Gram has struggled with bouts of depression for a long time. At least since moving here, probably longer. At 96 she’s lost more friends and family members than she has left. She’s outlived two of her children. I’m the first to admit that I can’t understand the depth of those losses because I haven’t lived … Read more
I have been looking for a simple morning offering to do with our children for about a year now. It’s been the biggest piece of our attempt at liturgical living more fully we’ve been missing. But the kids just aren’t quite old enough for the traditional ones (too complicated and long), and I haven’t wanted … Read more
One of the hardest parts of elder care, at least for me, is finding the right balance between what Gram is capable of and what she needs help with. As she’s gotten older, we’ve seen new losses of capacity, most of which happened gradually, though looking back at where she was 4 years ago and … Read more
Tonight was a rough night with G. Meltdown after meltdown, throwing things, sobbing, just entirely out of control. She had a fabulous morning. She had an incredibly helpful afternoon. And then she hit the wall. ADHD can be like that. She spends so much energy holding herself together, that when she can’t do it anymore, … Read more
This morning we took a family church tour. We are beyond blessed to be members at a parish as welcoming to young families as St. Paul’s is, and I am so grateful to Fr. Craig, our associate pastor, who took time out of his busy schedule to show my kids (and Mark, my Mom, and … Read more
Tonight while we were decorating the Christmas tree, or rather, preparing to decorate the Christmas tree, which, with three littles, took about 3 hours, Gram was remembering aloud how her father always insisted on decorating their tree himself growing up. It was his gift to the family. I asked about her mother, hoping to spark … Read more
These are words my son shouted from the front pew at mass two weeks ago. This past Sunday he yelled (again from the front pew), “That guy is drinking Jesus’ blood again!!” Soooooooooo, yea. On the one hand, we have successfully managed to instill in his little heart a belief in the True Presence. On … Read more
Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, which means that Advent is one week away. Advent is one of my favorite seasons, and it’s where we began when we first started to try to live more liturgically. It’s a great season to begin because it’s the beginning of the new Church year. It’s … Read more
Tonight was my second opportunity to pray Lectio Divina with Gianna. As promised, here are the nuts and bolts for the process. First of all, I encourage reading the entirety of the passage from a real Bible, not just an excerpt from a tablet or other device. Maria Montessori, a Catholic herself, wrote in her … Read more
A few months back, I started to think about getting ready to renew my consecration to Mary, which I do every year on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Gianna has been deeply interested in all things to do with faith lately, so I went searching for a consecration prep designed for children her age. … Read more