Catholic Minimalism Redux: Week 2
Week two of the Catholic Minimalism challenge is bathrooms. We have four of them! Last time around, I thoroughly minimized the two upstairs. In the time since, the one on the main floor was repurposed when Emily moved all her things to the basement bathroom, which...
A Plethora of Peacocks: Lessons from Drama and Real Life
Back in my high school days, the Drama Club was one of my favorite extra-curricular activities. I participated in every production that occurred while I was a student. My all-time favorite role was Penelope (Penny) Sycamore, the mother in You Can’t Take It with...
Summer Fun: In Which I Grow Lazy
I’ll admit it–it is harder to have fun all the time than you might think. Honestly, I really, really like sitting at my desk having uninterrupted time to get work done. Leaving the house is stressful, and sandwiching fun in between not only work but also...
Catholic Minimalism Redux: Week One
Remember back at the beginning of the year when I was participating in the Catholic Minimalism Challenge, and making all kinds of progress, and posting impressive updates? Well, along about week three, we got the flu. For the second time. As you might expect, that...
Summer Fun: That 70s Summer
Remember when I told y’all that we weren’t doing a 70s summer around here? Well, this week we did our best imitation and as a result this will be a very short post. The reason: POOL. So to me, daily access to a swimming pool is an absolute necessity for...
Pink Salt Riot
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Very interesting article, but what strikes me most is the idea that the reason we have kids is to make us happy. I am not saying that my kids don't make me happy, but that's not what my primary motivation for having children was.To me, the opportunity to be a co-creator of unique human beings is the primary reason to have kids. What do YOU think?
Since I share a post yesterday sharing what I DON'T know, today I will tell you what I DO.I wrote this many years ago, and nothing has happened since to change my mind.My basic parenting philosophy for ALL kids, from birth to adulthood can now be boiled down to just this: Love them and make sure that they KNOW you love them.That much, I know I did right.
THINGS I KNOW: Raising Teenagers - Life in Every Limb
lifeineverylimb.com
In an uncertain world, there's a certain appeal in believing that there is anything we are sure about, and pride in celebrating and sharing lessons learned and wisdom gained. And I do know a lot of th...
I first wrote this when my boys were 15 and 16. Let's just say that I had no idea then just how terrfying teens could be.Having by the grace of God raised five children to legal adulthood (my baby is 21), I can tell you that I still know very little. I have regrets and things I wish I could go back and do over. But my kids survived, and they still come home.
The Terrifying Teens - Life in Every Limb
lifeineverylimb.com
The thing about being the mother of three preschoolers is that eventually you will be the mother of three teenagers. You hear a lot about the Terrible Twos, but what about the Terrifying Teens? With t...
This falls into the annoying category of "they grow so fast" posts (spoiler alert: I have MORE), but, y'all, they DO.The "baby" in this story was 19 when I first posted this well over ten years ago, and my actual "baby" is 21 now and spending July in Germany. I've got one grown son in Philadelphia and one in San Francisco. I have no clue where all that time went.
She'll Be Gone - Life in Every Limb
lifeineverylimb.com
It's late, and I haven't had time to post anything today, so I thought I'd share something I wrote a long--VERY LONG--time ago (about 15 years ago). [edit: this happened in 1993] The incident I recoun...
I wrote this a long time ago, and I stand by it today. Maybe I am not 100% sure about the secret to a happy life, but I definitely know what it isn't.
The Secret to a Happy Life - Life in Every Limb
lifeineverylimb.com
The following is a reprint of a column that appeared in The East Tennessee Catholic in 2002. When I was pregnant with my third child, friends, family, and strangers in the mall all seemed desperate to...
