“Mama! Mama! Ma-maaaaa!” whined four-year-old Raphael as I changed his little brother’s diaper and quizzed his older sister on her spelling words. “What?” I answered him hastily. “I’m listening.” “No,” he pouted. “I want you to listen with your eyes.” Oh. That. Ever have a moment when you feel like someone … Read more
Through the years, my experience as a writing, blogging, publicly homeschooling mom has made one thing clear to me — in Catholic parenting circles, homeschooling is a hot topic. Probably second only to the infamous “spank or don’t-spank” debates. On a daily basis, inquiring minds fill up my e-mail inbox: What is your homeschool philosophy? … Read more
I read a Curious George book to my children a few weeks ago. It was a library copy — one of the very old ones, wrapped in protective plastic with decades-old, handwritten due dates inside the front cover. The story was typical H. A. Rey fare. The man with the yellow hat was exasperatingly clueless … Read more
Last week, Gabrielle made an alarming discovery. “My tooth!” she shrieked. “My tooth is loose! It might even . . . it might even fall out!” Somehow, in the midst of princess ponies and soccer practice, grocery runs and laundry piles, I had neglected to tell my six-year-old daughter about the Tooth Fairy. Not that … Read more
I tried to look casually confident as I scanned the too-full shelves of my local hardware store. But the manager zeroed in on me anyway. “And what are we looking for today?” he cooed at me, as if a pony-tailed mom in capri pants were the most pathetically lost creature to have set foot … Read more
In September of every year, my inbox fills up with requests from fellow homeschooling moms who all want to know one thing: What does your daily routine look like? Â We all know the devil is in the details, but I like to think that God is in there, too. So today, I will swallow … Read more
The first pregnancy test I ever took was three weeks after my wedding day. It was positive. I started vomiting pretty much right then and there. In the following weeks, as I struggled to adjust to my newly married state while waiting tables at a seafood restaurant and battling morning sickness, I lost some … Read more
When it was time for cake and ice cream following my eight-year-old son’s recent birthday dinner, I donned a pair of sunglasses. My husband and kids knew exactly why I went for the eye cover. It was to spare my dignity. Â You see, our family has a birthday tradition of taking turns around the … Read more
I am such a Neanderthal.  Case in point: One recent day, I was furiously scrubbing the bathtub when my husband Dan peeked into the bathroom doorway.  “Hey, as long as you’re doing that,” he said, “The toilet in there is looking . . . um . . . really, really gross.”  Yes, … Read more
“Oh no!” An entire van full of children gasped as two-year-old Daniel’s green balloon escaped his chubby fingers, bounced its way over seats, and ducked out a partially opened window. We watched in silence as the balloon floated freely past a nearby tree and then rode the wind, bobbed in the breeze, and climbed ever … Read more
One recent morning I went to Mass by myself. I was glad to have the opportunity and thought I might pray — actually pray. I know, I know, it’s a novel idea to some of us — to spend an hour or so in church focused on worshipping God instead of fighting a Battle Royale … Read more
In the beginning of our marriage, God saw fit to give us babies by the bucketful. Or so it seemed. As much as I reveled in those early years of motherhood, having four kids under five, then five kids under six, then six kids under seven, and so on, did take its toll on me. I … Read more
It had been one of those days. Or weeks. Or months, maybe. Ten years ago, I had a husband who was working extra hours at his second job. I had a cranky, teething baby with an aversion to naps and an impending eye infection. I had a potty training two-year-old who was solely responsible for … Read more
Can we talk about Carrie Prejean? Over the past several weeks, it has been perfectly impossible to avoid hearing the latest news about Miss California. I know because I have tried. First, there was the media coverage of her “controversial” statement that marriage is a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman. I bumped … Read more
My husband is a teacher. I am a writer. We homeschool. You might think it would be reasonable to expect to find a pencil in our household. But don’t be silly. Most weekdays in the Bean home begin with a mad search for writing implements of any kind. My response to our chronic pencil deprivation … Read more
Celebrities do it. Bloggers do it. Politicians do it. And everyday Catholics do it, too. Â It’s Twitter, of course. Â Do you tweet? Do you twitter? Do you spend time with tweeple in the twitterverse? Do you have any idea what I am talking about? Â As a writer and a blogger, I started … Read more
Bless Me, Father, for I Have Kids Susie Lloyd, Sophia Institute Press, 192 pages, $14.95 A mother’s life is absurd. I have washed down peanut-butter toast crusts and a handful of Teddy Grahams with a pot of coffee and called it breakfast. I have sung show tunes while running the vacuum cleaner at 3:00 a.m. … Read more
Four years ago, I was in the hospital, laboring to deliver our seventh child. My husband paced the floors, and a television tuned to Fox News blared from a corner of the room. Â Terri Schiavo was dying. And the world was watching. Â I watched, too. Between contractions, waves of nausea, and breathing exercises, … Read more
I really should stop reading magazines. That might be an odd thing for a magazine editor to say, but it’s true that certain kinds of periodicals are bad for my self esteem. Take that popular homemaking magazine, for example. What’s it called? “Better Homes Than Yours,” I think. I browse through its slick pages, squint … Read more
"How’s your Lent going?" my husband asked me the other day. I raised an eyebrow. He burst out laughing. "Isn’t that what Catholics are supposed to say to each other this time of year?" he asked innocently. My convert husband has never quite gotten over his amusement with some of the things we … Read more