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Our younger son has a bad cold, so we decided to keep him home and go to separate Masses.Not long after I told our boys the plan, they started setting up “Mass” for their stuffed animals in the living room.I can’t remember the first time we held a pretend Mass,

It was parent-teacher conference day, and—don’t ask me why—but I signed up for conferences early in the morning.So, on a day off from school, the boys and I gulped down breakfast and dashed out the door to get to our meetings.Remind me to do that differently next time.Still, we made

Our evenings are busy on an ordinary weekday. So when I accepted an invitation to attend our parish’s book club for moms last night, I knew I would be pushing things time-wise.But I loved the idea of talking with other women about St. Therese, and I figured we could pull it

The school year is well upon us, and I am feeling the weight of it.Our children’s folders come home full of forms to complete and homework assignments that are due tomorrow or next week or in three weeks. I just add them to the pile.I believe our children should manage their

No one wants to be the last parent to pick up from after-school care.I always feel like Ping, the duck who worries about being the last to climb on the boat. He knows the last duck gets a smack on the back. He hurries and rushes to get in line

Don’t ask me what our children are dressing up as for Halloween. We have no idea. I’m pretty sure they want to be rare Pokemon characters who are not available in costume form, although I’ve also heard Minecraft characters mentioned. I’m also pretty sure I’m not going to be learning

When our little boy is really sick, he needs to be held.His cold has been getting worse. He creeps into our room during the night and lies on our floor next to the bed, just to be near us. I wake up and hear his rough breathing, so I take

A few days ago my sister Treasa asked me whether I wanted a few books she had already read. She and her husband were setting up a table at a neighborhood yard sale, and they were going through things, deciding what they didn’t need.We always have things we don’t need—doesn’t

At Sunday Mass I was marveling at how far we have come with behavior in church. With children who are almost 7 and 9, I no longer worry that we won’t make it through Mass. Sure, I worry that they aren’t getting all they should out of Mass or participating

Some days are just packed with little moments where I discover holiness in ordinary life.I saw it in the smile of the teacher who waved as I dropped off our boys at school.When I stopped at the grocery store, I witnessed it in a friendly exchange among strangers in line

One day last week I was home with our children when the phone rang. It was a man from our health insurance company, offering to call me every month to discuss how our family could make healthier choices.“That’s great,” I said. “I just can’t think of any time we could

Before I became a mother, I imagined bedtime as a peaceful time. I would rock my child while reading a story. Then, after prayers and maybe a lullaby, I’d tuck our sweet little one into bed.That’s not really how it works around here. In reality, brushing teeth is about as