Kendra Tierney's Blog, page 15

Netflix Summer School: our favorite educational kids' shows

Here in the San Fernando Valley part of LA, it's been in the nineties pretty much every day for a month. I am a big fan of shutting kids outside to play (A BIG fan. Seriously.) but the blazing heat of the afternoons can melt even MY mean mommy heart. After all, people didn't really live here before there was air conditioning.

My kids do a lot of reading and crafts (mostly thanks to Kiwi Crate) in the summertime, but they also get to watch TV in the summer. Because as much as I love an unplugged childhood, there really are some GREAT educational shows available. An hour or so of TV in the afternoon means my kids might just learn something while also not making a mess of the house. Hooray!



In case you also enjoy smart, tidy children, I figured I would share the list of Netflix shows from which my kids are allowed to choose for summer viewing. My kids range in age from one to thirteen, Lulu is a pretty bad TV watcher (so annoying). But (with the exception of one of these shows) the rest of the kids will pretty much all sit through any of them.

If you're logged into Netflix, clicking on the title should take you right to the show.



1. The Magic School Bus

This is a goofy show, and if you let your newly-teenaged science-minded son watch it with the little kids, he will not be able to help but point out the many, many plot holes in each episode.

But it's fun and informative and my little kids really remember facts and concepts from each episode.

Also available on DVD: The Magic School Bus: The Complete Series




2. Wild Kratts

When I did my first roundup of the kids' favorite shows on Netflix, you guys could NOT believe we had never seen Wild Kratts. So we gave it a try.

And I'm really glad we did. It's entertaining and original, and the relationship between the brothers is sweet, and they even use phrases like "was DESIGNED to" when talking about a particular creature. Yay!

I did have to ban the singing of the theme song in the house, though.

Also available on DVD: Wild Kratts: Wildest Animal Adventures




3. Bill Nye the Science Guy

I worry that parents these days hear the name Bill Nye and think that he's an atheist anti-Christian zealot. But that's not true. Mr. Nye considers himself an agnostic, and is well-known for his position that Biblical creationism is bad science and shouldn't be taught in schools. He participated in a 2014 debate with the Kentucky Creation Museum CEO Ken Ham, arguing against a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis. But that position is absolutely compatible with Catholic teaching on creationism. (I wrote a whole post on that topic here.)

So, anyway, all that to say . . . I grew up watching and loving Bill Nye the Science Guy and I could not be more excited that they just got season one on Netflix. I think the show holds up really well. My kids don't recognize the celebrity guests, but they probably wouldn't recognize current celebrity guests either.

Mr. Nye has a great way of explaining complex concepts in a way kids can understand and retain, and there's plenty of humor to go along with the science.

Also available on DVD: Bill Nye the Science Guy




4. Dear America

Remember when I told you there was one of these show that not ALL the kids are crazy about? Well, it's this one. But Betty loves it, and I do think if I could get the boys to sit through it, they would appreciate the personal glimpse into a specific moment in history that each episode gives the viewer. But. The stories are very girl-centric, and there are hints of romance, and the boys all bailed out without waiting to see how it turned out.

The series is based on the book series of the same name, and was made in 1999 and 2000. I've only watched a couple of episodes with Betty, but so far I really recommend it for girls who like American Girl-type engagement with history. The stories are pretty intense and feature tragic experiences for the main characters, but that's how history goes, right? No blood and guts, but just the intensity of the story lines may be too much for sensitive or younger kids.

Not available on DVD.





5. Modern Marvels

Some of the modern marvels are more, um, marvelous than others. There's an entire episode, for instance, on food trucks . . . which I'm not sure deserve the title. But still, my oldest's engineer brain loves learning about the inner working of just about anything. Even a food truck.

Also available on DVD: Modern Marvels: Top Ten (History Channel)

He also really enjoys the Nova Science series, which he recommended in this post:
The Very Best Shows on Netflix . . . according to my kids
And that's my honest opinion. But this is a sponsored post.




What are we missing out on? What are YOUR kids' favorite educational-ish shows?



p.s. I'm at Blessed is She today, talking about bodies free from faults vs. souls free from sin . . . 

So many of us struggle with broken bodies: be it infertility, sub fertility or miscarriages, or mental illness, or cancer, or an achin’ back. We struggle against an inclination to overeating, or laziness, or concupiscence. We watch our loved ones suffer from illnesses or infirmities.We pray and pray and pray that God would heal our bodies, or take away our temptations, or remove the pain from those we love.And it is GOOD that we do. We should never stop. Sometimes, as Jesus did for the paralytic, our bodies will be healed.But, very often, that is not what happens. Very often, our sins are forgiven, but our infirmities remain. And that is when we need to fight to remember our priorities. That is when we need to rejoice that our sins are forgiven and the gates of heaven are opened to us, despite the imperfection of our bodies.

