Minnesota Mom

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Yet Another Birthday Cake Post!

by Filed Under: Food and Drink, Jem, Minnesota Me, My Boys, Special Events 8 Comments

Not to worry, though—this one comes to you angst-free. Yay, right? That river of insecurity is more of a gentle…stream this morning. Must be the good night of sleep, the sun that is shining, and that chirp-chirpy bird in the tree I’m hearing. Oh, and that cup of French Roast didn’t hurt. So. The cake. Jem had a couple of friends spend the … [Read more...]

Up & Coming

by Filed Under: Blogging, Homeschooling, Living Liturgically, Minnesota Me, Special Events 4 Comments

Okay, so these are two rather late-night announcements, but we had a birthday today and this is how I roll. First, the Minnesota Catholic Homeschool Conference starts tomorrow. Are you going? Please say you are! I will be hosting the Homeschooling Bloggers’ Chat at 4:30 p.m.on Friday. If you’re around at that time and have a blog or want a blog … [Read more...]

Birthday Buddies!

by Filed Under: Minnesota Me, My Boys, Special Events 7 Comments

  (born just one week—and ten years—apart) My son remarked that it seems like I always give him breakfast cereal. “Hey,” I told him, “What I lack in originality, I make up for in love and dental bills.” (Next year I’m getting him a box of dry Zwieback.) Happy 13th birthday, Jem! It will great (I’m sure) having  two teenagers in … [Read more...]

The “Real” Cake and the Rest of the Story

by Filed Under: Friends of the Heart, Honest Blogging, Minnesota Me, Special Events, Spiritual Growth 15 Comments

A.K.A. My Fallen, Flawed, Predictable Me The “real” cake, of course, was absolutely gorgeous. “It had to be,” NiNi’s godmother teased me, “You bragged up my cakes in that birthday post!” (Okay, so she didn’t say exactly that…though there was some ribbing about having set the bar so high.) (When I thought about it, I realized she was … [Read more...]

Not the Real Cake

by Filed Under: George, Minnesota Me, My Girls, Special Events 7 Comments

Felicity informed me that yesterday’s photo was kind of weird. Those were not her words, exactly. What she did say was, “Um...why did you choose that picture for a birthday post?” Ah, sweet insecurity. Here, then, is another shot of the birthday boy. This is not his “official” cake so you can stop laughing now. His godmother, who does amazing … [Read more...]

He be 3!

by Filed Under: George, Minnesota Me, Motherhood, Special Events 12 Comments

That’s right. The terrible two’s were so yesterday. They’ve been replaced with “Big Boy Three.” 3-year-olds got lots of game. They got impishness, playfulness, and Me-Do-It-Myself-ness. They got cute little feet that pound the floor as they run, and sticky fingers that mark up the door. They got cuddles & love & “No, I won’t.” They got … [Read more...]

Our 5th First Communicant!

by Filed Under: Minnesota Me, My Girls, Special Events, Spiritual Growth, The Faith 13 Comments

Prologue: These days—and my life—are flying past. Why, I can still remember, clearly, being in labor with this little girl. It was around 7 o’clock in the morning and I was waiting for our neighbors (Gloria & Emily,  shown in a photograph below) to arrive; they were coming to watch our other children while John went with me to the … [Read more...]