While I absolutely love the highs and lows of the NCAA basketball championship, I prefer our family life to be a little less dramatic. Unfortunately, my preferences matter little in the grand scheme of things, and this past month was full of drama, joy, sorrow, suffering, and every other emotion in between. In the past, I have mentioned that March has always been a difficult month for our family, and this year was no different.It all began with severe morning sickness--yes that's right, we are … [Read more...]

We love it! I opted for this instead of the wooden holder MaryAlice suggested because it can hold many different types of writing implements, and takes up very little space. We have had constant problems organizing our art/school supplies and this has completely solved the problem. The kids know exactly where all their supplies go, and they put them away when finished. I purchased this at The Lakeshore Learning Store, and it was a little pricey--$30--but totally worth it! I'm actually … [Read more...]

Some dear Princetonian friends are contemplating starting an on-line business "centered around having kids write and illustrate their own books on-line."I think everyone on the blog is a self-proclaimed bibliophile. So, while none of us would ever put away our paper and colored pencils, it is an interesting idea.They have set up a survey on-line to gauge interest and gather input. It can be found here.If you have any thoughts or ideas, please click through and check it out (there is a gift card … [Read more...]

Okay ladies, I'm looking for some helpful hints here :) My little girl is 17 months old and it is time to wean her - her nursing sessions have become briefer and more active, she's waking up super-early to nurse, and I can't get her to drink cow's milk. I think that as long as she can get breastmilk, she's not going to go for any other kind of milk :) The other part of the equation is that my husband and I are going away (on our own!) for a weekend at the end of April, and I was hoping to have … [Read more...]

...you arrive for an appointment and sit down to wait, only to look down and notice that your blouse is halfway open and the baby nursed over two hours ago! Oh, the embarrassment! I think I turned about four shades of red... … [Read more...]

...because when I asked him what he thought his guardian angel's name is, he responded quite confidently, "Gabriel." Made me smile :) … [Read more...]

Here is what our kitchen table looks like for this Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Our Lady:The image is of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and I have this frame and the vase of flowers sitting above my kitchen sink at all times to remind me to be humble and gracious in my daily life. The idea for the candle with the image of the baby Jesus inside came from here, and the cake is just a simple yellow cake with "Yes!" written on top, to remind us of Mary's "yes" to God. And just a … [Read more...]

Recently it was confirmed that President Obama has accepted an invitation to speak at Notre Dame's commencement ceremony this spring. Understandably, this has elicited a stream of criticism of the University President's decision to invite a public figure whose views and policy positions stand in direct opposition to some of the core tenants of the Catholic faith. He has responded to the criticism by claiming that President Obama's visit to the school could be one of the first steps in his … [Read more...]

In these difficult economic times, adding another child to your family can seem overwhelming. And apparently, the economic recession is increasing the number of abortions and sterilizations. Planned Parenthood of Illinois performed a record number of abortions in January, and clinics in the St. Louis area reported a 7% increase in the number of abortions. According to this associated press piece, the number of married women and women who already have children seeking abortions are on the … [Read more...]

I teach CCD to 3 year-olds at our church, and one of the best parts of teaching has been the music class that occupies the first 20 minutes of class each week. Our music teacher has an amazing gift with the children, and the songs that she teaches - complete with hand movements to keep everyone engaged - are full of wonderful, substantive messages for the little ones to soak up. Each week the kids sing songs like "My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit," "Mary loves me this I know, because Jesus … [Read more...]