Read the rest here. 

Gay Marriage: Why Do We Care? (and what do we do now?)

In the wake of Friday's Supreme Court ruling that made gay marriage legal across the United States, I figured I'd share a few thoughts and a mailbag question.



Especially in light of all the social media frenzy over the SCOTUS decision, all the unfriending and name calling, I think those are the two questions we want to ask ourselves as Catholics. Why do we care? and What do we do now?

Let's look at the second one first. Here's what WE can do going forward . . .

1. We Can Live Our Own Marriages



It's been a LONG time since what the world calls marriage and what the Catholic Church calls marriage have been the same thing. Contraception, abortion, no-fault divorce, the normalization of cohabitation and the having of children outside of wedlock, pornography and the sexual revolution, are all as great or even greater threats to marriage than is this redefinition of civil marriage.

We are missionaries in a pagan culture.

I think the most powerful thing we as Christians can do is to live committed, loving, monogamous, open to life marriages. We can raise strong and loving and well-formed children. We can hope that people will see the joy in our lives, and ask us about it.

2. We Can Love the People Around Us

I think there were good reasons to fight for the preservation of a traditional definition of marriage. But I don't think this supreme court decision was a surprise to any of us.

What I think WOULD surprise people is what the Catholic Church actually teaches about same sex attraction. There is no hate there.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

We can and we must treat the people around us with love and respect. Even if they hold beliefs at odds with our own. Even if they are behaving in ways we know aren't good for them. Even if they are being frustrating on Facebook.

3. We Can Fight for Freedom of Conscience


'Cause THAT'S the thing that actually scares me in all of this. I worry that I, or my children, will live in a country without freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. 
I can't say I don't get a tiny bit excited about the idea of being a part of an illegal, underground church like in the bad old days. Secret Masses in the catacombs? Now THAT is badass. 
But, also, it would be really sad. And inconvenient.
My hope is that the activists and agitators of the world and all of us regular folks can turn our focus to protecting the rights of individuals to be free to behave according to their consciences, to think differently from one another, and to practice their own religions without persecution or interference from the government.
Ya know, like the founding fathers said.


To address the first question, I want to share this mailbag question. I received it a few weeks ago from a college student, and seems particularly of interest now.
Question:

In one of your latest posts, with the list of how to be a good Catholic, you say that one must vote in accordance with the Catholic doctrine to be a good Catholic. I am just wondering why that need be the case. I feel that as an adult, I can believe that certain things are wrong, and I can choose not to practice them, and I can discourage those I love from practicing them, but I can also allow those things to be legal for other adults that choose to engage in them. The best example of this for me is gay marriage (because I think something like abortion exists separately) but I have a hard time understanding why I am supposed to vote to make gay marriage illegal between two consenting adults. I understand thinking it is wrong and discouraging people from pursuing it, but why am I supposed to vote against it? People do a lot of things that I morally disagree with that I don't think needs to be illegal. I am sorry if that seems like a silly question, but I really would appreciate clarification.

Answer:Honestly, I totally get where you are coming from on the gay marriage issue. I really, really do. My natural inclinations definitely skew libertarian, I kind of want people to let me do whatever I want to do and I'll let them do whatever they want to do and we'll all just leave each other alone. But . . . it turns out that's not a very Christian attitude to have.

One of the things I mention in the Exactly How to Be a Good Catholic post are the "works of mercy." They are Bibically based (from the beatitudes, the two Great Commandments, and Matthew 25:34-46) and have been a constant tradition since the earliest days of the Church.

The corporal works of mercy are:
To feed the hungry; To give drink to the thirsty; To clothe the naked; To shelter the homeless; To visit the sick; To ransom the captive; To bury the dead. The spiritual works of mercy are:
To instruct the ignorant; To counsel the doubtful; To admonish sinners; To bear wrongs patiently; To forgive offenses willingly; To comfort the afflicted; To pray for the living and the dead. So even if my personal preference is to not bother or be bothered by other people, I have the responsibility, as a Christian, to try to look after their physical and spiritual well-being as much as I am able. When I have to make an account for my life at the final judgement, I'm going to want to be able to say that I fed the hungry and clothed the naked and visited the sick AND I instructed the ignorant and counseled the doubtful and admonished sinners. That I didn't just turn a blind eye to sinful behaviors because I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, or look uncool. That means I personally must help actual people I know, and support good charities, and vote for politicians and policies most likely to benefit the physical AND the spiritual well being of my fellow man.

