It was parent-teacher conference day, and—don’t ask me why—but I signed up for conferences early in the morning.So, on a day off from school, the boys and I gulped down breakfast and dashed out the door to get to our meetings.Remind me to do that differently next time.Still, we madeRead More

Our evenings are busy on an ordinary weekday. So when I accepted an invitation to attend our parish’s book club for moms last night, I knew I would be pushing things time-wise.But I loved the idea of talking with other women about St. Therese, and I figured we could pull itRead More

No one wants to be the last parent to pick up from after-school care.I always feel like Ping, the duck who worries about being the last to climb on the boat. He knows the last duck gets a smack on the back. He hurries and rushes to get in lineRead More

Don’t ask me what our children are dressing up as for Halloween. We have no idea. I’m pretty sure they want to be rare Pokemon characters who are not available in costume form, although I’ve also heard Minecraft characters mentioned. I’m also pretty sure I’m not going to be learningRead More

A few days ago my sister Treasa asked me whether I wanted a few books she had already read. She and her husband were setting up a table at a neighborhood yard sale, and they were going through things, deciding what they didn’t need.We always have things we don’t need—doesn’tRead More

At Sunday Mass I was marveling at how far we have come with behavior in church. With children who are almost 7 and 9, I no longer worry that we won’t make it through Mass. Sure, I worry that they aren’t getting all they should out of Mass or participatingRead More

One day last week I was home with our children when the phone rang. It was a man from our health insurance company, offering to call me every month to discuss how our family could make healthier choices.“That’s great,” I said. “I just can’t think of any time we couldRead More

Before I became a mother, I imagined bedtime as a peaceful time. I would rock my child while reading a story. Then, after prayers and maybe a lullaby, I’d tuck our sweet little one into bed.That's not really how it works around here. In reality, brushing teeth is about asRead More