This time of year gets me thinking about Mary. I wonder what it was like back then; pregnancy and childbirth in times where there were no cars or hospitals. She was most probably contracting while riding around town late at night on a donkey. I can’t imagine a … Read More…
I have to admit, homeschooling with toddlers has not always been smooth sailing. Our 15 children are spaced an average of 21 months apart, and between some there were only 14 months. At one time we had three under the age of three, and another time we had … Read More…
I was not raised to want a lot of kids. In fact, when I was carrying my first child I was very, very afraid. Babies and children were a mystery to me. Even the men I knew were better with infants than I was. But as … Read More…
Athletes have stars in their eyes. Their focus is to become champions. They see themselves standing on the podium, hand over heart, swelling with pride as the medal is draped and the crowd erupts in applause. But the road to that point is long. Denial. Pain. Begging … Read More…
If you are knee-deep in the stomach flu, or teething, or broken appliances, or just having a hard time keeping up with the responsibilities of life, you should consider your holy estate. You are more than a mere stay-at-home mom, you are a stay-at-home saint. Saints, prophets, and … Read More…
Yes, I am the mother of 15 children. It’s not really that many; I know all of their names in order and even have their birthdays memorized (I suppose being involved in their births makes it a bit easier for me to remember). Walking, running, and leaping down … Read More…
Homeschooling our 15 children has made me really appreciate public school teachers! After all, teachers deal with whole classrooms of children at diverse backgrounds with different learning styles and needs every day. There is a real reason they devote a quite a lot of time to “classroom management.” … Read More…
Super powers? Not a chance. Yes, I am the homeschooling mom of 15 children, but there is truly nothing special about me. Here I am shopping, or banking, or at church… I am having a fine conversation with someone; we are discussing the weather or the Lord … Read More…
Sheep are really rather silly! They jump over imaginary obstacles, panic easily, and mindlessly follow the first sheep that makes a break for it. They really are followers. A tame hand-reared (poddy) lamb or sheep can be used to lead the rest of the flock to the sheep … Read More…
In my last installment in this series, Large family crisis reduction: getting ahead {part 1}, we discussed the basic ideas behind doing things ahead, or, as Don Aslett puts it, creating a “frontlog” instead of a “backlog.” Of course there are times when even the best of plans … Read More…