In theory, it's easy.

In practice, of course, it's much more complicated. Because voting for one person means you're not voting for another, and sometimes the same person supports some morally good policies, and some morally bad policies.

Also, certain behaviors, like homosexual activity, get singled out by prominent Christians as the only important issue, when things like pornography and adultery and heterosexual cohabitation are just as much against Catholic teaching and bad for people's souls. An ideal Christian society should have laws that uphold the sanctity of marriage against ALL of the threats against it. But those laws need to go hand in hand with good formation and cultural support, so that people understand WHY marriage is important and what it entails. It's easy to wonder, with what marriage has actually come to mean in our society, whether it's worth bothering with trying to defend it at all. (I think the answer is, it's still worth a try.)

Basically, what I think it comes down to is an informed conscience. Catholics use "conscience" to justify engaging in all sorts of behaviors condemned by the Catholic Church. It doesn't "feel" wrong to them because they've never bothered to learn and understand the Church's position on an issue like fornication or contraception. And if it doesn't feel wrong to them, they think they can do it. But the key is to have an informed conscience. To really take the time to learn and know and understand Church teaching, and to research candidates and propositions and vote in the way that you believe will help the most souls to get to heaven.

That's the best you can do for yourself and for your fellow man.

Cheers,
Kendra

Mailbag Disclaimer: I am not a theologian, nor am I an official spokesperson for the Catholic Church. (You're thinking of this guy.) If you read anything on this blog that is contrary to Church teaching, please consider it my error (and let me know!). I'm not a doctor or an expert on anything in particular. I'm just one person with a lot of experience parenting little kids and a desire to share my joy in marriage, mothering, and my faith.
If you've got a question, please send it along to catholicallyear @ gmail . com . Please let me know if you prefer that I change your name if I use your question on the blog.Let's get out there and be pleasant and truthful on Facebook, people. Both.


p.s. Happy Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. It's a solemnity, so don't forget dessert!

Answer Me This: Home Sweet Home . . .

Welcome to another edition of Answer Me This. It's like a bloggy cocktail party where we can all click around and chat about six totally random topics of my choosing.



1. How long have you lived in your current home?

This question was a plant. Last week, when I was writing the questions out, I was JUST SURE our bid on a new (very old) house was going to be accepted. But, alas, it was scooped out from under us by an evil developer with an evil moustache.*



*winning bidder MAY not actually have a moustache, or be evil, or be a developer. But I'm pretty sure . . .

So now the search begins again. All over. Our realtor actually already found another place this week and took me to see it, and he thinks it's a great neighborhood and a great deal for the square footage. I'm sure he's right, but the problem for me is that the house we didn't get reminded me of this . . .


And this new one is almost exactly like this . . .


Except it's two stories and doesn't come with Alice. I'm not really feeling it.

So, sigh, to answer the question . . . we've been in our current home for about eight years. And it's still our home going forward, at least for the time being. It's been a wonderful home for us for many reasons, and is not at all a bad place to be stuck.

2. How do you find out about news and current events?

Mostly Facebook. If enough people I know share or comment on something, I figure I'll click over and see what the fuss is about.

If something really important happens the husband will usually send me a text. But I never watch the news and we don't get the paper and I don't subscribe to any magazines or check any news sites regularly. I kind of try to avoid the news as much as possible.

3. Would you be able to make change for a twenty right now? For a dollar?

No, I could not. I very rarely use cash, and so I can almost never make change. As for coins, if we're in the house I can because we have a change dish. But the wallet I've been using ever since I got pick-pocketed at Fatima doesn't have a change part, so I don't carry any change around when I'm away from the house.

4. What's the craziest food you've ever eaten?

We are pretty adventurous eaters. My dad would always come home from trips (he was an international pilot) telling my sister and I about all the crazy foods he had tried at various roadside food carts. And when we traveled as a family we always tried to eat local.

When we travel with our kids now, we try to eat like the locals do, mostly. (But not usually from food carts.)

But the craziest thing we have eaten LATELY, were these Locust and Wild Honey Sundaes that we had for the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on Wednesday.


Yep. Those are real. But, don't worry, I did not just fish them out from under the basketball hoop out back. I found these packaged actual bug snacks at a crazy candy store in Maryland while we were on our D.C. trip last month.


The kids all ate them, some quite enthusiastically, some very grudgingly, and really only to get the ice cream. Lulu really liked the cheddar cheese larvae.


Earlier in the day we hit up the water park, which seemed appropriate to the feast.

But wait . . . what IS this terrifying thrill ride from which the good people of Six Flags Magic Mountain's Hurricane Harbor must protect me, for the well-being of my helpless unborn child?

