Hey, you ever announce you're going to start blogging again and then behind the scenes stuff goes sideways and then your dad has a stroke and you spend the beginning of Advent dealing with hospitals for the second year in a row, but this time it's 2020 so you can't...
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Chapter Books for Perspective and/or Inspiration for All Ages in Times of Trouble and Isolation
Number one requested post when all of this Coronavirus stuff started going down was how to homeschool all of a sudden, so I wrote this. Second was what to do about Mass when there are no public Masses, so I wrote this. And now, third most requested is book...
The Ultimate Liturgical Library Post: Saint Books for All Year Long
YOU ASKED FOR IT! This is probably my most requested not-yet-posted post ever. So here it is: Every single read aloud we use on saints' days all year long! (This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through those links, I receive a small commission,...
Some Thoughts on Scandal (NOT the TV show, as I have at least temporarily learned my lesson)*
It's July! Get this month's booklet of prayers and devotions here as a print-at-home pdf or here as a paperback booklet. The July installment of the Catholic All Year Liturgical Living Show is ready to go, I just need to get it captioned and write a post for it, so it...
The Problem With Every Movie From My Youth: and ten family movies that won't teach your kids to swear like a sailor
Ahhh . . . movie night. It's one of the most beloved parts of our family routine. Our kids don't watch a whole lot of TV, but we do plan on watching a movie together as a family just about every week. We started off watching mostly Disney animated movies, but as the...
A Star Wars Birthday Party (in the van) *with spoiler-free movie review*
Okay, here it is you guys. Finally. I have been having exasperating computer issues that have been a drain on my already limited blogging time. But I just know you guys have been dying -dying- to know what I think about The Force Awakens and whether or not it's a good...
How to Raise Good Little Catholics
Something I get asked about quite often is what we're doing with our kids to help to raise them to have an understanding of and an appreciation for our Catholic faith. It's a tough question, but a very important one. Whether our kids are homeschooled, or go to...
Family Movies for Holy Week on Netflix and Amazon
Movies can be a great way to bring families together, and a great way to help kids understand complicated concepts. Holy Week is an excellent time to do both of those things. So, even though we give up our family screen time during Lent, our family Holy Week...
A Twelve Year Old Boy Reviews Cinderella
Last week, I took just my two older daughters to see Cinderella. I liked it. A LOT. They liked it a LOT. We've all been singing Lavender's Blue pretty much nonstop ever since. I felt pretty confident recommending it to women and girls. (And I did. I recommended the...
To the Harry Potter Finger-Waggers: Sorcery in the Bible vs Living in aMagical World
Dear Lady Who Commented on My Instagram Photo, I can't remember your name, because I deleted your comment very quickly. I don't usually delete comments, but I just didn't want a whole big thing to get started. I had a party to plan.The photo was this one . . . of the...
A Book You Should Know: An Interview and Giveaway with Stefan Salinas of Catholic Churches Big and Small
I've got a birthday coming up this month, so over the next couple of weeks, I'm pleased to be able to offer you, my dear readers, some hobbit-style birthday presents in honor of the occasion. First up: a book and a fine art print! I am really excited today to...
What’s All This, Now, About “Guardians of the Galaxy”?
A couple of months back the husband and I went to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier. (meh.) Before the movie we saw a trailer for a crazy-looking comic-book-based movie featuring what appeared to be an Ent, a sexy Wicked Witch of the West, that guy from Parks...
An Open Letter to Breaking Bad and Flannery O’Connor
It's not you, it's me. I get that. I totally get that you guys are brilliant and challenging and that people love you. But I don't. I just can't. You guys are huge bummers and you make me want to drown myself in the bathtub to escape the futility and pointlessness of...
Five New Picture Books That Won’t Ruin Your Kids
Have I mentioned that I do not like sassy, disobedient picture books? I have? Well, let me say it again: I doanlikum. Sometimes a trip to the library can feel like I'm slashing through a jungle of fart jokes and hating the new baby and running away from home so dad...
A Commenter’s Astute Medical Diagnosis: 7 Quick Takes XVI
--- 1 --- Back in January, when I started this here blog, I hooked it up to Amazon Associates. That means that when you click on a link from the blog that takes you to Amazon, then you buy something, I get a teeny, tiny percentage of what you spend. Now,...
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Hey all, while we're out of town for Easter Break, I'm cleaning out my drafts folder. So if this sounds like it was written a while ago, it probably was. I'll still be checking comments, so feel free to have an opinion. And a very happy...
Encouraging Discerning Readership in Children (and an update to my Percy Jackson review)
Hey all, while we're out of town for Easter Break, I'm cleaning out my drafts folder. So if this sounds like it was written a while ago, it probably was. I'll still be checking comments, so feel free to have an opinion. And a very happy Easter to you and yours!In...
Not Tamed: A Lesson in Walking Out of the Theater
Hey all, while we're out of town for Easter Break, I'm cleaning out my drafts folder. So if this sounds like it was written a while ago, it probably was. I'll still be checking comments, so feel free to have an opinion. And a very happy Easter to you...
Oz the Okay and Morally Acceptable (I Guess)
So, I figured that now that I have this blog, I have a responsibility to stop waiting a month to see movies that come out. I saw that Oz the Great and Powerful was coming soon to theaters. I reread The Wonderful Wizard of Oz AND read its sequel The Marvelous Land of...
Percy Jackson: A Book Review in Which I Disagree With Everyone Else Who Has a Blog
My ten year old son loves to read. And though he enjoys the books recommended by our classical curriculum, sometimes he yearns to read something a bit more modern and edgy . . . or perhaps something a bit more ancient and Greek. Somewhere, he heard...
Mardi Gras Madness and a Hoodoo Movie Review
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...
What Went Right With Les Misérables: and Why I’m Sad My Kids Can’t See It Yet
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...
The “Your Baby” Method of Sibling Preparation, and Some Book Recommendations
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...
My Favorite Parenting Books
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...
What Went Wrong With The Hobbit Movie, and How to Discuss it with Smart Kids
An illustration for the book by Greg Hildebrandt and Tim Hildebrandt A still from the movie. So far, so good. The Hobbit movie has gotten plenty of press for its shortcomings (and its long-drawn-out-ed-ness). Well, the husband and I saw it over the...