Well, well, well… look what’s been going on around here! A little over a week ago, we welcomed little Marina Lynn into the world. She came in to the world at 6 pounds and 4 ounces of pure awesome, and I can’t wait to see what adventures she takes us on. I’ve had so many thoughts […]
On Marina Lynn, Fetal and Maternal Health Worldwide, and Other Musings Read More »
“Mama, does Santa bring you presents if you are bad?” My five year old asked me that question this week with a worried look on his face. “Yes,” I said. “That’s not what I heard. I heard that if you’re bad you don’t get anything at all.” “Well, in this house, we don’t believe in
A Quick Thought About Santa Claus, Jesus and Unconditional Love When You’re “Naughty” Read More »
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there’s a part of me that really thinks the best Advent Calendar idea is something that gives the child a toy every day. I’m particularly eying the Lego City calendar, the Plamobil calendar, and the Thomas the Train calendar. They’re cool, right? Getting a toy every day from the
5 Advent Calendar Ideas that Focus on Family Time, Kindness and Service Read More »
Walking through Target and the grocery store this week, I’ve noticed something: Thanksgiving seems to be missing from the shelf. Pumpkins and ghost napkins are 50% off, and the empty space that’s left is being filled with stockings and gingerbread. Out with goblins and pumpkins, in with Santa and stockings. On the one hand, this
Making Time and Space For Gratitude Read More »
“You’re not the boss of me!” your child yells as they stick out their tongue and run away. Furious, you yell back, “How dare you talk to me like that! You little…” This pattern is nothing new. Your child has a bad habit of disrespect. It’s something you’ve been trying to nip in the bud
The Shocking Solution to Your Child’s Disrespect: Guest Post by Nicole Schwarz Read More »
This week I saw photos and video of the earthquake in Japan and it gave me a little bit of pause. Though the hailstorm San Antonio experienced is not even close to being in the same category of disaster, I couldn’t help but think about the common protective instinct that parents have for their children, whether it’s
Things I Thought About After the Hailstorm: Children and Disaster Read More »
When I was a child, I opened my birthday presents in front of the friends who gave them to me. It was the best, most magical part of the party. All the presents! Unwrapping them! The joy! When I went to a birthday party, my favorite part of the party was watching my friend
A Case for Letting Children Open Birthday Presents in Front of Their Peers Read More »
Back for 2016, the wildly popular Lenten Practices Family Calendar! Families loved this calendar last year, and this year it’s available for $1.00 for personal use. See other listings for church use. The activities on the calendar are based around the “3 Pillars” of Lent. Prayer [P], Fasting [F] and Almsgiving/Service [S]. The pillars are
It’s Here! It’s Here! 2016 Family Practices Calendar! Read More »
Tomorrow is All Saint’s Day. Today is Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve. There are so many cultural traditions around this time of year in the US… dressing up, carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating. The one tradition that I like to emphasize with families is the idea of remembering family members who have gone before us. On All
Make a Memory Table for Someone Who has Died #AllSaintsDay #KidMin Read More »
I’m glued to my phone, just like so many people. Recently I’ve been thinking about a few ways to not be. I have a few ideas rolling around in my head about how to become unglued and I’ll write a post about those sometime soon. For now, though, here’s a way to use your phone as a
