We made a quick run to the grocery store on Saturday morning, just my younger girls and me. It was as I was loading the groceries into my car that I heard a quavering voice behind me say, “Excuse me. Can I pray with your daughter?” I turned around to see the most completely ordinary looking woman biting her lip and fighting down nervousness. She took a deep breath and continued, “I’m on the prayer ministry for the sick... Read more
I had the great joy to meet Shannon, the creative wonder behind Organic Mama’s Shop, when she came to Dallas a few weeks ago. We’d been facebook friends since the Edel Gathering in Austin, and I’d been not-so-secretly drooling over her rosary bracelets. When she offered me one to review for my blog, I jumped at the chance! My only problem was picking just one. In the end, I picked one for her to send, and bought another for myself.... Read more
Last weekend after wheelchair basketball practice, Ella and I were discussing her teammates and why they were in chairs. I explained to her that most of the kids had spina bifida, and what that meant. She asked why she’d never met anyone with SB before she was in a wheelchair herself. I explained that most parents of children with spina bifida, and other debilitating birth defects, choose to terminate their pregnancies rather than have children who are disabled. She was... Read more
You’ve always wanted to be a porn star, right? California’s helping you out with that. The State of California recently passed a law requiring colleges to apply the “affirmative consent” standard when adjudicating sexual assault cases. What does this mean for the kids getting busy on college campuses? It means that both partners must verbally consent to each progression of intimate contact, because we all know that what rape is really about is miscommunication. So now California’s “romantic encounters” on... Read more
Yesterday afternoon, I got a call from the chief organizer at the kids’ co-op wanting my help with organizing the Thanksgiving party. I asked her what the time commitment was for that, and I quickly realized that there was no way I could be the kind of help she needed. She’s planning an EXTRAVAGANZA, and I only have the time to help hand out the cookies I picked up last minute from the grocery store. It didn’t matter. She wasn’t... Read more
I first heard of the Nine Annoying Things Novena from Jen Fitz earlier this year How the Annoying Things Novena works: When something annoying happens, you offer it up for your intention. (Such as: My annoying thing.) The nine-day version is perfect for people who plan ahead, and who can count on at least one annoyance a day. But look, there’s another version for those who join late: Between now and next Thursday, I bet nine annoying things happen to most... Read more
Heard from a friend of mine this morning “…and when she heard that I’d lost the baby, she did the perfect thing. She bought a bunch of tissues, and came to my house. When I opened the door, she hugged me and just said, ‘I’ve come to cry with you.'” This is the best response I’ve ever heard to a friend or family member in a crisis. The next time you don’t know what to say, bring tissues and... Read more
Wednesday afternoon, we went to see the new neurologist. (Sorry it took me until Friday to tell you. It took me a while to process it all, and there’s Ebola in Dallas!!!! That’s a lot for me.) The new neuro repeated the Nerve Conduction Study and the EMG (muscle test) done by one of the previous docs back in July. Back then, the doctor looked at her results and said “There are three areas which are below normal and the... Read more
I’m assuming that by now everyone has heard that an unnamed person in Dallas has been diagnosed with the Ebola virus. I wish that I could say we were all calm and unconcerned, but we are. The idea of this virulent disease being in the same geographic area as my children has me praying, planning, and fighting for calm. I hear these people talk about how it’s spread by bodily fluids and not much different from AIDS in that regard,... Read more
Right up front I want to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of school-at-home curricula. While Seton and Kolbe work well for many families, one look at those jam packed school schedules makes me break out in hives. Which means that for most of my 13 years homeschooling, I’ve written my own curricula. Our usual school style hits all the requirements like math, grammar, and writing. We have text books and work books for those, and make it to... Read more
Shoved to Them
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In