It's the Lazy River. 


And since the lazy river is water that is moving forward slightly . . . I went anyway. And since it was over ninety degrees . . . I went two more times. I'm such a daredevil you guys.

Baby survived.

5. Which of the commonly removed parts have you had removed? (tonsils, wisdom teeth, appendix, etc.)

I have nearly all my original parts. I'm only missing my gall bladder, which I had to have removed when I was in college.

But I'm in my original packaging, which is a big deal on Antiques Roadshow.

6. What's your favorite sport to watch on TV? 

We watched a lot of sports in my house growing up, but were most committed to college football. I still really like football, but with all these kids in sports of their own in the fall, it's almost impossible for us to sit down and watch a college football game as a family.

We've actually found it pretty much impossible to really follow any team, college or professional, for a whole season.

But, somehow, what's ended up being our big family sporting event the last few years . . . is the NHL playoffs. They begin just as school and sports are winding down, so we're able to watch most of the games. I love how few commercial breaks there are, and how easy it is to just fast forward through them on the DVR or just mute them if we're watching online. And for the past few years the husband's hometown team, the Chicago Blackhawks, have been really good.

This year they won the whole shebang. 

Plus you can't help but dance along to their goal song.





Want to play along? Answer THIS WEEK's questions in the comments, or on your blog and link it up below! Please include a link to this post on your blog. The linkup will be open from now through close of business Tuesday.




Now for NEXT WEEK's questions, to answer NEXT WEEK . . .


1. How did you celebrate the 4th of July? (Or, for you international types . . . Do anything fun this weekend?)

2. Do you sunburn easily?

3. Hot dogs. Yay or nay?

4. Have you ever personally set off fireworks?

5. Have you ever jumped off the high dive?

6. Do you do anything weird in your sleep?




An InLinkz Link-up

Kids Cook for Themselves: Easy Chicken Parmesan

Okay, here we go again. It's the second installment of Kids Cook for Themselves!

The three big kids around here (12, 11, and 9) have taken over dinner duties for the summer in anticipation of the new baby arriving next month. With a little advance planning and prep from me, each of them is really and truly able to make dinner, unassisted and unsupervised, for a family of nine.

I figured some of you might ALSO like to get out of cooking dinner, I mean . . .  encourage independence and accomplishment in your children and prepare them for a future of self-sufficiency and healthy eating. So I'm planning to share a recipe here on the blog every now and again, that my kids can make themselves.

Today . . .


Chicken Parmesan seems like a pretty fancy meal once it's on the table, but it really couldn't be easier.

The main course is just three ingredients: breaded chicken tenders, marinara sauce, and grated cheese. You have the option of going homemade or store bought with them. The recipe is still pretty easy if you make everything from scratch. But it's REALLY easy if you don't.

Betty made this dinner for us a couple of nights ago. I'm going to let her tell you how it's done.

Hi everybody. I'm Betty and I'm eleven and I'm going to tell you how I made Chicken Parmesan for dinner.



First you need Breaded Chicken Tenders. We had a bag of frozen Tyson panko breaded chicken tenders left over from my brother's birthday party, so we just used those this time. But it's also easy to make them yourself. All you have to do is take fresh or frozen pieces of raw chicken, dip them in whisked egg, and then in panko crumbs. You can use them right away. Or you can lay them flat and not touching on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze them for another time.

1. Put breaded chicken in a dish.

Whatever chicken you are using today, lay them in a baking dish. It's better if you can do one flat layer, so each piece gets sauce and cheese, but we had a lot of people and a lot of chicken, so it overlapped some.



The next ingredient is Marinara Sauce. Sometimes we just use a jar of sauce. but this time I made it from scratch using:
3 Tbsp olive oil1 Tbsp. diced garlic1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes1 can diced tomatoes1 can tomato sauce
Put the olive oil in the pan and turn the heat to medium high. Put in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, and let them cook until the garlic turns golden brown. Then dump in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. That's it.

2. Pour Marinara Sauce over top of the chicken.

Whatever Marinara Sauce you're using, pour it over the chicken.


3. Sprinkle a layer of grated cheese over the sauce.

I used a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.


4. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until chicken is cooked through.

Cooking time will vary depending on it you are using frozen or defrosted chicken, and if you are using raw or already cooked chicken breasts, and how big the pieces of chicken are.  But 30-40 minutes has usually been the right amount of time to cook it.


5. Serve with spaghetti noodles and a salad.

And maybe milk.


Brothers approve.


I hope you like it!


