Taylor Marshall recently wrote a post on the topic of infant baptism that made my blood pressure skyrocket. What bothered me wasn’t any problem with what he said; in fact, I was troubled because I agreed with him. Quoting Blessed Pope John Paul II, other popes, The Council of Trent and various Church documents, Marshall hit home the importance of not delaying baptism for our children. In addition to all the material Marshall cites in his post, Canon 867 specifically states that “parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptized within the first few weeks.” There’s no question where the Church stands on this subject.

So what, then, should parents do who aren’t able to secure a...READ MORE

Summer is here! Well, technically we have a few more weeks until the summer solstice, and those of us who live on the surface of Venus—err, I mean, Texas—have been experiencing summer weather for a few months now, but Memorial Day marks the cultural beginning of summer. In the midst of all the fun of the three-day weekend it’s easy for kids to come to think of this holiday as representing nothing more than the end of school and the beginning of barbecue and pool party season, so I scoured the internet to find the best ideas for simple and fun family crafts that gently introduce children to the deeper meaning of Memorial Day.

1. Create a memorial flower boat
This is an easy but beautiful...READ MORE

The other day I ran into an old coworker from my career days, and when it came up that I’ve permanently ditched cubicle life to stay home and raise my gazillion kids, he asked bluntly, “Don’t you feel like you’re wasting your education?”

I think we were both surprised when my answer was: “Actually ... yes.”

I had been prepared to launch into a lecture about how my roles as homeschooler and household manager challenge me intellectually, but when I considered whether I ever use the knowledge I gained in my four (okay, four and a half) years in college, I realized that the answer was no. But the problem isn’t with my vocation; it’s with my education.

My degree is in Advertising, with a...READ MORE

A friend of mine who is an immigrant from Mexico was recently telling me about a movie called A Day Without a Mexican. The film takes a humorous look at what would happen if all the Mexicans in California were to suddenly disappear back to their home country, showing scenes of rich people having to do their own gardening, farmers unable to afford laborers, etc. Though I haven’t seen it, it sounds like an amusing conversation starter on the topic of immigration.

I keep thinking I’d love to see some enterprising Catholic filmmakers create a similar short film about overpopulation. I have the storyboard all worked out: A guy named Bob, wearing a Greenpeace t-shirt and a hemp necklace, wishes...READ MORE

The Daily Mail has two articles out this week that caught my attention. The first one is by a mother, writing under the pseudonym Sara Carpenter, who chronicles the heartbreaking story of her unborn son’s diagnosis with spina bifida. She assumed she’d have the child, but then started imagining what his life would be like:

I pictured him watching from the sofa, frustrated and immobile, as his sisters turned cartwheels and somersaults in the living room. I envisaged trips to the park, where he would sit on the sidelines as other children clambered over climbing frames and kicked footballs ... I tried to shake away the image I conjured in my head of a little boy, lonely and friendless, robbed...READ MORE