Midwest Mimi

  • What If We’re Measuring Intelligence by the Wrong Things?

    A mystery novel made me think differently about the way we measure intelligence. In my own family, communication looks radically different from person to person, and I’ve learned that speech, reading, and quick answers are only part of the story.

  • What My Kids Learned From Watching Me Be Sick

    My kids have learned from watching me be sick that bodies have limits, asking for help is not failure, and families sometimes have to carry different corners of the load. My illness has cost them things, but it has also taught them that children do not need an invincible mother. They need one who loves…

  • This Wasn’t the Life I Planned. Midwest Mimi Is What I Made From It.

    I thought Midwest Mimi would be a blog about chronic illness, homeschooling, and nature. After 132 posts, I realized it had become something larger: a place to make meaning, find language for difficult experiences, and help readers feel seen.

  • The Same Girl Either Way

    A personal essay about homeschool culture, girlhood, faith, rebellion, and learning that someone else’s narrow idea of a “godly girl” did not get to define who I was.

  • Not Cosmetic

    A personal essay about illness, poverty, motherhood, Medicaid, medical dismissal, and what happens when visible survival gets mistaken for failure.

  • The Real Heart of Midwest Mimi

    This blog started as a place for accessible nature reviews and homeschooling resources. But it’s become something bigger: a story about resilience, family, and belonging, with nature, books, and art still at the heart. From Accessible Nature and Homeschooling to Something Bigger When I first started Midwest Mimi, my focus was clear. I wanted to…