For the first installment of Kids Cook for Themselves, see here:

Kids Cook for Themselves: A Universal Smoothie Recipe
P.S. We found out Tuesday evening that we didn't get the house we were hoping to buy. I pretty much spent all day Wednesday moping about it. But I really appreciate your prayers for our family and, because of them, I know that it must not have been the right home for us. Even though it really, really, REALLY seemed like it was. So . . . we're just going to keep looking. I'm off to see a very big ugly house today that would be perfectly good for living in and I'm sure would be very helpful in keeping me from forming attachments to possessions. So that's good.

The Thing About Being Pregnant: Summer of Psalms

When Kristin from the blog Vine of Plenty asked if I'd be interested in participating in her Summer of Psalms project, I knew which psalm I wanted to choose before I could even click reply. It had to be psalm 139.

13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15     My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
    all the days that were formed for me,
    when none of them as yet existed.

Because, at thirty five weeks pregnant, it's good for me to have a reminder that this growing a baby thing isn't all about me. (Especially when it's inexplicably already in the 90s here.)
All the aches and pains, the unwieldy belly, the manic desire to do ALL the things! but also go take a NAP! . . . it's easy to forget that not only is this not all about me, it's hardly about me at all. My body may be the PLACE it's happening, but inside is a whole new person, unique and distinct, created by God and being fearfully and wonderfully woven INSIDE ME. Right now.
What a crazy and extraordinary thing to get to be a part of.

For some more of my reflections on being pregnant, check out . . . 
A Pregnant Lady's Thoughts on Suffering Pregnancy Survival Secrets from a Grand MultigravidaHey America, Pregnancy: You're Doing it Wrong 
And now for the details on the Summer of Psalms . . .

The Summer of Psalms Project is an effort to spread selected Psalms through inspired art online. Follow along at Vine of Plenty for more free and encouraging artwork. Frame your favorite Psalm print and share your own pictures using the hashtags #summerofpsalmsproject and #vineofplenty to stay connected.

Mine is the fourth installment of the series. To see more of Kristin's beautiful watercolor psalms, check out . . .

Psalm 52 at Clan Donaldson.Psalm 65 at In the Heart of My Home.andPsalm 66 at House Unseen.
All of these lovely works of art are free to download, print, and share.   click here to download the PDF

Happy Father's Day, now Answer Me This!

It's Father's Day here at Answer Me This! And, um, all other places in America. Let's get to it, shall we?


Here are THIS WEEK's questions . . . 

1. What's the best thing about your dad?

My favorite things about my dad are his indomitable positive attitude and can do spirit, and his extraordinary patience with and confidence in his kids and grandkids.

That's baby me, with the Elizabethan hairline.

Related to the above, I also love all the amazing stuff he builds for us.

Coolest yet is the Boomerang Zip-line that he has helped Jack build, apply for a patent for, and market. Being an engineer and an inventor just like his grandad is Jack's dream.




2. If you've got kids, what's the best thing about THEIR dad? (If you don't, feel free to substitute your grandfather or another father figure.)

My favorite things about my husband are his constancy, his knack for knowing the right thing to do in a particular situation, his impeccable comedic timing, and the fact that he will always answer his phone if I call twice in a row, even though he's busy at work and he must know it's just going to be me not remembering which way I'm supposed to go on the 405 to get home if the GPS is being weird.




3. What's the best advice your dad ever gave you?

My dad has given me lots of good advice over the years, but my answer to question number two reminds me of the time my dad patiently explained to seventeen year old me that to leave one's house to go to one destination, and then, if one needs to go to a second destination, to drive all the way home because that's the only way you know how to find the second destination . . . is not a really good use of time or gasoline.

He really did try to teach me how to use the Thomas Guide. But it just wasn't going to happen. I was pretty much always lost until there was GPS, and now I'm only lost like 23% of the time. It's quite an improvement.

4. What's something you have in common with your dad? 

Confidence (which sometimes can turn out to have been recklessness). My grandfather has it, my dad has it, my oldest son has it, and I've got it. We're just willing to try stuff, and we figure it's going to work out somehow.

I married myself a relatively cautious fella, though, to keep an eye on me.

5. What's the manliest thing you know how to do?

My dad once talked me through changing the wax ring on my toilet . . . over the phone. And I can do a few pretty solid push-ups, when there's not a bump in the way.

I'm currently a lot like this, but opposite . . .



6. Who is your favorite fictional dad?

I have a soft spot for Mr. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. I know he fails Lydia. But I've always liked how he respects Lizzie and how he really does seem to be the only person who can stand his own wife, even though he teases her.


And how great is the dad from Owl Moon? Staying up all night wandering in the forest hooting at owls with your dad? That's pretty cool.


