Mrs Hannigan's Home for Girls

I’m number 15. See,

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Imagine that. I’m not sure what the point of it all is, but 15 out of a gazillionty is really good. I think I’ll celebrate. Anyone wanna run circles in the yard with me while the kids chase us? Didn’t think so.

If deep thoughts like this rock your world, then please enter your email address:

FeedBurnerhooked you up. Seriously, you’ll be glad you did this. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about a few things.

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A few years ago, when Grace (now 4) was a baby I drove all 5 kids down to California. I was a bit nervous about being 1200 miles from home and not having another adult to share road-trip responsibilities. Think about it; every potty break for 1200 miles involved unbuckling 3 kids in car seats [...]

One goal of mine has been to get the income from my websites up to a point where I wouldn’t ever feel “forced” to work. Well, I haven’t felt forced to work for the past ten days. TEN DAYS- that is a miracle for me, I find it way too easy to be glued [...]

It’s about 9:30 p.m.
My 2 yr old is reaching for a basket. She’s in my arms and it’s just out of her reach. She grunts and says “Help me reach it mommy” (but not like that, it’s more like 2 words “hewlpme reachitmommy”) and I lean over so she can reach.
I discover she was really [...]

Last August when grace turned 4, I don’t know if I posted pictures or anything. Sure, I could go back through the archives, but that always takes so long for me because the “search posts” feature never works like I want it to and I end up rereading a bunch of old memories and saying [...]

I’ve had a collection of thoughts “gelling” together this week, and I think I’m just about ready to poke them with a fork.
OK- let’s go back in time, like 50 years ago. TV was just invented and families would sit around together and watch TV. You’d ask someone what they’re doing tomorrow [...]

Dear kids
Sorry I suck
Sorry I’m not the sparkly mom who wears makeup and jewelry all the time, even though you’re so good about giving me pretty things, I rarely decorate myself. Sorry about that.
I also wanted to apologize for not being the mom that controls every minute of your day. I was really surprised when [...]

Because honestly I just want to talk about the calendar I bought. I feel like my blog is somehow related to my calendar now because of what happened last year and everything.
So, my kids got a Borders gift card for Xmas and I brought them in on the 28th to spend it. While we [...]

I have a new little buddy, he’s a monster. See him in my sidebar? Here he is, below, in case you’re an email subscriber:

Isn’t he cute?
This is a new magazine for ANYONE who likes to read inspiring stories of personal change.
Y’know how those chicken soup stories are quick little quips that [...]

I don’t even know why I’m bothering to write this because my feedburner subscription thing is all messed up and I’m not sure how to fix it, so probably no one will even know this is here. It could be google’s fault.
Either way, I have to say that I hate kids menus. [...]

I really love it when I realize I’m failing at something because it gives me a clear and present opportunity to improve. Seriously.
So a friend of mine, who is enrolled in a political science class, emails me to send me a quote from a Supreme court judge who is dealing with a case where a [...]

This post was resurrected from last summer. I don’t know why it was still in draft form.Grace and Evelyn just love ladybugs. We bought about 300 of them for the garden and they love to pick them up & bring them back to the tomatoes every chance they get. grace is the official ladybug relocation [...]

And that word is VASECTOMY.
And the pointless after-words: (because I don’t “do” short stories very well) is that on November 19th he went in and once January rolls around we can be quite sure and positive that every last one of them will be gone and we can MOVE ON from this phase in life [...]

It finally hit me. As a writer, when I have a thought I am having a hard time expressing, it drives me crazy. I’m always searching for the right words to explain my thoughts. I know some people think in words, but I tend to think in feelings sometimes.
My second daughter loves animals. [...]

Sometimes when homeschoolers or unschoolers are trying to explain how life and learning are naturally integrated, they use the example of cooking. I tried to intellectualize it in the article Cooking with Kids, but last night’s dinner hour was particularly good example of this “in action.”
All my girls love to cook. In fact, I was [...]

A friend of mine in California has 5 children, 4 of whom were diagnosed with epilepsy after the last one was born.
It was a recessive gene that neither parent knew they carried, if I remember correctly.
I might not remember correctly after ten years, but I’ll do my best to share the details I remember, then [...]

Shhhhh… I once promised my oldest daughter that I’d never publish a picture of her on my blog without her permission. I just couldn’t resist this one, though. It looks like we’re parked at Albertson’s here, and she’s snapping photos of her dream car. Something about the silly shoes (sorry, dear, the artfully decorated [...]

I would have settled for the 600 or 700 but since this is a phony practice review, I thought I’d “think big” It’s easier to fixate upon a precise model number, rather than randomly wishing for a camera.

Anyway, this camera arrived just in time. (my old one, a Sony, died in August 2009)
I was able [...]

I know people who think kids shouldn’t go to weddings or funerals. The first time I came across this perspective, I was shocked. Those are really important things in life- why shouldn’t children be included? The answer I was given is that “Old people don’t want a bunch of kids running around” in reference [...]