the …
Last Kiss »
As I sit here, one Hershey’s Kiss away from a coma, I’d like to express a special thanks to the makers of processed sugar for …
I Made This For You »
There are few words sweeter to parent’s ears than, “I made this for you!” said through sweet, smiling cheeks. We’ve all gotten them…those precious gifts …
Waiting For Results »
There are few sentences in the world that will stop you dead in your tracks as fast as, “You have a lump.” Like hitting a …
Calling All Addicts »
I’m not saying I’m addicted to my phone, but I once nearly tore my nipple off on the sharp edge of wooden paneling while running …
Birds Eye View »
This morning during my walk I got the opportunity to be eye level with this guy…and I took it. He didn’t move for a long …
Court Kids »
This afternoon I got to drive an hour south to take my two smallest boys to their basketball game. And by “got” I mean “had” …
Just Another Scenic Sunday »
In honor of my daughter Heather’s 23rd birthday, today’s Scenic Sunday is dedicated to her! August 28, 1988
I’ll Worry About It…If I Get Sick »
This week my doctor found a nodule on my thyroid. She sucked some blood from my body, promised test results soon and told me to …
Anthony…on Puberty »
Because we live in the sticks a trip anywhere takes a while. Most people like to crank up the radio and sing or roll down …
Momma’s Paintings »
I have glimpses of memory from my very early childhood of my mother holding a pallet knife and a paint tray. But not long after …
Time Dawdles On »
As time moves quickly, just like our parents warned, most of us spend at least a small portion of time re-evaluating who we are, where …
Mommy? »
He called me mommy on his second day in my home. People said, “Oh, how sweet!” Sweet? Not really. Totally emotionally dysfunctional? Definitely. Imagine your …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 9/25/11 »
This Week In MY Life I…. Built a floor for our cabin… Enjoyed the Fall view from our property… Made friends with this guy…until his …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 01/01/12 | Backwoods Mom
My mom and dad…my brothers family…and mine. All together for the first time in about fourteen years… THIS week in my life I…. Gave Billy …
Fiction Friday 9/23/11 »
Fiction Friday, my way of forcing myself to write outside my comfort zone of non-fiction, by backing myself into a corner every Thursday night. Chapter …
When The Boy Becomes A Man »
It’s just after midnight and if you’d driven by my house a few moments ago, you’d have seen me in my pajamas, blood up to …
My Story »
I’m Keri Riley, a backwoods mom in Ninilchik, Alaska where I shuttle 8 kids around, fighting off moose, mosquitos and middle age. My husband is …
Where I Live »
View of the Old Ninilchik Village Ninilchik, Alaska, at milepost 135 of the Sterling Highway, is a fishing village about 180 mile south of Anchorage along …
Three Small Things »
A small brush fire near my home last night brought a trooper to my door saying to prepare for the worst…the wind was taking it …
Adoption Day | Backwoods Mom
In February of this year our family grew by two when Steven and Luke came to live with us. Tomorrow morning, the 19th of December, …
A Letter To My Spouse »
I was thinking about us today. Remembering those years when you had hair and I had a waistline. Back when we sat, feet to feet …
The Shield Of Confidence | Backwoods Mom
In 2004 I graduated with a 3.89 GPA from one of the highest rated private colleges on the west coast. And I did so, while …
The Unfixable »
He was fifteen when he came to me. And even on the first day I knew he couldn’t stay. I knew it wasn’t the right …
I Remember Her »
I remember the way her hair smelled when I tucked her in under my arm. How she snuggled so close, trying to crawl back into …
I Am From… »
In school this year, Billy was assigned to create a video called, “I Am From” that told the story of who he is. Each slide …
Sixteen And Pregnant – Part Two »
I lay on top of the pale green sheets on the eighth floor of John C. Lincoln Memorial Hospital and stared out at the night. …
My Lost Boy »
Written in February, 2007… Edited in June, 2011, for confidentiality… As I step into the small room I am greeted with the smell of …
A Trip To Good News Bay | Backwoods Mom
I put in a call to a client a few years back to arrange a trip into the village of Good News Bay, Alaska, where …
They Pay Me To Live Here | Backwoods Mom
Whenever I tell people from the lower 48 that I live in Alaska, I inevitably hear the same question: “Don’t they pay you to live …
And Justice For Ally »
She felt the pull of death and it was welcome. She lay silent, worn from screaming, her voice unheard as she lay in the shallow …
One Night On Tustumena »