Want to play along? Answer THIS WEEK's questions in the comments, or on your blog and link it up below! Please include a link to this post on your blog. The linkup will be open from now through close of business Tuesday.


Now for NEXT WEEK's questions, to answer NEXT WEEK . . .


1. How long have you lived in your current home?

2. How do you find out about news and current events?

3. Would you be able to make change for a twenty right now? For a dollar?

4. What's the craziest food you've ever eaten?

5. Which of the commonly removed parts have you had removed? (tonsils, wisdom teeth, appendix, etc.)

6. What's your favorite sport to watch on TV?




An InLinkz Link-up

Reflections, Printable Prayers, and Movie Reviews About Anxiety (andthe thing I'm trying not to be anxious about)

Here are some Friday Seven Quick Takes for you . . . on a Saturday.

1. I'm at Blessed is She today, reflecting on Matthew 6:25-34. You know the one . . . 

Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on.

Worry, on the other hand, often disguises itself as a virtue. We think we're being "responsible," or "realistic," or that it's just not something we have a choice about. We think of "not worrying" as a luxury reserved for unwashed people who follow Jimmy Buffet around on tour. But nothing could be more Christian than giving up our anxieties. . . . (read the rest here)

2. I made you a printable prayer to go along with it:

3. And this one was a reader request, but it seems to fit as well:

As with all my printables, you are welcome to save the images to your computer for your own personal use. You may print the images and / or upload them and have prints made for your personal use or to give as gifts. (These are sized for 8x10 or square but will print well much bigger.) First click on the image to bring it up in a new window, then right click on the image to save it to your computer. You may use my images on your blog, just please link back to my blog. If you would like to sell my images, please contact me first.

For LOTS MORE free printable prayers, check out my Pinterest board.

4.  Hey, speaking of anxiety . . .




The boys had the neighbors over to play Wii, and Jim had work to do, so Betty and I snuck out to see Inside Out and . . . we didn't love it. Everyone else in the theater seemed to. But for me, it felt angsty and private and like all this was none of my business. And kind of a huge bummer.

But, seriously, all other people seem to like it. So I'm sure it's just me. And the whole being a robot thing. We hate feelings I guess. Even adorably anthropomorphic feelings voiced by popular TV actors.

I kind of figured I wasn't going to be a fan, based on the advertising. But then I saw a snippet of Stephen Greydanus' breathless review, and wanted to give it a try.

I almost always agree with his reviews. But not this time. And on further reflection . . . he also really liked Brave, and I had similar issues with that movie. I refuse to let Pixar convince me that my children growing up is going to be a nightmare of fights, feelings, running away, and maybe me getting turned into a bear.

5. And the big thing about which I have been, um, THINKING quite a bit, but am, of course not at all ANXIOUS about, because it's all, totally . . . fine, and, um . . . God's will be done and all that.
After you're done praying for the important stuff, will you guys say a quick prayer for us? We may have put an offer in on a crazy house. Despite giving myself lots of good advice to the contrary, I may have allowed myself to get attached to it. It's possible I have been checking my email approximately every 4 1/2 minutes since Wednesday afternoon.

We hope to hear back from the seller's agent today.

Update: We heard back! Apparently there are seven bidders, and we all got the counter offer and are still in it. We are moving forward. But for now . . . more waiting.

6. You don't have to worry if you haven't done anything yet for Father's Day. I've got you covered.

With these free Father's Day Printables you can make a card at home:

Twelve Free Father's Day Printables And here are some suggestions for movies: 
Movies for Father's Day That Don't Hate DadAnd some advice, for mom:
How to Let Your Husband Be a Great Dad7. Finally, mostly because I've had it stuck in my head throughout the writing of this post . . . 
Please enjoy the music video for Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry Be Happy, featuring the comedic stylings of the late Robin Williams, and Sesame Street's Mr. Noodle.

For more Seven Quick Takes, click over to This Ain't the Lyceum.

Reflections, Printable Prayers, and Movie Reviews About Anxiety (and the thing I'm trying not to be anxious about)

Here are some Friday Seven Quick Takes for you . . . on a Saturday.

1. I'm at Blessed is She today, reflecting on Matthew 6:25-34. You know the one . . . 

Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on.

Worry, on the other hand, often disguises itself as a virtue. We think we're being "responsible," or "realistic," or that it's just not something we have a choice about. We think of "not worrying" as a luxury reserved for unwashed people who follow Jimmy Buffet around on tour. But nothing could be more Christian than giving up our anxieties. . . . (read the rest here)

2. I made you a printable prayer to go along with it:

3. And this one was a reader request, but it seems to fit as well:

As with all my printables, you are welcome to save the images to your computer for your own personal use. You may print the images and / or upload them and have prints made for your personal use or to give as gifts. (These are sized for 8x10 or square but will print well much bigger.) First click on the image to bring it up in a new window, then right click on the image to save it to your computer. You may use my images on your blog, just please link back to my blog. If you would like to sell my images, please contact me first.

