About Rachel Balducci

Rachel Balducci Rachel Balducci is married to Paul and together they are the parents of five lively boys. Besides being a mom, she is also a writer and a newspaper columnist for the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia. For the past four years, she has maintained her personal blog at Testosterhome.net where she blogs her life with boys, including (but not limited to) swords, army guys, Chuck Norris, and basketball. She is hard at work on her first book which will be published by Revell Books in 2009.
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Cast Off!

ahhhhhhhhh

Just a quick note to thank you all for the prayers, support and encouragement you have offered my family over the last seven weeks (seven weeks, one day, six hours) since Henry broke his leg and got his cast.

Henry had his cast removed this past Tuesday and everything is rainbows and roses, glorious and grand. What a relief! God is good, his mercy never comes to an end.


The Case for Large Families

Is it worth it?

Tonight we celebrated the birthday of my six-year-old nephew. Friends and family members converged at a local park for a few hours of fun, where we were all pleasantly surprised by the mild temps and gentle breezes. July in Georgia can be hot, and tonight wasn’t too bad at all.

I have mentioned I’m the oldest of eight children (the picture is my family at my bowling birthday party this past June),... READ MORE


A Grand Ole Flag

and a yummy one, too!

The following is an award-winning Fourth of July cake—I know this to be true because a few years ago I took second place in our neighborhood July 4th dessert contest! (Long-time readers will understand why I wept with joy upon hearing the news.)

The cake comes to us by way of The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, and is every bit as delicious as it is patriotic and cute. I’m including the recipe here... READ MORE


T.V. or not T.V.

that is the question

We are a one television family. Well, technically we are a two television family, but one t.v. is the ancient little number Paul and I bought as newlyweds. It is a small, two-ton unit that sits in a closet until we lug it out for movie viewing from time to time.

Lately, that t.v. has been in Paul’s and my bedroom. We set it up when Henry came home from the hospital with his cast, back when he was... READ MORE


Dinner Company

the work of entertaining

Tonight we had our parish priest over for dinner. It was a really wonderful time.

I’m one of those types of people who uses entertaining as an excuse to clean everything in sight. I work like crazy to clean all the nooks and crannies, knowing full well that the dinner company will almost certainly not see the inside of my closet and or bathroom cabinet. No, I’m kidding. I don’t clean *those* areas... READ MORE


Show Your Boys

or maybe don’t

From my friend who sends the jumping/biking/water-sliding videos, comes one with parachutes and cliffs! Thanks, FT.


Father Knows Best

an interview with my dad

In honor of Father’s Day, I decided to pose a few questions to the best dad I know—mine! (I’m sure your dad is great too, of course!)

Dad, thanks for taking the time to answer. Thanks for devoting yourself so whole-heartedly to your wife and children. That you enjoy being with us so much makes life sweet.

1. What is the best part about Fatherhood?
In an earthly sense there is the great joy of developing... READ MORE


Tote Couture

In which Rachel Raves about a great product

For years, I would eye longingly those classic tote bags when my L.L. Bean catalog came in the mail. I’d give long and serious thought to buying one, and for whatever reason I never did. I’d notice people who had the totes, note that the bag seemed useful and classic—and then promptly do nothing about getting one.

What put a stop to this behavior was my frustration with having a whole host of other... READ MORE


Building the Priesthood

we can all foster vocations

Rebecca’s discussion of the upcoming Year of the Priest reminded me of an article I read in the National Catholic Register a few years ago.

In it, Register senior writer Tim Drake looked at a recent surge in vocations, and noted several dioceses that seem to be especially thriving. Of course, one of the reasons I remember the article so well is that my own diocese, The Diocese of Savannah, was featured... READ MORE


Different Strokes

lots and lots of them

It is late Tuesday evening and we are just getting in from tonight’s swim meet.

Do your kids swim? Did you have a meet tonight? Around here, everyone who does summer swim has meets on Tuesday night (like, even my friend three hours down the road). I never knew anything about the cult of swim until my boys started swim team five years ago. Up until then, I had two frames of reference for swim team:... READ MORE


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