The world is so wide here, I can see clear into yesterday from where I stand. This lake was once, a lifetime ago, home to …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 11/06/11 | Backwoods Mom
Watched Billy’s OCD come out in a snowman… This week in my life I…. Had our first snowfall of the year… Watched my girls dominate …
This I Believe »
My daughter, Robin, came to us when she was six years old. We were her tenth family. This year for a school project she created …
It’s The Little Things… | Backwoods Mom
It’s the little things that get to you. It’s the, “Not Me” that always gets blamed. The Birds and the Bees that needs explained. It’s …
The Root Of All… | Backwoods Mom
This morning Anthony asked if any of his birth relatives had been approved for visits…like an uncle or cousin. When I asked why, he said, …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 10-16-11 | Backwoods Mom
This Week In My Life I… Took a nice drive to Anchorage… Saw what every Alaskan knows is the end of summer… Had a …
A Simple Truth | Backwoods Mom
Tomorrow afternoon our son…will become our son. Legally, at least, though he’s been ours for four years. I’m going to share a few words from …
Sawmill Saga »
In August, shortly after we purchased our 40 acres, we acquired a portable band saw mill with the intent of creating our own lumber with …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 10/02/11 | Backwoods Mom
This Week In My Life I… Made friends with an owl… Made friends with four moose at once… Looked for, and did not find, a …
Sixteen And Pregnant- Part One »
On July 7, 1988, I found myself traveling across Phoenix, Arizona in an un-air-conditioned 67 Gallaxy with red leather seats sticking to the backs of …
Children Will Remember »
As parents, we spend our lives trying to be good enough. Trying to keep up. We worry that we’ve failed. We worry that we’ve screwed …
Fiction Friday 9/2/11 »
This is the first installment of Fiction Friday, my way of forcing myself to write outside my comfort zone of non-fiction, by backing myself into …
When They Were Sisters »
Mya and Shawnta 2004 They sit at the tiny table, the two of them. One across from the other Cutching crayons In pink fingers. …
Mis-Lead By Example »
This morning I popped Anthony on the butt. I don’t normally spank my kids…gave it up years ago when I started fostering simply because it …
What Comes Around »
I’m not a good gift giver. I show up to parties without a bottle of wine. I send my kids to birthdays with no bag …
Anthony The Architect »
Anthony came up from his bedroom yesterday morning with a “blueprint” in hand he’d stayed up half the night creating. He’s a man with a …
From The Nest »
“It’s odd,” I said to Destini this morning, “to watch your kids grow up and move on with their lives…I rarely hear from Heather anymore.” …
If You Give A Kid A Camera… »
Alaska, Alaskan, backwoods, photos Jun 042011 If you give a ten year old a camera…expect great things. Here’s what Anthony has been doing with his …
Regrets »
She stood at the counter, baggy jeans hanging from thin hips, hooded sweatshirt tight across her swollen belly. A tight faced DMV worker on the …
Dear Alaska Tourist »
Welcome to Alaska! I’m so glad you were able to drive all this way in your motor home to enjoy this fabulous state. We love …
Waking To OCD »
I woke this morning to the sound of the clothes dryer flopping a belt around and round. Rolled over. 5:26 a.m. What the….I stuck my …
Role Reversal »
A few years ago Dan left his job and stayed home with the kids for five months so I could finish college. We had 8 …
Reality Shows…Really? »
I’ve not had television channels for eight years. I know…weird. So when my friend Jessica, who gained some notoriety a while back as Sarah Palin’s …
First Day Of School »
Tuesday was my 19th year of sending kids off on their “First Day Of School”. And as I slowed down in front of the building …
Keepsakes Or Crap? »
I’ve collected much junk over the years. Some of it worth keeping around, some of it only here because I can’t bring myself to drop …
House Rules »
House Rules 1. If it’s not yours…don’t touch it. 2. Remove your shoes at the door. Not directly in front of the door…off to the …
Trial Sized Tot Takes Down Teen »
Last year my fifteen year old son, Billy, made me a grandmother. Not in the “Oh, for the love of God, why ME,” way that …
Not Exactly The Breafast Club »
For those of you who either don’t have kids…have really good kids…or didn’t have any fun when YOU were a kid, “detention” is when you …
Native Youth Olympics »
My boys play basketball with vigor, ride bikes nonstop and roll in the dirt for fun. But their favorite activity…by far…is the Native Youth Olympics. …
What’s One More? »