For LOTS MORE free printable prayers, check out my Pinterest board.

4.  Hey, speaking of anxiety . . .




The boys had the neighbors over to play Wii, and Jim had work to do, so Betty and I snuck out to see Inside Out and . . . we didn't love it. Everyone else in the theater seemed to. But for me, it felt angsty and private and like all this was none of my business. And kind of a huge bummer.

But, seriously, all other people seem to like it. So I'm sure it's just me. And the whole being a robot thing. We hate feelings I guess. Even adorably anthropomorphic feelings voiced by popular TV actors.

5.  And the big thing about which I have been, um, THINKING quite a bit, but am, of course not at all ANXIOUS. Because it's all, totally . . . fine, and, um . . . God's will be done and all that.

After you're done praying for the important stuff, will you guys say a quick prayer for us? We may have put an offer in on a crazy house. Despite giving myself lots of good advice to the contrary, I may have allowed myself to get attached to it. It's possible I have been checking my email approximately every 4 1/2 minutes since Wednesday afternoon.

We hope to hear back from the seller's agent today.

6. You don't have to worry if you haven't done anything yet for Father's Day. I've got you covered.

With these free Father's Day Printables you can make a card at home:

Twelve Free Father's Day Printables And here are some suggestions for movies: 
Movies for Father's Day That Don't Hate DadAnd some advice, for mom:
How to Let Your Husband Be a Great Dad7. Finally, mostly because I've had it stuck in my head throughout the writing of this post . . . 
Please enjoy the music video for Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry Be Happy, featuring the comedic stylings of the late Robin Williams, and Sesame Street's Mr. Noodle.

For more Seven Quick Takes, click over to This Ain't the Lyceum.

The Force is Strong With These Guys (but you already knew that)

Sometimes I get contacted about sponsored post opportunities here on the old blog. And I try to be really discerning about which ones I accept, because I want my blog to feel honest and consistent. I only want to do a sponsored post if it fits with the mission of my blog; if it's something I would have written about anyway.

And then sometimes, someone asks me if I would be interested in getting two free boxes of Star Wars Cereal and taking pictures of my kids eating it and giving YOU GUYS a coupon for a dollar off so you can get some for yourselves, and I'm like, "Mission, schmission. Send it over."

Because tiny marshmallows and Star Wars are two of our very favorite things around here.



We are big fans of breakfast in this house. But we usually keep it pretty simple. Like eggs, oatmeal, bulk bag of oat-based cereal simple. So imagine how excited my kids were when they opened a box that came in the mail and found not one, but TWO boxes of super fun cereal.


It also helped them understand why I had told them they couldn't eat breakfast until they went to find their Star Wars dress-up stuff.


All the kids had some.


I had some too, because: Journalistic Integrity. And also: Pregnant. So I can tell you that this cereal tastes like the Trix rabbit and the Lucky Charms leprechaun have joined forces. At last.

It is quite tasty. Thumbs up.



Remarkably, the cereal only has nine grams of sugar per serving. Especially since: Look! Tiny Yoda head and Clone helmet marshmallows!


And the cereal pieces are Tie Fighters!


I'm pretty strict about our breakfast cereals being less than ten grams of sugar, because I'm not particularly interested in them turning into complete maniacs before they're even dressed for the day.


But I do like to be a cool mom and let them choose a special cereal for special occasions. This one is definitely going into our special occasion rotation (especially since there's a coupon).


These two boxes featuring Yoda and Darth Vader are only available for a few months. Then new character boxes will become available. So git 'em while the gittin's good.


What are your breakfast policies? Do your kids ever talk you into buying the cool cereals?


Are tiny marshmallows allowed at your house? Which side of The Force are tiny marshmallows on, anyway?

Important questions, people.

Click here to download a dollar off coupon.
And check out the Big G Cereal Wars Tumbler for memes, recipes, contests, and craft ideas featuring all of General Mill's Star Wars Cereals.

The kids prepared their bowls of cereal all on their own. Does that mean it counts for Kids Cook for Themselves? Let's say yes.


If you missed it, here was the first installment of Kids Cook for Themselves.

How to Let Your Husband Be a Great Dad

Maybe you don't need this post. Hopefully you don't. It's pretty obvious. But it didn't come easily for me. So, I'm going to put it here on the blog. Juuuuuuust in case.


