Today, I’m asking for some advice from all of you experienced parents out there  Tomorrow, our C turns 4 years old (I can’t believe it!), and we’re having a birthday party for him in the late morning/early afternoon. My plan is to let the kids play for the first 30-45 minutes, and then to move on to pizza and birthday cake. Any thoughts on activities or games for the children, or just on what has worked for your family in making a birthday party enjoyable and fun (rather than stressful)?

The ONE MILLION ROSARIES FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 3rd, 2008. People in the Eastern Time Zone will pray the Rosary within the 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. hour, Central Time Zone 8 to 9 a.m., etc. The Rosary will be prayed for the following intention: For an end to the surgical and non-surgical killing of unborn babies. A person may register to be a participant by going to the website www.saintmichaelthearchangelorganization.org

As Texas Mommy and I each “cook” our respective third boys, I found this article extremely interesting…

TM: Do you like to eat as much as I do?

I’m so pleased to find that two great seasons–a new baby on the horizon and the spring–are coinciding currently in my life as a mother. Both have the effect of making me slow down and savor the moments of the day, with my children and my husband, with our Lord, and with the world around me. Most of the time, my instinct seems to be to rush through the day with an agenda, not always because there is so much to do, but because I’m lonely, or restless, or extroverted, or type-A, or whatever other excuse. It takes a conscious effort for me to slow down and enjoy each moment.

With a new baby coming, I feel like a chapter of my life with Bella and Bean is coming to a close, so it’s easy (and a little bittersweet) to sit in the rock garden or in under a tree with them and laugh and feel no urge to rush anywhere or do anything educational or “productive” while we’re sitting there. Bean loves dirt and bugs and worms, Bella loves flower petals and butterflies and rabbits, they LOVE goofing off together while I watch them, and that’s been our only agenda every afternoon.

And the spring always makes it easy to “just be” outdoors and take in the splendidness of God’s creation.

But again, it often seems to take a particular season (or two) like these to make it easy to stop and savor the small moments. Do you have particular places you go, things you do, habits you cultivate, reflections you ponder that help you slow down and “smell the roses” day to day?