Our parish dates back to the 1800s. As such, it’s beautiful, but a bit small. There are no cry rooms. The narthex is a narrow corridor in the back of the church with double-hinged doors (easy for little hands to push) large, hollow radiators (easy for little hands and feet to bang on) an old [...]

Filed under: Catholicism, Family, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

My wife was reading through a book last night entitled, “Guiding Your Catholic Preschooler” by Kathy Pierce and Lori Rowland, a book that neither of us can remember purchasing. Suddenly she blurts out, “What?!”
So of course I had to ask.
“Books,” she says, beginning the section. “What is your child looking at and reading about in [...]

Filed under: Chesterton, Common Sense, Family | 13 Comments »

The subject of Natural Family Planning comes up every now and then, and it seems there’s quite a lot of disagreement over it. At Inside Catholic, Simcha Fisher had an article on NFP yesterday that took a more insightful look at the topic than I’ve seen in a while. But there’s more, I think, that [...]

Filed under: Catholicism, Family | 78 Comments »

The other day I wrote a post about how women in the workforce have damaged the family wage, and therefore how ironic it was that there were news reports worrying over how economic downturns affect women’s wages and therefore the financial health of families.
The comments got dragged off-topic into a long discussion about just wages [...]

Filed under: Chesterton, Family, Feminism, Uncategorized | 69 Comments »

Marketwatch breathtakingly reports “FAMILIES AT RISK IN RECESSION…Women’s Jobs More Vulnerable In A Downturn”
What it doesn’t talk about is just what the hell happened to the family wage. Why is it that no man, unless he’s done very well for himself in rising above the average payscale of the corporate schlub, can provide for his [...]

Filed under: Chesterton, Common Sense, Family | 56 Comments »

So last night, as we’re getting the kids ready for bed, Ivan starts bouncing off the walls. Literally. He’s tossing and turning on the bed like a whirling dirvish, while I’m trying to get his after-bath diaper on. The diaper tears, and I’m forced to hold him down with one hand while trying to secure [...]

Filed under: Family | 3 Comments »

And I don’t mean that in a good way.
It’s 90+ degrees and I’m already worried about keeping the family from freezing this winter while still putting food on the table. The house we’re renting (renting being the key here) has an oil-burning boiler that heats the home through baseboard units. We moved into this place [...]

Filed under: Family, Money, OMG, Or Lack Thereof | 15 Comments »

Things are afoot.
Money, that thing we’re not supposed to worship and yet the obtainment of which occupies the majority of our time, is in decidedly short supply these days, and growing shorter.
Word has come down from upon corporate high that all further allotments of pay, including cost of living increases, have been frozen, due to [...]

Filed under: Family, Prayers Please, Site Info | 4 Comments »

This morning, as I getting ready to go to work, Ivan found my pipe on my desk, and immediately began puffing on it. I almost never actually use it, so I don’t know where he got the idea from, but in an instant he was holding it by the bowl and pointing with it like [...]

Filed under: Family | No Comments »

I am wondering what unclean spirit is handed down from one child to the next in my family. Sophia (age: 32 months) was the nightmare beast from the deep for the better part of the last few months, every time she had to go to bed. Once the stories were over, prayers were said, kisses [...]

Filed under: Family, Uncategorized | 19 Comments »