Don’t Eat the Dog Food

Our second-youngest child, Daniel, has always been pleasant and easy-going, even as a baby. His eyes are still twinkling and a slight smile graces his face. Most troubles seem to just roll off his back, and his small smile often changes into a mischievous grin as he sits back on the fringes of our family……

My Kids Taught Me The Key to Joy

The things that raise my spirits are small and often considered insignificant.  It was my children who taught me how to live in the present moment with joy. I couldn’t help but learn how to live as a child of God because I was surrounded by a crew of little people who greeted each morning……

What Ingredients Are Mothers Made Of?

Feature image by Brian Kershisnik | Painting From Life How about a little taste of eight-year-old reasoning to act as a reality check to balance all those manipulative commercials and sentimental Mother’s Day cards flooding the market as we get closer to Mother’s day? A warning. The following true comments are not politically correct. So simply laugh and……

Ingenuity And Creativity Are Birthed In Boredom

Relax, bored kids never stay bored for long Children thrive when they are given ample unscheduled play time. Free time to explore, use their imaginations to amuse themselves and even time to be bored because boredom is the birthplace of creativity and ingenuity.   Surrounded by babies and toddlers, I was not always free to……

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

  Imagine this scene. Eight children sprawl limply on chairs, a Chesterfield and on the rug surrounded by pillows, comforters, and favourite stuffed toys. Everyone is moaning on and off with fever, lethargy, and itchy spots that are driving them crazy. I dole out acetaminophen, rotate who gets an oatmeal bath (that brings temporary relief),……

Firecrackers and Exploding Cow Pies

We expect playful pranks from boys in their early teens because they delight in stretching the boundaries. Firecrackers offer many exciting possibilities to a creative thirteen-year-old. My son, Joseph, along with a neighbour wondered what would happen if they lit a couple of firecrackers and threw them into the family’s country-style mailbox. The result was……

Reflections of a Mother After Spending Hours Locked in a Chicken Coop

I have always heard the mother is the heart of the family, especially a stay-at-home mother with a crew of kids, who also helps with a hobby farm. So why was I not missed when I spent hours locked in the chicken coop? You must first understand that even if this was a subconscious belief, I……

A True Story: The Baby and the Dogfood

Once he learnt to crawl, Daniel was into everything and made sure that he reached his destination with great speed.

My Dog Is Brilliant Enough To Act Dumb

If we could only outsmart our intelligent chocolate lab, all would be well.

Celebrating the Wisdom of a Newborn

Spirit to spirit: the wisdom of newborn babies I discovered the truth of this quote by C. S. Lewis as a mother and grandmother when I first looked into my newborn’s eyes. What I found most startling about infants is how aware they are, the obvious intelligence in their eyes. The baby in the womb and……

Humour: The Key To Sanity

I have always managed to keep my large families difficulties in perspective through humour.

A Solution to Morning Mayhem, With Hilarious Results

With limited funds, surrounded by lots of little people on a hobby farm, I had to discover innovative ways of coping. When I relaxed, often an unusual, creative or even funny solution to a problem popped into my head. I just needed to keep everything in perspective and listen to my own inner voice as……

Thoughts on Mothering A Large Family

I can honestly say my husband and I are joyful because we answered a particular call to parent a large family of nine children. Many small experiences kept reinforcing the truth; God called each of our children into being with our cooperation. I stumbled blindly at times and then a burst of clarity would shine……

A Crocheted Mini Doll House

I had a lot of fun creating a crocheted mouse house or doll house last week. It was so easy to make and I used scrap yarn. The shape is similar to an igloo created by inserting a rigid piece of plastic canvas into a crocheted sleeve and bending it into a doom shape with……

When Little Kids Swear

I faltered slightly as I managed to stutter to my husband,“Do you want to know what Claire just said to me?…”.

A Near-Death-Experience

I discovered that giving birth and dying are not that different and life and death are not as far apart as I had once presumed.   Exactly three years ago, I finally became cognizant of how thin the line between life and death really is when I nearly lost one of my daughters as she……

A Salute to 21st Century Fathers

I love how each generation of fathers are becoming more involved with childcare. My husband was much more involved with our children than his father ever was and my sons are even more comfortable changing diapers and bathing infants. all paintings found at Dad and daughter relationships, as explained by 10 paintings. One of my……

THE EVERYDAY ENVIRONMENTALIST

I could have written this article myself if I was more on the ball. After all, this subject is especially close to my heart. I am mum of nine, adult children who raised her kids with her husband on a small hobby farm.  We raised our own beef, chicken, pork and eggs year-round and vegetables……

Family Fun: Dinner and a Movie at Home? Yup!

It is a simple fact; there is no better way to form deep relationships and a sense of family unity than conversation over a home-cooked meal, then sharing a good movie afterward. It was our large family’s version of going out for dinner and a movie in town. Life around our dinner table was relaxed……

Motherhood- A Feminist Career Choice

Raising children is not a default chore for women who were not successful in the world of business, power, and wealth.