After several months of faithful service, our universal remote control was put out of commission by a small person whose innocence will be protected. Let’s just say, this little person was not supposed to be able to enter the bathroom, much less access the toilet bowl; in our house, the rule is that the lid must be closed after each use. Oh well. And yes, just in case you’re wondering, the wallpaper in this bathroom does have a library theme... Read more

There are so many things that we can do to make sure that our children are well aware of the “reason for the season,” and I do think that we need to work hard on this, daily, throughout December, because the material side of Christmas is so well marketed! Have you noticed that Santa is everywhere? After giving it a lot of thought, we do include Santa in our celebration, and we also have strong emphasis on family traditions including... Read more

If you have a moment check out Mary Alice’s new article at Busted Halo. Mary Alice discusses the “why” of NFP–and does so beautifully. I hope and pray that some hearts are changed by her words. And while we are on this topic, I want to add a little bit about why me and my husband teach NFP. Mr. Red and I began our own NFP journey in college. Like most young women who don’t belive in artificial methods of... Read more

I never thought I would receive a lesson in Catholic apologetics from my severe, non-religious German florist, but this morning it happened. My children and I had made our way through the freezing foggy morning to her shop in search of a beeswax baby Jesus. My plan was to hollow out the white Christ candle we have in the middle of our Advent wreath and place a baby Jesus inside a little cave at the base of the thick white... Read more

We are a large family. We don’t know when our baby will be born, but at least now we can all ride home from the hospital together! Read more

Ok, so we are three weeks out from Christmas and the temptation to buy, buy, buy is setting in. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am pretty good at ignoring societal pressures. However, I do fall victim to the mentality of, “well, sister-in-law is going to buy something for me, so I better check her off my list.” Please help me to thwart this trend of buying thoughtless trinkets and spending hours in line at the post office to... Read more

There are few things better on a brisk, chilly day than a bowl of piping hot soup.  It’s hearty and delicious and warms one from the inside out, which is why soups are my favorite culinary creations come wintertime! Even better than soup is the mighty slow cooker, turning an evening dinner task into an all-day savory affair.  I just love popping the ingredients in in the morning, smelling the aroma throughout the day, and reaping the benefits come dinner,... Read more

As I stood by the stove this morning, stirring the oatmeal for our family’s breakfast, I heard these tokens of sibling affection coming from the adjacent playroom: “Hey-yuh, Maria, you just knocked down the Tower of Schlambadingscoobalidoo! Sto-o-o-op!” A few minutes later, “Ahhhhhhh! No no bite, Maria, no no bite!” Can you feel the love? 🙂 Read more

For nearly five years, I have been carrying around the heavy, guilty burden of failing my family as our family historian. Thousands of photos uploaded to Snapfish online albums: wedding and honeymoon, baby pictures, holidays, and priceless candids hidden away in the recess of cyberspace. Not a single print ordered, not a single photo album underway. Oh Felix Culpa! Right now, for three days–December 3, 4, and 5, 2008–Snapfish is offering free shipping on all prints. Snapfish print prices are... Read more

As we sat down to read stories tonight, 4 1/2 year-old C made an awful face and said “P-U Mommy, your breath really stinks!” I laughed and said, “Okay, C, I’ll take care of it. I’ll be right back.” I headed to the kitchen and, after considering my options, decided on a brownie. I suppose that I could have chosen a carrot or an apple, but if the poor boy has to smell my breath all throughout story time, it’s... Read more