http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/author/Arwen en arwenelizabethblog@gmail.com Copyright 2009 2009-07-04T13:00:30+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/america_the_beautiful1 Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/america_the_beautiful1#When:13:00:30Z Celebrating our country in song | My mother handed on to me a penchant for enjoying singing all the verses of songs.  (You should hear us at Christmastime!) When I was a child and we sang patriotic songs in school, it disappointed me when we’d stop after the first verse. And with good reason, because those continuing verses are often the … Just me 2009-07-04T13:00:30+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/creative_re-use Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/creative_re-use#When:02:24:03Z What to do with leftovers? | Last night my parents went to a potluck at their church.  My mom took along a Mexican-rice style dish. It was delicious, which I know because I tasted it.  But the amazing part was that except for the rice, the dish was made entirely of leftovers from my mom’s fridge. I like to think I’m … Food 2009-07-03T02:24:03+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/firework_frenzy Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/firework_frenzy#When:23:00:19Z How do you feel about them? | Happy Canada Day! I practically grew up in Canada.  My childhood home is less than a mile from the Canadian border. Our wedding reception was held on the sixth floor of a building near the river that separates the US and Canada, and my younger brothers had fun proving to their disbelieving cousins that … Just me 2009-07-01T23:00:19+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/because_hes_so_happy Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/because_hes_so_happy#When:16:00:47Z Seeking joy in God's love | My parents taught me that “Mommy loves you, and Daddy loves you, but Jesus loves you best of all.”  I tell Camilla the same thing. We also talk about how it is good to love Jesus, and why: because it makes him happy. Even basic theology is often too complex for a two-year-old, and in … Faith 2009-06-30T16:00:47+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/a_week_to_be_grateful Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/a_week_to_be_grateful#When:01:52:07Z Coping with traveling Daddy | For weeks, I’ve been dreading the end of June. My husband left Saturday for a week-long business trip.  It’s the longest he’s gone on since we’ve been married, and the most number of nights in a row he’s ever spent away from Camilla. We love Daddy, and as you can imagine, we’re not happy that he’s … Family 2009-06-30T01:52:07+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/public_immorality Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/public_immorality#When:03:01:10Z How do we hold our leaders to higher standards? | If you follow the news at all, you can’t have missed the fact that South Carolina governor Mark Sanford has been in the headlines a lot this week. Now, this is not the kind of blog where we hash over politicians’ extramarital affairs.  And I’m not going to do that, I … News 2009-06-27T03:01:10+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/the_pop-culture_question Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/the_pop-culture_question#When:03:28:10Z How much exposure should kids have? | When I was ten years old, I was at a friend’s house after school.  Her mother had taped Oprah Winfrey’s landmark interview with Michael Jackson.  My friend wanted to watch it, so she put in the tape. When Jackson’s face came on the screen, I said, “Oh, is that his wife?” It was 1993.  … Family 2009-06-26T03:28:10+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/compulsory_devotion Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/compulsory_devotion#When:02:25:09Z Should we force kids to pray? | Remember a while back when I asked you all about behavioral standards for kids during family prayer time? I got some great answers, so I want to go back to the topic of kids and prayer. Should we force our kids to pray? I have no problem with enforcing good behavior during prayer time: … Family 2009-06-25T02:25:09+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/summer_in_a_bowl Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/summer_in_a_bowl#When:13:00:25Z Corn chowder is light and delicious | Last week I raved about how much I love corn. This week I’m going to share a recipe that uses it! I love soup.  It can make such a nice, simple meal.  And soup made with corn is the great in the summer because corn is in season.  It’s like the taste of summer … Food 2009-06-23T13:00:25+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/share_the_love Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/share_the_love#When:18:00:02Z What's great about the dad(s) in your life? | To honor Father’s Day yesterday, I tried to give my husband the day “off.” I even let him go to a movie by himself! He ended up pitching in with many things as usual, but just attempting to do it without his help reminded me what a wonderful father my husband is … Family 2009-06-22T18:00:02+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/married_with_the_swine_flu Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/married_with_the_swine_flu#When:02:53:02Z What would you do? | Due to our family’s circumstances this past winter, I’ve thought about illness a lot more than usual.  