New Missal Resource for Catholic Kids
Posted by Danielle Bean in Faith on Monday, August 29, 2011
Have you read Daria’s article about the upcoming changes to the language we use in the Mass? If you read all the way to the end, you will see that we grown ups have many resources for learning more about these changes and preparing for them.
But how can we best prepare our children for changes in the Mass? A great book to use is The Mass Explained for Kids (scroll down), upcoming from Pauline Books.... READ MORE
Expand Our Vocabulary
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Family on Friday, July 08, 2011
For years the Washington Post had a columnist who ran a weekly contest for what he called “neologisms:” new words for common experiences.
It was a Friday ritual to read the winning entries—along with Calvin & Hobbes and The Far Side—while enjoying the morning’s coffee.
None of those clever folks in the pages of “Bob Levy’s Washington,” however, could hold a candle to your average three-to-five year... READ MORE
Parenting Brilliance
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Here’s my Question of the Day: what have you found to be the most effective method for eradicating potty mouth?
Rebecca’s recent post (though not directly related) has me thinking about the universal challenge of teaching our children the importance of acceptable language and also nipping unacceptable usage in the bud. This can be tough! I can talk about using good language until I’m blue in the face... READ MORE
Pop Culture
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Food on Friday, September 10, 2010
Arwen once posted on the great soda versus pop controversy.
For reasons beyond fathoming, someone has taken it upon himself to gather data and map our generic terms for soft drinks by region.
Basically you say “pop” if you’re from the North, “Coke” if you’re from the South, and “Soda” if you’re from the Northeast, California, or the southern-most tip of Florida (snowbirds?).
What’s sort of amusing to speculate about is regional particularities. For example, why does half of Missouri say “soda,” when all its neighboring states are in the “pop” or “coke” camp?
And what is with that tiny region of central Mississippi which insists on “pop” in a state of “Coke”-sayers?
Maybe there’s a Pepsi plant there.
An Unfortunate Choice of Words
Posted by Danielle Bean in News on Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Over the weekend, I blogged at our sister site, NCRegister.com, about Jennifer Aniston’s recent use of the “R” word.
I was intrigued by the discussion that followed my comments there.
I normally scoff at most forms of “political correctness” but I have to admit that the word retard, even when used in a joking or self-deprecating way—really does bother me.
This actually isn’t about Jennifer Aniston.... READ MORE
The Queen & I
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Just me on Tuesday, June 15, 2010
The Queen of England has a small request.
Sensible woman!
What idiomatic expressions—or corruptions thereof—could you do without?
Beyond Soda vs. Pop
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Just me on Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Not long before my sister married her husband, she travelled across the country to Idaho to meet his family. At one point during her visit, she got caught in a funny situation while conversing with two of her future sisters-in-law.
The topic of the conversation was gardening, and Sister A mentioned that she liked to wear thongs when pulling weeds. Sister B expressed her disbelief: how could this possibly... READ MORE
The Wittiest Romance
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Just me on Friday, February 12, 2010
I was in high school when I first saw the film You’ve Got Mail, and I remember being bewildered by the main character’s professed yearly rereading of Pride and Prejudice. Why, I wondered, would anyone want to read that book more than once? I’d slogged through it because I had an idea that every well-read person should be familiar with Austen, but my fifteen-year-old self had not been impressed. I... READ MORE
Juvenile Kineto Osmosis
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Tuesday, December 15, 2009
I think I’ve mentioned before that I come from a nerdy family. We like language. We do not say “decimate” when we mean “annihilate” and we do not say that things make us “nauseous.” If one of us uses the word “myself” when he should use “I” or “me,” he’s sure to get the evil eye from at least one other family member.
Some of you are probably shuddering at that idea, but our family’s obsession is fun... READ MORE
Talk to Me, Kid
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Wednesday, April 22, 2009
I’m the oldest of six children, so I was around when my five younger siblings were babies and toddlers. I thought I was paying attention, but I guess I wasn’t, because a huge amount of the development of my little ones is completely new to me.
I remember my brothers and sisters learning to talk. They talked a lot. Nevertheless, observing my daughter’s verbal development over the past eighteen months,... READ MORE
