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……

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),……

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.

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 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……

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.

Unpaired Socks, Teachable Moments and Pure Flix

I was recently inspired by Christian movie company Pure Flix, to discuss an experience that I would like to share with a loved one, so they might better know how to handle it if they were ever faced with something similar. These experiences are often referred to as “teachable moments” or valuable lessons.  So here……

Reclaiming Motherhood

Society’s Reaction To Large Families A few years ago, when a journalist interviewed me for an article on Mother’s Day, she asked me if I ever regretted not using my degree to pursue a career. I simply stared at her in shock for a few moments, my mind blank. “No”, I finally stuttered, “the thought……

Effective Mothers Remember What It Is Like to be Small

Last year, one of my daughters, who was finishing up an Honours Degree in Religion and applying to Teacher’s College, asked me what I thought were the attributes of an effective teacher for her application. When I considered effective teachers, I immediately thought about effective mothers. One of the best ways to learn how to……

The Key To Sanity

The characteristic I like most about myself is I can always laugh, even in the middle of a disaster. I find this tendency is the key to my sanity, although some people might question my sanity when I laugh so hard that I almost fall off my chair. I  laugh at myself, my nine children and my husband. Perhaps I……

A Tip From the Motherofnine9

Never let them get tired and never let them get hungry

Crocheted Playbook: Under The Sea

This playbook is not for a preschooler but a young child who is learning how to play games. One page is similar to a board game which I called Finding Nemo,   another Sea Turtle Tic Tac Toe, and a Clam Matching Game. There are other interactive pages featuring a three-dimensional whale, starfish, and mermaid .……

Make Something Out of Nothing for Your Kids, Crochet Toys

It is important in our consumer-driven society to show kids they can create toys with things around the house.

Laugh For Mother’s Day: Hilarious Opinions from Little People

A little taste of  eight-year-old reasoning.  A reality check to balance all those manipulative commercials and sentimental Mother’s Day cards that are flooding the marketplace. Warning. The following true comments  are not politically correct. So simply laugh and enjoy, no need to flog me with feminist remarks. The following are answers given by grade two……