Yesterday was a crazy day. In fact, by the end of most days lately I feel frazzled and think, “Aaah, I had a crazy day.” My new baby is now almost seven months old, my three-year-old son keeps telling me he’s a big little kid, and tomorrow my oldest daughter starts kindergarten.

-I comes into the bedroom crying.
-I: “-J hit me!”
Justine: “Why’d she hit you?”
-I: “Just because I wouldn’t answer her question! I wouldn’t answer her so she whacked me! It’s not fair! She needs a punishment, right?”
Justine: “So, what’s -J going to say if we ask her?”
-I: “I don’t know. I just wouldn’t answer her mean, [...]

We were standing around a small, glass-rimmed kiosk at Alvin’s Island, a trinket-filled tourist shop a few blocks from our hotel. The kiosk contained dozens of shells with hermit crabs in them. Heaven help them, they were the ugliest creatures I have ever laid eyes on. Tammie casually began picking up shells and showing me [...]

I’ve been having so much fun on Goodreads, gathering the books that I want to read, rating the books that I have read, that I’ve actually neglected to READ. And I don’t claim to be too intelligent but isn’t that kind of the point? It’s kind of like when I’m making lunch and [...]

I always forget how to hold newborn babies until I’m presented with one: the small face, old, wise, young, perfect. It’s not just that I forget how to hold them, though. It’s the feelings a newborn baby calls up inside me. I held my newborn nephew Saturday and it made me remember the joy, [...]

I love teenagers. You never know what to expect. And that certainly keeps life interesting.
The following conversation took place a few weeks ago between my oldest son Luke (yes his real name–because he’s over 18), my second son, Z~ (17) and my daughter L~(13):
Z~: Girls are like an oven. Boys are like a microwave.
L~: Yeah [...]

My tween daughter Susie Q (not her real name) has a hard time breaking away from whatever she is doing to come when she is called. Although her excuses vary, there was a time when, no matter what I asked of her, her reply was always this:
“One sec.”
You may imagine that grew a bit tiresome [...]

Shelah is a SAHM to four kids (ages 8 to 1) who loves reading, running and chronicling her life in the blogosphere (she also writes here and here). She joined the church as a teenager in Connecticut, and attended BYU from 1993-1997, when she graduated with a degree in English Teaching. She completed a MA [...]

Hey Segullah Blog readers, it’s me, Heather H. Not the witty and ever-present Heather O., nor the poetically gifted Heather B. But me, the I-used-to-blog-about-once-a-month editorial staff member who has been scarce as of late due to a beautiful new baby. Do you remember me? Have you missed me?

Here’s my most recent motherhood faux pas (okay, the most recent one was ten minutes ago, but it wasn’t good enough to blog about):
Two weeks ago my first grader brought home a note saying his class would be dismissed two hours early the following Monday and Tuesday. Crap, I thought. I have enough trouble remembering things [...]

Ben (12) and Sam (4) perch by my elbow, watching me slog through the email communique required to build the Queen’s new castle.
Ben: What are you doing?
Me: Working on this website redesign.
Ben: You have your own website?
Me: Yep.
Ben: Isn’t that a bit vain?
Me: [...]

I was born on the 22nd day of December. People often say to me, “That must really stink to have a birthday right before Christmas.” And when I was a child, I certainly agreed. But now I’m a lot older and a little bit wiser, I actually like it…and I know there could be worse [...]

The last snow melted from our yard Friday afternoon. It got up to around 50, and spring definitely felt close. The kids got home from school — giddy and bursting with excitement. “The snow’s gone! The snow’s gone! The snow’s gone” They all chanted.
Then they all suddenly disappeared downstairs.
Five minutes later they all re-appear — [...]

The other night we were finally nearing the end of Alma in our family scripture reading (I’m not even going to tell you when it was we started), when my eight-year-old suddenly burst out anxiously and with affection, “Helaman doesn’t die, does he?”
Shhh. I won’t tell him if you won’t.

“I do not want to frighten you by telling you about the temptations life will bring. Anyone who is healthy in spirit will overcome them. But there is something I want you to realize.
It does not matter so much what you do. What matters is whether your soul is harmed by what you do. If [...]