On November 23, in the Year of our Lord 2008, all the Builders within a 300 mile radius will converge on Red’s beloved city of Philadelphia… Red, B-mama and me to run the Philadelphia Marathon’s 8K race, and MaryAlice to sport a sassy late-pregnancy workout get-up and lipstick, pose for pictures, and cheer on her half-marathoning husband.Yes. We’re paying a $45 registration fee to run 8 kilometers at 7:15am on a cold November morning around a mediocre city:(1) To tone... Read more

Anyone know of a good source for Maternity formal wear? I have a black tie wedding to go to and I will be about 8 months pregnant. Thanks! Read more

I have been trying to follow the financial news, but I have been rather confused by the impact of it all outside of the banking sphere (which is relevant, in some ways, to my day to day life, as my husband works in New York and has banks as his clients). I wish that the media would do more to educate us. I don’t think that the campaigns should be suspended, but I sort of wish that the 24 hour... Read more

October 1st is her feast day, and as a stay-at-home mother of little children I have developed a real connection and admiration for this humble woman. She lived her life as a Carmelite nun working at the most menial of tasks. She worked in the laundry and the dining hall — accomplishing the same tasks for her fellow sisters as we do for our young families. However, I often feel that the similarities end there. She saw this monotony as... Read more

T (2yo) crying in the background… Me:             What happened? M (3yo):     T made a poor choice and hit me in the head with a cup. Me:             And then what happened? M:               (Innocently) I pushed him into the wall. Almost.  Almost… 🙂 Read more

Thought of you all–Red, Kat, and all of you to whom God has given these precious children. “The Elephant in the Room: Hope does not disappoint”by Former U.S. Senator Rick SantorumThu, Sep. 25, 2008 Philadelphia Inquirer http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20080925_The_Elephant_in_the_Room__Hope_does_not_disappoint.html Read more

What did I spend a chunk of my weekend doing? Celebrating the thrill of victory and playoff baseball as my Phillies clinched the NL East Title in dramatic fashion. And… Watching the disgusting play of the Philadelphia Eagles in their loss to the Chicago Bears. As I type this post I’m still seething from the loss. In my profile, I confess my love of sports. I’m a particularly big baseball and professional football fan. But what is not in my... Read more

Since Angelina’s birth, my husband has been getting up with Bella and Bean in the morning while I stay in bed with Angelina (we only co-sleep in the morning, OK?) for a few precious extra minutes of sleep. He gets ready while watching the older kids, then wakes me up when he’s leaving for work so that I can get their day started. Don’t tell him, but lately I’ve been nodding at him, waving him on his way, then going... Read more

We have a family wedding in a few weeks and the boys have been tapped as Ringbearer and Ringbearer’s Assistant. Any thoughts on how to get a 3 year old and 20 month old down the aisle? The grandparents will be in charge of getting them down as Mr. Incredible and I are in the wedding as well and will have already walked. Our current strategy is to have Papa at the back and Momo at the front of the... Read more

There is something so amazing and gratifying about bulk food shopping:10 toothbrushes for less than a dollar a brush–yes!48 double rolls of toilet paper for the cost of 40–you betcha!12 chicken breasts more than $2 off per pound (in comparison to the grocery store)–hallelujah! We are relatively new to the bulk food/sundry shopping world, having just joined the local COSTCO in town for a “mere” $50 membership fee. And while I’m pretty sure we’re recouping that cost with all the... Read more