When Hope Seems Lost
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Once upon a time, there was a boy named Larry. He was a good boy, raised in a good family. But somewhere, somehow, Larry lost his way.
He wandered in the desert for many years, seeking solace in drugs and alcohol. In the midst of this, his parents prayed. They prayed and their friends prayed and they continued to hope for their son, even as he seemed to slip further and further away.
This boy, Larry,... READ MORE
Christmas Breakfast
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
I’m working on my shopping list for Christmas Day eats and wondering what everyone else likes to eat Christmas morning.
This year, I’m doing a make-ahead strata to pop in the oven before we start opening gifts, along with some bread and cinnamon rolls and fruit (for “balance”).
What works best for your family? If you have any delicious, easy breakfast recipes to share, please do!
... READ MOREFill 'Em Up!
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Do you do Christmas stockings at your house?
During my childhood we did. My mom filled them with the fun stuff for us - little toys when we were younger, hair bands and stationery when we were older - and since we didn’t get to open our big presents until after Christmas morning Mass, the stockings helped tide us over. We enjoyed them.
But now that I’m a mother myself and dealing with the fight against... READ MORE
When Grandma Doesn't Get It
Posted by Lisa Hendey in Family on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
I recently received a very nice, thoughtful email from a Catholic dad who’s dealing with a stressful situation with his family. His wife, a convert to Catholicism from what might be considered by some an extremist Christian denomination, is receiving quite a lot of pushback from her mother (his mother in law). Grandma insists that her children being raised as faithful Catholics is a repudiation of... READ MORE
The Gift Dilemma
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Our kids have too many toys.
If I were writing this on Twitter, I’d wryly label it #firstworldproblems, but the good fortune of our situation does not change the spreading-all-over-the-house, making-Mama-crazy aspect of it. There are too many toys.
Recent ruthless culling has returned our playroom to a manageable state, with a few age-inappropriate things stored and many many items sent to the donation... READ MORE
Elf on the Shelf
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
New to my radar this year: Elf on the Shelf—a fun game that involves a cute little elf who hides each evening for the children to seek the next day.
I’ve never heard of it before and this year I’m seeing it everywhere. Do you have an elf on your shelf?
What other fun traditions are out there to celebrate? Do you celebrate St. Nicolas day, or Santa Lucia, or Our Lady of Guadalupe? Or perhaps all three—and more! Please share what Advent traditions you and your family enjoy.
Thanksgiving Trivia
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Do you have any favorite bits of Thanksgiving trivia?
Here’s mine: the first baby born in the New World was Virginia Dare.
Here are a few other links for some good Thanksgiving information.
My family has an annual Thanksgiving Day Trivia contest, which might sound geeky but is a lot of fun. (The stakes are high as there is a resin Turkey involved as top prize.) So I’m off to study and hopefully dominate... READ MORE
Thankful For: Encouragement
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
“And so I tell you, whoever is reading this and needs to hear it. Don’t quit. Retreat, yes. Surrender, never.”
We’re in a season when my husband and I refer to Sunday Mass as “the most exhausting hour of the week,” and this article, “Mass with a Difficult Child,” was exactly what I needed to read. It’s by blogger and mother-of-six (and, I believe, F&F reader and commenter) Michelle Reitemeyer, and it’s lovely.
“The goal is to have antic-free children. We call them mature adults.”
I laughed, I nodded, I felt consoled after reading. I hope you will too.
Playmobile vs. Lego
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, November 17, 2011
In the comments section of our post on gift ideas for boys, there was a lot of talk of Lego’s and Playmobile. I’m curious: does every household with boys choose one or the other?
We have always been a Lego family but I’ve long been enamored by Playmobile. I recently picked up a sweet Christmas set at a yardsale and love it. I’m thinking about getting more but as we already own two tons of Lego’s I’m... READ MORE
Determining Family Size
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, November 10, 2011
There were so many interesting comments in our discussion about the Duggar’s new baby, and something that stood out to me was the idea of “openness to life” and determining family size.
As Catholics, we are committed to being open to life—but as strange as this may sound, that is going to look different for everyone. The only people who can make that decision are the husband and the wife. Together... READ MORE
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