We are all very fortunate around here. We've got a fun, loving, involved dad. But, especially with our first baby, I really didn't do much to help that be the case. I had some things to learn. I had to figure out that the best thing I could do for my husband was to . . . let him do it HIS way.

That's it. If you can do that, he'll be all set. Easier said than done, of course.

I don't mean not being on the same page as far as important family rules and general parenting philosophy. Those are conversations parents should have together and, ideally, agree about.

I mean letting fathering look different than mothering. And I mean not undermining his confidence and authority.

1. Let him try HIS stuff out on the baby.

For newborns, that means letting dad hold the baby not quite just the way I've figured out is exactly the best way to hold that particular newborn. It means letting him do it his way.  It means letting him hold the baby like this:



Even though those are CLEARLY not the right way to hold a baby. Clearly.

Pay no attention to the fact that baby Jack is sleeping soundly/having a blast. There's no accounting for him. ;0)

2. Don't immediately rush in to rescue baby (or dad).

But even if the baby is fussing, even if the baby is crying, if mom immediately swoops in and takes the baby away, how will dad ever figure it out for himself? It's a hard row to hoe, but in my experience, letting dad figure out how HE wants to hold the baby, or walk the baby, or feed the baby, or change the baby, means that occasionally *I* won't have to be the one holding the baby.

Sometimes it's just not going to work. If a baby is hungry around here, he needs his mama. But that's not always the problem. If I always rush in and take over, especially if I take over with an exasperated, "Let me have him, I'll just do it," dad will never get the chance to become a confident baby-holder. And that's not good for any of the three of us.

3. Let dad time be about quality, not quantity.

For toddlers and older kids, letting my husband be a good dad means understanding that, usually, mothering is about quantity, and fathering is about quality.

I stay home with the kids. I am a near constant presence in their lives. Quantity time. We got it. I'm always there, meeting their needs. I make sure they are fed and dressed. I tend boo boos. I hand out time outs. I read aloud to them, and admire their drawings and Lego creations, but I do very little in the way of dedicated play with them. We have the occasional tea party or board game. I'm their primary educator. But I've got a lot going on at any given moment in this house, so there's not much playing.

My husband works outside the home. He makes a point of being home for dinner, but most days that means he only sees the little kids for an hour or two. That's okay, though, because fathering is different than mothering. From him, they get quality time. They get books read aloud, and artwork admired, AND they get dinosaurs played with, and board games suffered through, and train tracks put together. (I have my kids convinced that I don’t know how to put train tracks together OR change batteries.)

Whether we work outside the home or not, whether we homeschool or not, mothering is often about being THERE. It's about meeting the needs and wants of our children in more of a slow and steady way. Whether I am a drink Tab and lock them outside type mom or a tea party and box fort type mom, what my kids will probably remember most is that I was around if they needed me. But a father's interactions with his kids are often more about intense moments of awesomeness. It's nice that my kids can have both.

I don't need to keep track of the difference in parenting hours logged between mom and dad, because we are really filling different needs for our kids.



4. Let them roughhouse.

Even better, they get types of play with their dad that they wouldn't ever get from me. They get chased and wrestled with and thrown in the air. They get riled up right before bedtime. And they love it.

Even though sometimes it makes me nervous to watch.

But every bit of research says it's a VERY good thing for kids to roughhouse with their dads. Which means every bit of research says it's a very good thing for mom to quit trying to make them stop.

I can always just go take a bath so I can't hear it.

5. Be willing to be a little flexible.

And while routine and bedtimes are important, sometimes a little more of that quality time they get with dad is more important. It's my goal to have the kids finished with homework and chores in the afternoon, so that they are available for those times when they'd be able to see their dad. If dad has a later day, I try to let the kids stay up until he gets home. Even if I'm really, really, REALLY ready to not have them around any more. Occasionally, they get to go on a special outing with dad, even if it means they'll miss nap time.

Sometimes I have to remind myself how important it is. It's easy for me to get so caught up in following our routine that I forget about our family's priorities.

If your kids have a confident, engaged dad, then just keep doing what you're doing. But if, like me, your natural inclinations are sometimes at odds with encouraging fathering, maybe all he needs is the opportunity to do it his way.

I know around here, we are all better for it.


Here's wishing your family a very Happy Father's Day!

p.s. Did you see this year's free Father's Day printables?

p.p.s. The newest episode of the Fountains of Carrots Podcast features . . . me. You're going to want to check it out, to hear a great discussion with my fellow bloggers and friends Haley and Christy about social media, blogging, and parenting in and around the internet. Also you'll get to hear why people always ask me if my mom is home when I answer the phone. (I usually say, "I think so. But she doesn't live here.")