It’s that time of year again – the end of school and the beginning of summer vacation! In all honesty, it starts feeling a bit like summer break once swim team starts in late April – the countdown begins when we start donning goggles and swimsuits every afternoon for swim practice. I told my son that I couldn’t believe that he was going to be a 5th-grader next year, and that I was just getting used to the idea of... Read more
What have we been doing? This. And this. And this. And I know there are some moms reading this blog who see baseball season as an absolute chore. Dinner must be served and eaten by 5pm. Younger siblings must be entertained on the sideline. You tell them again and again that they cannot eat another snack. You must remind these younger ones that they used the potty right before they left, and so there is really no need to... Read more
Here is proof that we really did get the bike. My husband rode it home from the store with the three oldest this week. The verdict? “This bike is so fun, Mom!” So that I don’t go all Polly Anna on you, the bike will admittedly take some getting used to. It is HEAVY with all the kids on it! And, the kids feel super secure on the bike, which can give them a false sense of security. I... Read more
What am I cooking? Green smoothies. This is not really cooking, but I have gotten in to a smoothie routine that really works for me. About once a week, I make a blender full of a combination of spinach, a whole lemon and fruit. That becomes the base and I put it in mason jars in the fridge. In the morning, I add some sliced frozen apples and a splash of plain Kefir and blend that again. Portable breakfast (or... Read more
As summer beckons, I wanted to share our secret to keeping a (mostly) sane mom when kids are around all day every day. While our children are not exclusively homeschooled and attend some classes, most of my kids are home most days. With a hard working husband, most waking hours are attended by mom. Enter Quiet Time. Each and every afternoon, each boy who no longer naps is required to spend 1 hour quietly by themselves in their room. They... Read more
Since creating Building Cathedrals over 7 years ago, we have had several conversations about screen time. Each of our families has worked hard to find the balance that works best for our particular situations; our decisions have involved factors such as the ages and the personalities of our children, our own comfort levels with technology, sibling dynamics, housing situations, etc. Currently, my children are 10 (boy), 6 (girl), and 4 (girl), and our baby is due in September. We have... Read more
On this Memorial Day, I am particularly thankful for all of the men and women who have served (and continue to serve) our country in the armed forces, for their families and the sacrifices that they make, and especially for all of those who have sacrificed their lives so that we might enjoy the benefits of living in a free and democratic society. May God bless all of the members of our armed forces and their families, and may God... Read more
Hi Ladies, Two quick links of interest — 1) Being Lonely — addressing stay at home moms, the internet, and our emotional need for connecting with other adults. Good stuff. 2) Kids Staying Home Alone, 7 Points to Consider — some of us have children old enough to leave home alone. We are just started to enter that phase here, and I thought these were some good things to think about. Enjoy! Read more
This weekend our family flew to Houston for my sister-in-law’s graduation, and we had the opportunity to slip away for a few hours to take Pia to the zoo for the first time. I love zoos. As such, I know my husband thinks this trip was actually for me and not for our daughter, but I think it was actually for all of us. Not just because exotic animals are super cool (they are), or because we desperately needed some... Read more
Feeding family vegetables is hard work. Hard, but necessary, I get it. A combination of: being raised in California, reading Michael Pollan, and fulfilling the duties of an Army wife to keep her husband trim has honed my focus on getting fresh vegetables into my crew. Let’s face it, men will only eat vegetables that are washed and cut and put in front of them. Also Texas Mommy forced me to make all my own baby purees, and, consequently all... Read more
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