"So Erin," said a Catholic radio morning show host last week, "You're a homeschooling mom of five, so you're a pro at having everyone home with you all the time. What tips can you give all the listeners out there in quarantine suddenly spending all day long with their kids and struggling to get ... Read More about Hey moms, if family life feels chaotic during quarantine, here’s why you’re not doing it all wrong (and a recipe, because cookie dough for one is a thing)
Humble Handmaid Blog Archives
“What made those holes?!”: Knife Stories, Things I’ve Had to Disinfect, and Other Tales of Things My Toddlers Accomplished in Five Minutes
Plunk. Plunk. Plunk. There are sounds you come to know as a mom, sounds made by particular children in particular situations. I sighed. I estimated that in the 15 seconds it had taken me to walk out the bathroom and down the hall to the linen closet for clean towels, Aidan and Roman had ... Read More about “What made those holes?!”: Knife Stories, Things I’ve Had to Disinfect, and Other Tales of Things My Toddlers Accomplished in Five Minutes
5 Powerful Marriage Habits for When You Feel Like You’re Just Roommates Taking Care of the Same Kids
We had been squeezing our loud, messy, homeless family of five into my parents’ modest four bedroom house for several months, and I hoped to God that my parents hadn’t noticed the palpable tension between Michael and me; I hadn't spoken more than three words to or even looked my husband straight in ... Read More about 5 Powerful Marriage Habits for When You Feel Like You’re Just Roommates Taking Care of the Same Kids
A mother is a sailor
I was lying on my couch recently, sort of stress-paralyzed. (Maybe you're familiar with that feeling?) And as I lay there, I felt like the laundry and the dishes and my lesson plans and my to-do list and my bickering children were sort of swirling around me, untamed, leaving me further behind by the ... Read More about A mother is a sailor
Five Spiritual Books that Changed My Life in 2019
This year was a year when God spoke deep healing and peace into my life. He reached me many times through books. It's funny how in some seasons, I can barely find time and energy to shower, let alone read a book! But then the seasons come when there's a little of God making the time and little me ... Read More about Five Spiritual Books that Changed My Life in 2019
Hey introverted moms, we didn’t get the short end of the stick
I always imagined that being an introvert was something I'd grow out of. As a kid, I always wished I were more fun and outgoing. In general, I was happier to curl up in my room with a good book or spend hours alone with my horse at the barn than go to a sleepover with my friends. However, in the ... Read More about Hey introverted moms, we didn’t get the short end of the stick
A good day
I will not regret leaving the laundry and the dishes and the schoolwork undone on this beautiful, cool afternoon. I’ve lived here in the Deep South all my life, and these precious first few afternoons of breezy fall weather have filled me with a special joy ever since I was a little girl. This is no ... Read More about A good day
Some call it chaos…we call it family
So much of this motherhood gig seems to be learning to live from one now-THATS-what-I-dreamed-this-would-be-like Happily Ever Moment to the next, and not letting the incredibly messy, hard work in between make me forget them. So much of this life of mine seems to be about choosing thankfulness and ... Read More about Some call it chaos…we call it family
When I just want God to love me a latte
Everybody was in a bad mood. Five hangry children milled in and around my kitchen, bumping into each other occasionally, sparking fireworks of tears and bickering. We had been quarantined in the house for the past few days with a mild stomach bug that had been oh-so-slowly moving through our family. ... Read More about When I just want God to love me a latte