On our way to the Princeton Pro-Life, Pro-Family Reunion gathering this afternoon, Holly kept asking what it meant to be pro-family. Finally, exasperated, she said “Well, mom, everyone needs to like kids, because without kids there wouldn’t be any grown ups!” Read more

Over the last couple of months, one by one at separate times, most of the seven of us “builders” have sent around an “I can’t handle much more” email to the group. I just sent mine and then realized how not-novel it was. Mine was the fifth or so in a string of them. All our circumstances have been different in some ways (from Red’s first trimester misery to B-mama’s mono) and similar in others (return from family “vacation”–to call... Read more

Yesterday, as we entered our car after swimming lessons, my daughter Gianna (age 5) said, “Mom, what does, ‘you have your hands full,’ mean?” Me: as I struggled to buckle in an unhappy 16 month old, “it means they think we have a lot of kids.” Gianna: “Oh, well then MaryAlice really has her hands full!” Read more

Dear friends, I wanted to share with all of you the beautiful story of baby Faith Hope, who passed away this past Saturday, May 23rd, in her mother’s arms. Baby Faith had anencephaly, the same disorder as Red’s daughter Therese Joy and my daughter Lucy Rose, but she defied the odds and lived an amazing 93 days! Faith’s wonderful mother, Myah, created a beautiful blog dedicated to tracking Faith’s daily life, complete with pictures and sweet video clips. Those of... Read more

Pentecost is one of my favorite feast days, and I am looking for some cool craft/baking/story ideas for my 4.5 year old this week to help her gain an appreciation for the day. Anyone? Read more

Well folks, my latest German ultrasound revealed all the makin’s of a new male to join our family in October. I know that this blog is no place to feel publicly anxious about the prospect of mothering 2 boys who are just 22 months apart, but here I am, I am anxious about the prospect of mothering 2 boys who are just 22 months apart. Nonetheless, he is healthy as can be floating around in there – so we are... Read more

If you’re looking to buy a new double stroller in the near future, Costco has a good deal going on for Phil and Ted’s strollers (which are really nice and usually much more costly!) Check it out. Read more

Trying to get your young one to hold a pencil correctly? According to occupational therapist Stacey Smith, much of our dexterity involves hand, arm, and shoulder strength developed at a young age. The answer to your woes could be as easy as a crab walk race across the yard or snapping beads together to form a necklace. Here are a bunch of great tips and ideas for encouraging the development and strengthening of preschoolers’ hands, arms, and shoulders in preparation... Read more

Every ten years, the monks in the monastery are allowed to break their vow of silence to speak two words. Ten years go by and it’s one monk’s first chance. He thinks for a second before saying, “Food bad.” Ten years later, he says, “Bed hard.”It’s the big day, a decade later. He gives the head monk a long stare and says, “I quit.”“I’m not surprised,” the head monk says, “You’ve been complaining ever since you got here.”-Reader’s Digest’s “America’s... Read more