I have already posted about our family's Lent undertakings. And what I'm doing this year. But not everything I have tried to do (or not do) for Lent has worked. Today, you get to hear about what I don't do during Lent, what I avoid not doing during Lent, things I...
This is me on my last day as a flight instructor: Scanned from a Polaroid, but isn't it awesome?My student is totally pointing at my belly. Well, I guess not quite. This was my last flight, one month to the day before Jack was born. But I was still teaching a...
I don't see this jar as mostly empty,I see it as a tiny bit full Our clipart Lent calendar and our Lent RemindersOnly forty-three pictures to go Our school/dining tableWith purple cloth, potted succulent, and rocksAlso, in-progress mortification(Just look at that...
This is part of a series of Catholic Toddler Letters. Dear Adam, Pack your bags, we're moving to San Diego! I found a Church Lady who wants us! If you'll recall, that hasn't always been the case for me. It's okay, San Diego is where my Nana and Grandad live. We can...
Happy (?) Ash Wednesday everyone! Lent 2013 is upon us. Here's what I'm doing for Lent. Our family goal is to live a perfect Christian life for 40 days. We've never managed it yet, but maybe this is the year! We don't include Sundays or Feast...
If you're like me, you like your husband. You like getting dressed up. You like eating food. You like general adorableness. And being waited upon. And little bells. But if you're like me you do NOT like sitting in traffic on a Saturday...
We have a great love for Pope Benedict XVI in our house. That's Jack, receiving his First Holy Communion from Pope Benedict XVI at the canonization Mass of St. Nuno (among others) in April of 2009. It feels like a good day to share the story. The husband wrote...
This is the post I had scheduled for today. In light of current events, I also wrote another post. But please feel free to enjoy some winter frivolity alongside the more important stuff. Hey it's another Catholic Toddler Letter! Confused? Click here to learn more....
Adam from Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families has issued a challenge to Frankie and me and all of you too! This challenge is now closed, however, you can still take up a Chore and share with me on the Catholic All Year Facebook page! Every time you tackle a special...
We expect a lot from our kids. We demand good behavior in church, kneeling up straight for evening prayers, and speaking up when saying the Rosary. We keep Lent (and Advent). We fast and abstain when the Pope says we're sposta. And all that's...
This post is one in a series of Catholic Toddler Letters. Last week, Adam from Equipping Catholic Families asked Frankie, What kind of things does your family do during Lent, Frankie? Dear Adam, Thanks for introducing me to your Boppa. My Grandad is also awesome. He...
Our dear sweet Betty turns NINE next week, and to celebrate she wanted a Snow (Princess) themed birthday party. We ended up getting some great bargains, since on January 1st anything with a snowflake on it goes on clearance to make way for the swimsuits and Easter...
Thanks to everyone who voted for Catholic All Year in the Sheenazing Catholic Blogger Awards. Alas we did not win. Now go check out Like Mother, Like Daughter -- a waaaay better blog than mine. Seriously. But then you could come back here if you want....
This post is number two in a series on essential baby gear, see here for the first. For parenting book recommendations, see here. My six to twelve month old babies are still using most of the gear from my newborn to six month old recommendations, but I've also...
Voting is now closed. Thanks to you if you voted, or if you didn't. That's fine too.After nearly a month of blogging, I am FINALLY getting some recognition. :0) I am excited to have been nominated in the category of "Best Lifestyle Blog" in the...
In honor of some soon-to-be mothers I've been thinking about recently, especially my lovely cousin Pryor and the adorable Sarah of Oh My Soul, today I'm going to share with you my guide to baby gear for the first six months (check back later this week for my...
This post is fourth in a series on chores for kids . . . see also here and here and here.So, if we don't usually do chore charts, how do chores get done around here? The answer is: they get done FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. We get up, we do chores. Sometimes...
Hey Guys, Frankie here. Adam from Equipping Catholic Families has written back to answer my question about Mass survival tips! Head over there to check it out, then check back here next week for my post about what our family does.This post is third in a series on...
Greetings, Monica over at Equipping Catholic Families has a two-year-old named Adam, who by all accounts is just as much a handful as my Frankie. Adam got ahold of Frankie's letter to the Church Lady and figured he would drop Frankie a line. You can...
If you haven't seen the movie Les Misérables yet, you probably don't want to continue reading this. Because it has spoilers. But mostly because you should stop WHATEVER you are doing and GO SEE IT RIGHT NOW. Seriously. Quit your job. Don't pick up the kids from...
This post is one in a series on chores for kids . . . I have posted previously about the first chores we assign our toddlers--the ones that they really love. Today I want to discuss getting them to do chores that they are less excited about, and helping kids of all...
Two-year-old Jack (and his black eye) doing a little mopping. I have had two different readers request that I address the subject of chores and chore charts. For us anyway, this is an area that has seen a lot of flux over the years. Since...
I have to preface this by saying I don't "get" video games. I don't play them myself. Not since my dad and I conquered Myst anyway. If I'm going to sit down and stare at a screen for two hours I at least want to have a blog post to show for it. I have...
Okay, the DIY haircut! Financially it's a no-brainer. A set of hair clippers, like the Wahl Haircutting System that I use at home, costs about $35. I have four boys, aged 1-10, and a husband. Let's say they average a haircut every two months, from age 1...
Sometimes, baby makes four, or five, or six, or well . . . you get it. I think I had the standard reaction to finding out I was expecting baby number two: crying, for no reason. But right after that . . . I was excited, but worried about how a new...
Hey All, For today, you get a roundup of how things sounded around my house this week and the important lessons we learned. 1. I am not an acceptable substitute for Julie Andrews.Anita (3) in the car: "Mom, could you not sing? I'm trying to hear Mary...
If you like Star Wars and Christmas presents and awesome, but prefer wood and lasers to faux fur and embroidery floss, you should just scroll down a bit. This is a bit off topic . . . but, speaking of projects, I wanted to share my most recent one, my...
Thanks to Diana for sending in A READER QUESTION! It still counts if I know her in real life right? What things usually look like from where I'm sitting. So, the question is: How do I take care of myself in general, and specifically during the homeschool year? The...
It feels so easy now. The kids can still surprise me, and each one is different of course. One, in particular, is especially noisy. But mostly, I feel like I know what's coming, and how to handle it when it does. It's easy for me to forget now how overwhelming it...
Our "School Table" up until yesterday And mom and dad can hardly wait for school to start again . . . Well, it's happened, school has started again. But, as a homeschool mom, I have to say that my perspective on school vacations may be a bit different than the folks...
