Yesterday, our eldest celebrated his First Holy Communion – what a milestone in the life of a parent! I cried tears of joy as I witnessed my son receiving the Eucharist for the first time, and then praying earnestly afterwards. Truly, our parish has done a beautiful job preparing these children for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion. They take the process very seriously, and the fruits of their labor were witnessed yesterday as 32 young children reverently... Read more
Tuesday was a day of one minor disaster after another. I won’t list them all here, though it is rather comic, but they included things like overflowing the dishwasher three times (requiring a repairman) and dropping a dish of cooked rice all over the kitchen floor (and the repairman). By the end of the day, there was nothing left to do but laugh. One of my children counted and told me that it was 17 things that went wrong. I... Read more
I am a perfectionist, often to the detriment of those around me (and myself). If there were 48 hours in a day, I would still not accomplish all that I would like, or even a fraction of my to-do list. Not by a long shot. Which is why the seasons of newborns are so, so good for me. Because it makes me realize how much time I spend doing things that just aren’t that important. Does it really matter at... Read more
Josie is already 4 and a half months old and just started rolling from her back to her belly. She’s very generous with her smiles, sleeps like a champ, and rarely cries. Last week, Gianna put her down in the corner of our playroom, where she gradually just fell asleep. Twenty minutes later, I couldn’t find her! After a brief moment of panic, I spotted her lying, sound asleep, behind a dump truck, in the corner of our playroom. After... Read more
This week (and let’s face it, this season in general!), we have a lot of commitments outside the house which are going to interrupt our meal times and require my children to have a hearty, healthy snack which might substitute for lunch or dinner and get them through a concert, ballet rehearsal or long day of sports. To avoid the temptation to hit Chik-fil-A on a daily basis, I thought I would set up a snack plan. I don’t usually... Read more
We spent the past two Mother’s Day weekends in the hospital. Once for me when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2010, and then last year Gus was hospitalized on and off during the month of May for unexplained vomiting and weight loss. I’ve been dreading the month of May, just waiting for the next crisis to hit our family. So let’s just say I was overjoyed to be spending this mothers day with 5 healthy children. Nobody was... Read more
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wonderful mothers out there! I don’t know about all of you, but yesterday I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for all that my husband does for our family. Sure, the day was about celebrating mothers, and my husband and children did a great job of making me feel special and loved. I woke up to beautiful flowers, an enormous balloon, sweet cards, and a delicious breakfast, and the day ahead was relaxing... Read more
We had a grace-filled morning as my 7 year old daughter made her first confession. She is a very pure and also a very scrupulous soul (as I think most oldest daughters are!), so we’ve long been looking forward to the day when she could experience the lightness and joy of absolution. After morning Mass, a bouquet of roses, and breakfast together at an upscale bagel shop, we made our way into the city to meet our beloved priest and... Read more
Our Building Cathedrals family is proud to announce the arrival of the fourth Builder baby this year… To Bethany and family… Baby Genevieve arrived last Friday, May 8 at 8:10pm 7lbs. 14oz and 20 inches I’m happy to report that natural labor was fantastic even though I never stepped foot in the water! The Super Moon made sure she was out before we had the chance to consider it… 🙂 Thanks be to God for His tremendous blessing of children.... Read more
Some of us Builders have been having an ongoing discussion about how wonderful it is to receive help from others after the birth of a baby, especially receiving meals and groceries from friends. Just out of curiosity, what have been your favorite meals to give or receive, and why were they so successful? Have they been kid-friendly, freeze-able, gourmet delights, store-bought, etc.? We can all benefit from each others’ comments! For example, I love giving and receiving fresh fruit in... Read more
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