Last night I had one of those rare moments when I was able to step away from the mayhem of the daily grind of motherhood and quietly observe my youngest child, Annie—6 years old—playing school with her 99 Barbie dolls. … Keep reading

“Get down from there before  you break your neck!”  Sound familiar?  You heard it growing up and you have probably repeated it to your own children.  There are certain sayings in a parent’s lexicon that seems to have infiltrated homes … Keep reading

It’s two weeks before the jolly big guy in the red suit arrives and for the first time in my 18 years as Mother Goose, I haven’t done a single thing to prepare, not a one and even more shocking—it … Keep reading

Part of the genetic code of siblings is uncivil warfare. Most of these fights stem from trying to carve out or maintain turf. But the inspiration for brother/sisterly scuffles can be anything (Mommmm, it’s my turn to use the Wii/computer/tv), … Keep reading

One day last year around this time, my then-4-year-old daughter and I stopped by a local Catholic store to pick up a gift. As you can imagine in a Catholic store during Advent, there were several Nativities on display. While … Keep reading

In case you haven’t noticed our once rock hard economy (that was in my lifetime, wasn’t it?) is still a little soft—make that downright squishy, so with the holidays now in full swing, many families are scratching their heads and … Keep reading

My mom could make a stiff espresso.  She could drink it, too, and would do so con gusto twice a day, despite the fact that Mom was prone to the jitters.   I don’t know to what degree Mom’s espresso consumption … Keep reading

If you happen to be one of those rare individuals who has never lost, well I like to say—misplaced, a set of keys, your car in the mall parking lot, your child (yes, it happens) or your mind, please e-mail … Keep reading

Every once in a while, when I meet someone new and they learn that I have ten children, they ask, “So why don’t you have a television show like the Duggars?” Most recently, there is a poised polished mother of … Keep reading

Ever have one of those frustrating moments when you desperately needed to lay your manicured mitts on a simple little screwdriver, you know, to unscrew the bottom of your vacuum cleaner so you could release the pet hamster you mistakenly … Keep reading