Child Care

Kids Coding with Codeverse

Like most families in the year 2017, screen usage is an unavoidable fact of our life. But, it also happens to be one of the greatest stresses in the day-to-day life of our family. Chris and I carefully monitor screen time, but the kids never think they have enough. I hate the battle. Chris and I […]


Fall Fun + Buttermilk Pumpkin Bread with Apples

Every week, for the past 40 weeks, Ben has asked to make pumpkin bread. Last year we bought the mix from Trader Joe’s and it was the perfect activity for him – easy to make, easy to mix and perfectly tasty. It is a seasonal item, and sweet Ben has waited oh-so patiently for our local […]


How We Travel With Six Kids + Minimal Stress

Since we took our family of eight on a two-week European holiday several people have asked me “how did you do it?” So, here’s how we did it: 1. Pack Light: For our trip to Europe, everyone packed about three days worth of clothes into their own backpack (including me and Chris!). To keep it […]


“Are all those kids yours?”

It seems like everywhere I go around this town I get comments and stares. I get it: there aren’t many families with six young kids, especially living in the middle of a huge city. I hear a lot of you’ve got your hands full! and you must be busy! In general, it is nice to chat with neighbors and […]


Tearful Goodbyes and Joyful Hellos

My sweet Ben. He recently started preschool. Finally, he can join his siblings in the chaotic morning rush and the evening chatter of “what happened at school today?” As the first day of school neared, he talked about being scared – but then two minutes later he’d talk about feeling excited. He’s seen enough pick-ups […]


Party Fun & Party Dip

My parents have 18 grandchildren. Considering how young they are, I’d say that is quite an accomplishment. The only issue with having such a large family is that we can’t easily gather to celebrate all the birthdays. So, my sister Colleen offered to host a big birthday/end-of-summer party at her home in honor of my […]


The Perfect Time to Take a Trip

We recently returned from a whirlwind trip to Europe. 12 days. Six countries. Six kids. It was awesome! Before, during and after the trip people told us we were crazy for embarking on such an adventure. The kids are too young to remember it! Not much of a vacation with all those kids! You guys […]


Halftime

Evie, my oldest, recently turned 9. It might not sound as momentous as turning 10, but, for me, 9 is a really big deal. It’s halftime. Except, now is not the time for rest. Now is the time to keep moving! All the time we’ve had with our Evie is equivalent to all the time […]


Living on The Ledge

This summer has kinda sucked for my kids. All my grand plans to take them all over the city basically fizzled when I broke my ankle. I intended to take them on an urban adventure every Friday, checking off our Chicago bucket list every week. Instead, they’ve been shipped off to camp most days while […]


Homemade Strawberry Muffins

A few weeks ago I took the kids strawberry picking. It was on my summer bucket list, and I am so glad we checked it off before I broke my ankle. We stumbled upon the strawberry farm quite unexpectedly. The kids and I were driving home after a weekend at Notre Dame when we (almost) […]


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