“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
Natural family planning (NFP) needs a slogan, because as a “product” — if I might adopt business-speak — it’s not selling too well. According to some surveys, about 90 percent of professed Catholics reject the Church’s teaching on birth control. Even among priests, fewer than one in three considers artificial contraception to be “always” sinful. … 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
Father’s Day is almost upon us, and this time I really don’t want to blow it. Greg is a wonderful dad to our seven children. There has to be some present that expresses how much I appreciate him. Top gifts this year are the same as every other year: golf bags, fishing gear, and leather … 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
Some questions have obvious answers and need not be asked. I used to have an acute case of Stupid Question Syndrome: There was a time when they could actually wreck my day, pushing my irritation meter into the dangerous red zone. Some examples: 8:00 a.m. Stand in line for 15 minutes at Starbucks. Arrive at … 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
Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir Christopher Buckley, Twelve, 272 pages, $24.99 And Noah, a farmer, planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and was uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Cannan, saw his father uncovered and he denounced him to his two brothers outside. And Shen and … 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
“So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.” Â — Eph 4:25 There are an estimated 3,500 abortions taking place in America every day. Many Catholics who state their desire to reduce that number nevertheless supported the election of Barack Obama to … 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
I watched the nubile yoga instructor demonstrate. “This is an awesome stretch,” she crooned, lying down on her back on the mat. “Just put your hands like this over your head, flat on the mat. Now, spread your feet like this to anchor your energy,” she continued, bending like a jointed Barbie. “Now, push … Read more
Tiny hands cupped my face. “Mama, Mama,” I heard a voice whisper. “I need you.” “Gah!” I responded. To explain my somewhat inelegant response, I should tell you that it was about 2 a.m. when the tiny hands cupped my face and the small voice awakened me from a sound sleep. The little person needed … Read more
A few years ago, my son Ambrose was hospitalized with a lung infection. The two weeks he spent away from home were trying times for our family, but I have one particularly fond memory of his stay. One day, when I returned to his hospital room after being away for a few hours, he made … Read more
Two-year-old Daniel jabbed a small, pudgy finger at my face in the wedding photo. “Mama,” he announced confidently, and then, “Papa,” as he pointed to his father. “Yes,” I told him. “That’s Mama and Papa on the day we were married.” He squinted at the photo for another moment before turning to me with an … Read more
I was relaxing in my favorite armchair and watching golf when my daughter, Hannah, strode into the room. “Dad,” she said, “we need to have a serious talk.” “Okay,” I replied, turning to her. She frowned. “You’re going to have to turn the TV off.” “Oh.” I tapped the remote control. This was serious. Almost … Read more
I ski, but not well. I devote much of my time skiing in prayer to Jesus, whose protection and humor I must beg every ski season. Skiing leaves plenty of time for prayer, as there’s really not much to it: You stand atop a mountain and move forward down the slope until you slam into … Read more
When people stop me after Mass to tell me how well-behaved they thought my children were, I usually smile and say “thank you.” I have got to stop taking credit for any of it. I recently attended a Sunday-morning Mass without my husband and without my two oldest boys. It was just me, two big … Read more