Clik here to view.
What is a Pope? (And What He Isn’t)
With the arrival of Pope Francis in the US last week my Facebook newsfeed has been filled papal articles, memes, and quotes. Between that and the round-the-clock media coverage. It has been a fun...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In Defense of Book Banning
WARNING: This post contains some graphic content. This week is Banned Books Week. During this week librarians and English teachers hand out bookmarks and hang posters encouraging students to select...
View ArticleClik here to view.
10 Reasons Every Boy Should Read Where the Red Fern Grows
When we were kids my brother, like most kids in the 70’s, read Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. I’ll never forget it. My older, tougher, cooler brother was reduced to tears, no sobbing, by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Confessions of a Former Homeschooling Mother
I never ever planned to homeschool. When I got pregnant with my first child, my plan was to quit my job as a high school teacher and stay home with my children until the youngest started kindergarten....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Saints Preserve Us! What’s Up With Catholics and Their Saints?
When I was an Evangelical Protestant, I pitied Catholics because I thought they could not or would not pray directly to God. I don’t know why I thought that or where I heard it, but I, like many of my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Annual Mother/Daughter Holiday Craft Weekend and Pajama Party
Thanksgiving is just a few days away, but here in Arkansas it is the opening weekend of deer season. That means the next several weekends will be (mostly) for just the girls and me. It also means that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Martha and Me – Bacon Jam
I am a fan of the Pioneer Woman. I love her down-to-earth style and her simple home-cooking. The fact that she homeschools is pretty cool too. I also like Rachel Ray. What’s not to love about 30 Minute...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Christmas Lists and Fine China
Charming Friends, I have been writing posts for Huffington Post for a few weeks now. I usually post on HuffPost Parents, but I have recently posted about Advent on the Religion page, and this week I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Six Things About Santa Claus That You Probably Didn’t Know
December 6 is the Feast of Saint Nicholas, better known by many as Santa Claus. Unfortunately, our modern, consumer-minded culture has reduced Santa into a reindeer-driving, list-checking,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Immaculate Conception – Probably Not What You Think
When I was first beginning to look into Catholicism, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. The lady running the Catholic book store advised me to take one thing at a time – to take each new concept or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Four Reasons We Didn’t Get a Rescue Dog
We have a new puppy. We didn’t take in a stray. We didn’t find him from a pet rescue website. And we did not, as I had always imagined we would, go to our local shelter and pick out a sad-eyed, fuzzy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Six Very Short Christmas Stories for All Ages (with PDF links)
A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine posted a Literary Advent Calendar on Facebook. Each day there is a link to a Christmas story, poem, or essay. It is delightful, and I was thrilled to discover...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Christmas Now and Then – A Mom of Big Kids Updates Her List
Just a few days ago I wrote about what I really want for Christmas. It was a list of all the things that, in a perfect world, would be different around my house. That list is spot on. I stand by that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why I Am Religious and Not Just Spiritual
When I was in college I was involved in an Evangelical campus ministry. I attended a weekly Bible study (most of the time) and went to occasional social functions designed to help Christian students...
View ArticleClik here to view.
I Get By With a Little Help From My (Cyber) Friends
I’m not gonna lie. I miss having Little Ones. I mean I really miss it. I miss chubby, jelly-smeared faces. I miss sticky kisses and fat little arms around my neck. I miss the way my little boy said,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Growing up Jake thought his Grandpa Portman was the most fascinating man in the world. He loved to hear his grandfather’s stories about life in the Welsh orphanage where he had been sent as a boy to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mommy’s Favorite 2016
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day! As always, I am looking forward to it. I can envision it now. After I have been treated to a gourmet meal (prepared by my husband) and all the dishes have been washed and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Welcome
I am a wife, mother, teacher, and freelance writer. I write about parenting and family life, education, faith, and more! I hope you’ll grab a cup of coffee and spend some time looking around this site....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Recess is Not a Privilege
I am a high school teacher, and if there is one thing I know about education it is that modern education is steeped in research and data. Teachers collect and examine data in formative assessments...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Campus Ready in One Trip!
It seems like every time I log onto my computer these days, my social media feed is full of photos of spectacular dorm rooms. Clever young co-eds and their mothers all over the country have managed to...
View Article
