Child Care

Holiday at Home

Last week Chris took the bigs (Evie and Mack) to a Jingle Ball concert hosted by a local radio station. He loaded up the car with their friends, watched five pop acts sing their one hit wonders, and returned home close to midnight. On a school night! It was a special memory for them to […]


Snow Day + Homemade Advent Calendar

Normally, Chicagoans enjoy very fine autumn weather. It isn’t unusual for the kids to play in the sidewalk sprinkler well into October. But, this year, winter came in early November and hasn’t left. Last Monday the kids even had a very unexpected snow day from school. We were coming off a long week off for the […]


Post Pumpkin Plan

November in Chicago. The month starts and the clouds roll in and the temperatures drop. We’re still early enough in the season where I find the weather to be somewhat delightful and oddly charming: cozy socks, cuddly blankets, hot tea. Hygge to the max!! Last month the kids and I carved pumpkins in the courtyard […]


Special Time

With six kids, I carry constant guilt because they are always forced to make sacrifices on behalf of their siblings. Many times throughout the day, I have at least two kids needing my time and attention, and I wish so bad I could give them each exactly what they need exactly when they need it. Some […]


Forced From Home

This morning, after dropping the big kids off at school, the twins and I walked downtown. Clear blue skies. Birds still chirping. Passerbys sipping pumpkin spice lattes. That kind of gorgeous fall day when I recognize and feel grateful for living when and where I do. The feeling continued once we arrived at our destination: […]


Fall Ahead

This was the first official weekend of fall, and here in Chicago, the weather could not have been more glorious. Clear blue skies, warm sun, temperatures in the high 60s and 70s. Chris thought it would be a fine time to take the kids on our annual apple orchard outing to County Line Orchards, and […]


10! Laissez le Bon Temps Rouler!

Earlier this summer our first born turned 10. 10. A decade. To celebrate this special milestone Chris and I took her to New Orleans. Just the three of us. The original three, as we sometimes say when the other kids aren’t around. The hardest part of the trip? Finding childcare for Mack, Vivian, Ben, Elinor […]


Do Good Wednesday: Socks for the Homeless

This is the first in a new series called “Do Good Wednesday” where I’ll call attention to a cause we can all easily contribute towards. Doing good should happen all the time and it shouldn’t be hard. Do Good Wednesday will make it easy for you and your family to make the world a better […]


Easter Egg Hunt

When I was growing up, my dad put on an annual Easter egg hunt for my four siblings and me. He numbered the eggs we dyed with our mom, and then he numbered king size candy bars so every egg matched with a candy bar. After the hunt, we traded in our collected eggs for […]


Free Range in the City

My husband texted me a link yesterday about Utah’s new “free-range parenting” law that passed. Although neither of us knew such a law was in the works, we were both so happy to see it happen. The law exempts from the definition of child neglect various activities children can do without supervision, permitting “a child, whose […]


Page 3 of 45«12345»102030...Last »