Tuck it in.

{Dress your child properly for cold weather, Part I.}

So you don't mind if I go back to the issue of kids' clothing for a minute, right? I realized I forgot to say the most important thing!

I'm happy to say that I have some cute models here.

They are MaryBeth's little boys, Thomas and Paul.

Make dessert first.

I'm having a little trouble re-entering blog-land, so I thought I would share pictures (such as they are -- I started out with great intentions and quickly got bogged down with the intensity of preparing and consuming this dinner, so don't laugh too hard at my attempts) of Phil's birthday gala, since it was a departure from our normal round of family dinners (which I love, don't get me wrong, but I can do more than meatballs and soup!).

Anyways. My poor husband.

Bachelor Swill.

Before we met and married, my dear husband did like to cook for himself. His specialty was what he fondly termed "Bachelor Swill" -- a chicken curry dish (please do not be offended, dear Indian readers -- I myself am very picky about what people can call middle eastern food, so I know where you are coming from) that helped him put his Boston Irish Catholic cuisine/Harvard circa '69-'72 cafeteria past behind him.

I mean, we are talking such ethnic food served up by his accomplished and refined yet veggie-boiling, meat-broiling mother as "pizza" -- split an English muffin... think you know where this is going?

So far so good...quick update on the patient.

So far Habou is doing so well. I walked into her room in the ICU and, after a triple bypass yesterday, she was sitting up (reluctantly but obediently) and eating lunch!

Thanks for all your prayers. It means a lot to us.

Open heart surgery...and commenting applications.

Habou is having open heart surgery today. This was all sudden. Monday she went in for a test that she was sure would exonerate her vessels from any wrongdoing and yesterday afternoon it was decided to do a bypass.


So if you have a little prayer to spare for her, it would surely be appreciated! She was in great spirits last night and looking forward to life after recovery with more energy and ability.

Decorating mistakes real people make by taking design ideas seriously.

Note to self: this is very cluttered.

Let's face it, some design ideas are not suited for big families who don't so much dwell as wallow, sort of wreaking havoc on everything they come into contact with. For those of us who fantasize about a home that can be hosed down -- you know, with drains in the middle of the floors, I mean who hasn't thought that would be a great idea -- we need our own clever ideas in decorating.

Saints and how to get them in your family devotions without going crazy.

That little red box holds matches and a little bit of the striking pad or whatever you call it under the lid.

Recently, as friends -- and I and my family -- tried to make sense of the sudden death of a young man ready to head off for college, I realized something.

Homeschooling with little ones around.

I'm often asked how to homeschool when you have babies and toddlers underfoot.

It is indeed a wild crazy ride, and one that stretches you to the limits of what you previously thought chaos could look like.

How to dress your child in the colder weather.

Be warned: This is a long post in which the pictures do not relate to the subject matter even remotely. I'm sorry if this confuses you. But now you've been warned.

Every time I hear someone say "oh, she insists on wearing that cotton sundress even though it's 20° outside" or "my kids complain the house is too cold" or "he's just cold-blooded, he refuses to put on socks" I think, dream, and fantasize about the blog post I'm going to write on the topic of dressing children properly.

Giveaway winner!

Congratulations, Taryn! 

  "Gallery Classic" is my favorite! Thanks for such a wonderful opportunity!"

Using random.org we picked a number and you are the winner of our Minted Christmas card giveaway! 

I hope you enjoy choosing your cards!

Thanks to all for joining in!