Nick that Name
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Do you have a nickname? Did you choose it?
Perhaps because my name has no easy nicknames and I’ve always just gone by “Arwen,” I’m fascinated by the topic of nicknames.
A few years ago I mentioned that we called my daughter Camilla “Billa,” a nickname we certainly hadn’t planned on when we carefully chose “Camilla Claire” before her birth.
But sometime around age three, “Billa” disappeared and we... READ MORE
Tiny Little Things
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Thursday, January 05, 2012
Last night a variety of factors converged in a sleep trainwreck: Linus and Ambrose both awoke every two hours all night long.
Six wakeups each times two babies. Do that piece of math and you’ll understand why I crawled out of bed in a stupor this morning.
But blessedly, I checked my email soon afterward and found a message from a dear aunt whose two boys are now in their twenties. She’d gotten our... READ MORE
When Other People's Kids Are Sad
Posted by Lisa Hendey in Family on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
This afternoon, my teenager Adam and I found ourselves in a busy discount store surrounded by holiday shoppers. The atmosphere was tense, made worse by large crowds and loud Christmas music. My greatest desire was to “get out of here ASAP”, but I ended up waiting for my Adam for a few moments in a crazy section of the store.
As I stood doing mental exercises to keep myself calm, I spotted not one... READ MORE
Parenting Pitfalls
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Wednesday, December 14, 2011
This afternoon, in that challenging haze that is the hour before dinner, I had one of the most outrageous 30-minute spans of mothering in recent history.
It was the perfect storm (isn’t it always!) of me feeling overwhelmed and someone being grumpy and someone else getting into mischief and a fourth party not wanting to deal with the task at hand (and not handling that well, not at all). Throw into... READ MORE
Soldier's Mom
Posted by Lisa Hendey in Family on Monday, December 12, 2011
This past weekend, in various social situations and at Mass, I learned that three of my oldest son’s classmates will soon be leaving college and enlisting in the military. Two are destined for the Air Force, and the third will join the Army. I received the news from two of the moms, both of whom are friends of mine.
What struck me as I spoke with both of them independently was the emotions they were... 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.
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.
Pope Benedict XVI on Children and Prayer
Posted by Lisa Hendey in Faith on Monday, November 21, 2011
This weekend, received a link to Pope Benedict XVI’s wonderful address on prayer to the children of St. Rita’s Parish in Benin. While the entire address is magnificent and well worth reading, I thought I’d share a portion here that really inspired me:
Some of you have already made your First Holy Communion, and others are preparing for it. The day of my First Holy Communion was one of the most beautiful... READ MORE
Changing Lanes
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Thursday, November 17, 2011
As we’ve started kindergarten with our oldest child this year, I’ve blogged twice already about our decision-making process: “When to Begin” and “Where It Happens.” Since we’ve had some new developments recently, I thought I’d continue the series.
From the introduction to the previous posts:
This is a sporadic series, not meant to defend or criticize any particular schooling decision. Rather, I want... READ MORE
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