Blog
The Almighty Does Great Things For Me
I’m a cynic and when I hear stories about “miracles” that involve somebody with an awful life getting a small bit of something they need, I tend to think, “Hmmm, seems like if God really cared, that person wouldn’t have cystic fibrosis in the first place. Good job, God! You gave a dying girl a puppy! Don’t do ME any favors.” Yes, it is just as bad as it sounds. But, the good news is that God wants to woo me, and he’s figured out how. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, he’s given me a grateful...
read more7 Super Quick Takes
1 Zoe is starting to stretch her sleep out. Last night we were up to 6.5 hours before she needed to nurse. Woot! 2. Wolfie looked so happy when I was reading him a letter he received that I said, “Does it make you so happy to get mail?” and he responded, “No, you make me so happy!” What a three-year-old… 3. I babysat for my 1-year-old nephew today and got to experience life with 3 kids. If I had a high chair set up to plop my nephew in during lunch, I would have found the three of them easier than...
read moreWhy do the MommyWars go on?
There are 2 types of MommyWars. My kid is more ____ than your kid. With infants, we all want the kid who is the biggest or the smallest, the best or the worst sleeper, some sort of superlative. It isn’t enough that we have a child of God with an immortal soul suddenly gifted to our care; we need this kid to be “more special” than other kids, even though God made those kids too. You’re Doing It All Wrong. Pick a battle: bottle or breast; co-sleep or crib; disposable or cloth diapers; attachment parenting or child abuse...
read moreWhat I’m learning about hosting a party
I live in a small house. It’s about 1100 square feet, about half of that taken up by bedrooms. So, when I decide to host a party for the 24 relatives who live within five minutes of my house, it takes some consideration. Here are things I’ve learned: When your combined kitchen/dining room is one of the two rooms available to guests, plan a menu that allows you to put the food out and stack the dirty dishes for later. No matter what your mother says, you do not need to serve a menu that includes multiple roasts and vegetable...
read moreWhat you need to plan a family
Today I was looking at an online ad for Walgreens, and noticed a section of it was for “Sexual Wellness.” It said, “Save on products to enhance intimacy and plan a family.” The products in this category are: Condoms & Contraceptives Lubricants & Moisturizers Vibrators & Adult Toys Mood Setters Sexual Wellness Supplements Intimate Care (douche, medications, tampons, waxing) I am trying to figure out how one could use most of these items to “enhance intimacy” or “plan a family.” Of...
read moreLove, Love, Love!
Let me be honest. I’m really not that nice of a person. I have a few friends who are really, truly, I mean it! nice, but I’m really not like them. Exhibit A: Someone gives one of us a really lame gift. My nice friend’s response: Oh, thank you! It is so thoughtful of you to think of me! (Meanwhile, in her head: It’s so nice they even thought of me! God is so good!) My response: Oh, thank you! (Meanwhile, in my head: I doubt I can even regift a piece of crap like this. Why would anyone give me a shadowbox with a homemade...
read more7 Quick Takes Friday
1. Fierce is halfway through his two week winter break. Woot! We’ve been in new-baby-zombie-land and at least now we can do that together. I think the whole “going to work” thing is overrated. 2. My grandmother started hospice care this last week and is showing signs of being antibiotic-resistant. She has been falling deeper into dementia since at least 2007, maybe longer. It struck me this last week when I went to take Wolfie and Zoe for a visit (Zoe is named after my grandmother), how hard things have been for so long. My...
read moreThose Holy Women
There are a couple of women in my life who glow with the love and joy of Christianity in practice. For example, my friend Lisa is expecting her sixth baby this August; no matter what her kids are doing, she is patient and kind. When asked about her cheerfulness in the face of nails-on-a-chalkboard-whining, she responds simply, “I love my life.” I met her when she was a single woman working as a Catholic missionary on my college campus. When I went through some difficult things in college, Lisa was present. She never seemed to offer...
read moreThe difference between backyard chicken eggs and “slave eggs”
My dad calls conventionally raised eggs “slave eggs.” Until our chickens started laying in September, we were paying a premium for “cage free” and “vegetarian-fed” eggs. This is a picture of 1 conventional egg and 2 of our early backyard eggs. Note that the conventional egg yolk broke, just falling into the bowl. When I scramble our eggs, I actually have to work to get the yolk and whites to mix because the yolk is so strong. The eggs are now regular size, but the color remains strong. The shells are so...
read moreAffiliates
Recent Comments