This afternoon, as Dan woke for his night shift 800 miles away, he received my text that we were taking in a seven year old …
Alaska Myths…Proven and Debunked! »
Having spent the better part of my 39 years in Alaska, I’ve heard just about all of the questions you can imagine. Before I even …
For The Birds »
This time of year in Ninilchik, Alaska, the fishing season is revving up for the summer. The halibut and king salmon charters are beginning to …
Feeding A Small Country »
As we piled the groceries onto the conveyor I could see in the cashier’s eyes that he wished we’d gone to another line. Seven gallons …
You Know You Are From Kaktovik, Alaska If… »
We’ve all seen those, “You Know You Are From … If … ” groups around Facebook lately. They are kind of annoying, as you scroll …
I Cry In The Bathroom »
I write these sad stories about my kids…about their survival and their trials. About their successes. And my readers cry out, “Good job, mom!”…or… “Where …
Declaration of Ignorance »
Never happier than when he got his very own copy… Last week I noticed some political signs going up along the street in town. Same …
Why My Kids Read »
Every kid in my house is a constant reader…though four of them have, or have had at some time, a reading disability. They didn’t start …
Shopping For Kids »
I’ve done it again…found myself shopping for kids online. I don’t mean buying gifts for my current children; I mean actually shopping for kids. It’s …
Moose Attack! »
Object in this photo is closer than it appears… I first noticed her in the distance, blending in to the swampy foliage with her thick …
Remember When My Eye Fell Out? »
When Destini was six years old, her eye fell out. No, really. Okay, let me back up a bit. It was a Sunday evening and …
Daddy, I Did Something Very Bad… »
Every father’s worst nightmare happened this morning when Destini walked into the living room, tears brimming, and said, “Daddy, I did something very bad.” Immediately, …
Boys and Their Tools »
There are few things more impulsive than a teenage boy when accompanied by other teenage boys. Put two or more within the same vicinity and …
Hitting The Bank…er…I Mean Trail! »
(Created in 2010, just before our Resurrection Trail hike…) For years my family has masqueraded outdoorsy while trapped in the gear of a penniless waif. …
When The Teacher Calls »
A while back I received a phone call from a teacher for no other reason than to tell me how well my child was doing. …
Destini “Reads” »
Apparently, children learn via repetition…as demonstrated in this video of Destini at about 2 1/2 years old. Let me start by saying, Destini had an …
How I Found Me »
I found my self-worth on a hot May day in 2004 when I crossed the center stage and, holding my head high for perhaps the …
When Someone You Know…Becomes Someone You Knew »
We’ve all been there… I’ve had friends…who I loved…who I couldn’t imagine my life without. Friends who were dear to me. Friends…best friends…you thought would …
Diamonds, Roses, and Rotary Sanders »
They say a diamond is a girl’s best friend…and that’s true for me…if the diamond comes in the form of a sparkly new diamond blade …
Bear Bait »
On more than one occasion I’ve wondered just how wise it is to hang out in bear country, eating greasy hotdogs next to a salmon …
Alaska Log Furniture »
For more than twenty years I wanted to know how to make log furniture…I’m talking cut the tree down, pack it out of the woods, …
Backwoods Bread »
Backwoods Bread I grew up on homemade bread. It was thick. It was soft. It was healthy. It was probably delicious. And I hated it. …
I’m Not Sick »
For six months the flu has been hovering over my body like Winnie The Pooh’s black cloud, just waiting to descend when I’m most vulnerable. …
Whaling Away Her Youth »
Photo courtesy Charles Lampe-Kaktovik, Alaska Yesterday Sandi’s daughter, Kendra, climbed into a twenty foot boat with a group of close friends and family. They pushed …
Fed Up! »
My chiropractor has a chicken nugget sitting on her shelf that is four years old. And it looks like you could dip it in barbecue …
Fiction Friday 9/9/11 »
Fiction Friday, my way of forcing myself to write outside my comfort zone of non-fiction, by backing myself into a corner every Thursday night. Chapter …
Porcupine Piracy »
When I found a porcupine in my yard a couple of nights ago while videoing the coyotes across the driveway, it never really occurred to …
I Can Not Tell A Lie… »
I came across this “letter of apology” today. I have dozens of them from Anthony over the past four years. Whenever he is sent to …
Fiction Friday 9/16/11 »
Fiction Friday, my way of forcing myself to write outside my comfort zone of non-fiction, by backing myself into a corner every Thursday night. To …