If you’re anything like me, the activities and demands of a busy household pull you in such a way as to leave a hurricane in its wake. Especially on the kitchen counters. It is during this pre-holiday season when the problem is at its worst. Holiday magazines arrive by the dozen, cramming our mailbox full and hampering my efforts to sift through the mail and make peace of the nightmare. Soon Christmas cards will be joining the mix, making the... Read more

Good Morning! I am hoping that some of you will be able to help me out. For the past several weeks, with the advice and consent of my husband, I have been getting up early to go for a walk/jog/run. Most days, I am home in time to shower and dress for the day, and this is a great luxury. Some days, however, it makes more sense for me to stay in my workout clothes for part, or even all,... Read more

Since most of the playground talk lately seems to be about the H1N1 vaccine, I was interested to read this piece in the New York Times giving a pediatrician’s perspective on the current climate of debate. I am not sure that I agree with him, but it is worth reading. Mostly, I wish that the doctors right now would honestly confront the fact that some people get sick from flu vaccines and try to give legitimate reasons that we should... Read more

In the handful of classic motherhood moments, here’s one you’ll appreciate: Mom and three young children are out enjoying a public place, like a plaza, duck pond, park or campus green. Behavior is good, even if highly energetic. Morale is high. All is right with the world. Romeo and Juliet (two heated-up teenagers or young adults) lie together in the grass, or lap-sit and make out, or sway in place front-to-front as they look in each others eyes. The children’s... Read more

A Quick Note: Our readers should be aware of the latest recall of Maclaren Strollers. They are recalling them due to a faulty hinge mechanism that can cause child finger amputations and lacerations. Yikes! Read more

I love our new family. I do not love natural childbirth. One is, however, worth the other. Thank you all for prayers and words of encouragement. Tex, you cursed me. Just wait until it is our turn to guess for you! Read more

In honor of the beginning of the second week of November – where has the time gone, and are we really already in November?! – and of course to celebrate the birth of AWOL’s little guy :), I thought I would post a delicious and simple recipe. It is perfectly suited for a crowd, but I guarantee that it will also be gobbled up by your nearest and dearest if you leave it sitting around the house for a couple... Read more

It is with great joy that we welcome baby C, the newest “Builder Baby,” born in Germany earlier today! In a report from AWOL’s mother, we learned that baby C weighed 8 lbs, 14 oz and was born at 8:25 pm (Germany time) after “4 hours of serious labor and NO epidural,” just as AWOL was hoping for 🙂 More details, and hopefully a couple of pictures, to come! Congratulations, AWOL family, and welcome little one! Read more

Retreat season is approaching. I loved silent retreats in college but let them pass by for the first four years of motherhood. It’s so hard to slip away for a weekend or long weekend alone with Our Lord. If mothers could leave behind the household and the kids that easily, we’d all be a lot more refreshed, accomplished in our hobbies, and well-traveled. It takes enormous preparation, sacrifice by the whole family, and a giant leap of faith to commit... Read more

I met a stay-at-home dad today at the park. He’s staying home while his wife helps her brother start his dental practice. As we chatted he revealed that he was formerly a prison guard and that his prison job was WAAAAY easier than staying at home with a 1 and 4 year old1! Read more