It’s been 21 years since I last saw my college roommate. We talk on the phone at least three times a week, and text each other almost daily, but the last time I saw her I was 18. That’s a long time ago. Which is why, when she said she’d be in Houston for the weekend (4 1/2 hours away) instead of in Virginia… and did I want to come hang out all weekend, I jumped at the chance. The... Read more

My six year old sat next to me on the sofa making a weird noise and squeezing his eyes tightly shut. “What are you doing?” I asked him. “I’m trying to lay an egg,” was his reply. “Good luck with that,” I told him. “You’re not a bird so that probably isn’t going to happen.” “People can’t lay eggs?” He asked thoughtfully. “No. It’s really more of a bird thing.” He looked at me for a moment before saying “Sure,... Read more

This Sunday morning, I had the pleasure of attending Mass at St Pius V in Pasadena, TX. The first thing I noticed as I walked toward the church’s doors was a statue of the Blessed Mother in a niche in the wall with a simple grocery store candle next to her, and bouquets of fresh flowers and still more lit candles at her feet. She was amazing! I have an admitted love of what the world calls tackiness, and here... Read more

I’ve been trying for the past few months to make plans with a couple homeschooling families we’ve recently met. It’s hard. It’s not that we don’t have time in our schedukes to get together, it’s trying to figure out what to do to accommodate all the rules and restrictions of their families. I never really thought of myself as a free-wheeling hippie until August through noe. I’m wild and crazy, y’all…did you know? One family that we met this past... Read more

My husband is out of town tonight for work. At bedtime, my four year old son dragged his pillow and blanket downstairs to my room and climbed up into my bed. “I’m sleeping with you so that you don’t get lonely or scared,” he told me matter-of-factly, and then busied himself with placing himself and his blankets just so. When he was settled, he said “Good night, Mom, I love you….and just so you know, I brushed my teeth before... Read more

Seventeen years ago Sunday (on a day that was also a Sunday now that I’m thinking about it,) we had our first baby. We were hardly more than babies ourselves, and had no idea the adventure that awaited us. I’m not sure that we even knew what we were supposed to do with her once we got her home, but somehow she survived having us for parents. It wasn’t long before our blond-haired sweetheart was ready to take on the... Read more

The older kids and I went to a different parish for Mass last night. The events of the day had run longer than expected, and by the time we realized it we were too late for the 5pm Mass. A quick Google search led us to the ugly parish that we had studiously avoided when we moved here two and a half years ago. We were so turned off by its modern architecture that we never even gave it a chance.... Read more

I made up a book report form for my 4th and 6th graders because I was tired of having to listen to the complaints of “I don’t know what to write.” Since I needed one, I thought that you might too. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel if what you need already exists somewhere for free. It’s all about helping each other out. Blogger won’t let me attach a pdf file. If you’d like to have one, I’d be... Read more

I don’t know if you saw it on the Country Music Awards, but this is hilarious! Enjoy! Read more

Wendy (yes, we’re calling her that now) has gotten to the age of being done with Mass. That one hour of her being quiet in the pew just seems to drag on forever. In the past few weeks she’s tried crying and wailing to get carried out of the church, but the mom who carried her out was much less fun than she had hoped. She tried climbing out of the pew and making a run for it, but quickly... Read more