Mama-luia

Do you love "Before and After" posts as much as me? Makeovers, whether for the home or the person, are always so amazing. Not only is it exciting to see the side by side pictures of the impressive transformations, it's always a delight to hear from the transformee how the makeover impacted them personally. The surface work of remodelling a kitchen or a whole new hairstyle and wardrobe brings about interior change as well. My own "before and after" isn't nearly so dramatic because there's hardly anything to see as different from the outside . BEFORE : I wouldn't say I was unhappy before we enrolled the boys in school. There were, and still are, many things I value about homeschooling in general and our own homeschooling journey in particular. This post was sincere; I really did enjoy it. It's worth noting, though, that I much preferred it when they were younger. I actually like making play-doh creations and finger-painting and readi...

"Then something Tookish woke up inside of him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking stick." Dear little Noah has become an honorary member of the Inklings. After I read the entire Chronicles of Narnia to him and Isaiah this year, and his father read him The Hobbit this winter, he has taken his Audible credits and downloaded three Narnia books (and counting) and The Hobbit too. Every day now, after he begrudgingly gets his homework done, he unwinds by listening, and listening, and listening , to these stories. He can recite a rather shocking amount from any of these novels from playing the recordings of the books while he plays with Lego (and tells his siblings to leave him alone). I digress. It was no surprise to me or Patrick when he requested his party this weekend be a Hobbit-themed gathering. I don't think he could have made his father happier by...

Some people say that the older they get, the more they act like their mother. This may be true of me. What is even more true, though, is that the older I get, the more I want to be like my mother. Mom in her element As a mother of soon-to-be four children, I think about child-rearing a lot: what works, what doesn't, how to respond to each of my children as individuals, how to manage the collective chaos (and din) they create. Often memories from my own childhood creep up and I try to emulate the many generous ways my mom made me feel special. One of those was through celebrations. Mom and Dad have hosting down to an art. Is it because they are incredibly organized? Have a perfectly decorated or perpetually clean home? No, no, and no. What they do have, however, is a lot of warmth, a huge spread of food, and a sense of humour about themselves. That, and my Dad doesn't get off his feet until the company leaves, even if that means getting up at the crack of dawn to put...

Recently, we had a milestone in our family. Our first child came before the altar rail and received the sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time. It was a beautiful, amazing day. If you can believe it, this is the most flattering family photo we have. He was so happy. He knew it was a special day, and it was so uplifting to see him taking it all so seriously, excitedly, reverently. To add to our joy, my parents made the trip from Nova Scotia to be with him on his special day. It meant so much to me, and certainly to Noah, to have them there. Their pride was evident from the moment they arrived. We can all see how much he's grown and it's beautiful to witness. Awaiting his scapular We didn't get great seats, despite Patrick and I arriving 35 minutes early. I couldn't see any of the children processing in, as we were tucked in the north transept (thank you, Fish Eaters , for helping me learn that tidbit of church-y vocabulary). As well, the children ...