How to get through it, how to avoid it… and how much to adjust our lives in order to deal with and avoid it. I tend to be one of those people who likes to drop everything and hole … News 2009-06-20T02:53:02+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/from_a_father_of_six Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/from_a_father_of_six#When:02:12:58Z My dad gives his two (or twenty!) cents | Rachel had an idea to have us each interview our fathers in honor of Father’s Day. So I sent my dad some questions, and asked him to take a few minutes and answer them briefly so that I could post the answers here. Well, if you’ve been reading Faith & Family for … Family 2009-06-19T02:12:58+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/feeling_better_moving_forward Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/feeling_better_moving_forward#When:02:39:51Z So grateful for all your help! | What a difference some perspective can make! I was so discouraged after last night, but today three things have happened that have helped me feel better: 1) I read the comments that you all left me on my post, 2) I read a great post at Conversion Diary: “Tips for surviving (and thriving) in … Family 2009-06-18T02:39:51+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/ive_got_the_babyhood_blues Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/ive_got_the_babyhood_blues#When:13:00:43Z Experienced moms: how do you do it so many times? | Last night was one of those evenings with the baby that make me long for his toddler days. I spent hours last night trying to put him to sleep or back to sleep.  I started around 6:30pm.  I think he slept a total of 45 minutes between then and 10:30. … Family 2009-06-17T13:00:43+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/summer_brings_great_tastes Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/summer_brings_great_tastes#When:22:30:26Z What's your favorite warm-weather produce? | With summer’s arrival, I have produce on the brain. June in Michigan is way too early for fresh local produce, but the imported stuff in the grocery store bins is reminding me how much I love it when the abundance of summer fruits and vegetables finally comes around. We’re growing our own vegetable garden for … Food 2009-06-15T22:30:26+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/juicy_and_delicious Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/juicy_and_delicious#When:18:00:00Z The peach cobbler of my dreams | I’m not a chocolate person.  I will hardly ever say yes to the offer of a brownie, because I just don’t enjoy them that much. And I will never say yes to a brownie if there is any kind of fruit dessert in the area. I am all about the fruit desserts.  I adore … Food 2009-06-12T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/smile_mama Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/smile_mama#When:02:45:00Z The joy of our boy | Remember how Bryan and I were praying our new baby would be a good sleeper? We got something even better. Camilla has a high-strung temperament.  As a baby she demanded to be held constantly and cried a lot for no apparent reason. (You can see her in this video at ten months old, displaying typical … Family 2009-06-12T02:45:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/pray_unceasingly Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/pray_unceasingly#When:03:03:00Z A timely reminder | This evening was not fun. My husband found out in mid-afternoon that he was going to have to work late.  He ended up not leaving the office until more than three hours after his usual time. The toddler pulled a torch lamp over into a bookshelf, shattering its globe and sending glass shards everywhere. The baby refused … Faith 2009-06-11T03:03:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/childrens_music_that_doesnt_make_me_crazy Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/childrens_music_that_doesnt_make_me_crazy#When:03:15:00Z Loving the songs of Sandra Boynton | Before I had kids, I was a little nutty. “We will not have children’s music in our house!” I would say.  “Ever!  I hate it!” As a teenager and a frequent babysitter, I’d developed a strong hostility toward “Old McDonald Had a Farm” and “The Wheels on the Bus,” especially when sung by the … Reviews 2009-06-10T03:15:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/all_things_guy_and_girl_winners Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/all_things_guy_and_girl_winners#When:22:30:00Z Congratulations and great news! | After I posted the giveaway of the All Things Guy and All Things Girl books, I got an exciting offer from one of the authors of All Things Guy, Cheryl Dickow. Cheryl is generously giving extra copies of the book for our readers, one for every 25 entries in the guy-book giveaway. This means that the … News 2009-06-08T22:30:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/up_all_night Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/up_all_night#When:17:00:00Z How have your babies slept? | I have a 4.5-month-old baby, and it’s been twenty weeks since I slept more than three hours in a row. Not that I have any expectations in this area, you understand.  As I’ve mentioned before, my daughter didn’t sleep through the night until she was almost two. Blaise does seem to enjoy sleeping more than … Family 2009-06-08T17:00:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/help_me_im_melting Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/help_me_im_melting#When:19:30:00Z What time of year do you have to stay inside? | Remember back in January when I teased Rachel about complaining that 26º was a cold outdoor temperature?  Because we up here in Michigan are so tough when it comes to weather? Now is when my words come back to bite me.  Or, more appropriately, to roast me.  Summer’s hot weather … Just me 2009-06-05T19:30:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/giveaway_all_things_guy_and_all_things_girl Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/giveaway_all_things_guy_and_all_things_girl#When:19:00:00Z Free great books for your kids! | Here on Faith & Family we recently featured a great set of products: the All Things Girl series of books by Teresa Tomeo, Molly Miller, and Monica Cops, and the book All Things Guy by Teresa Tomeo, Molly Miller, Monica Cops, and Cheryl Dickow.  Lisa Hendey also gave away copies of the first All … News 2009-06-04T19:00:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/dont_make_me_talk_mom Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/dont_make_me_talk_mom#When:20:02:00Z How do you deal with shyness in children? | Camilla is kind of shy. This morning at ballet class one of the other moms, a friend of mine, complimented Camilla on her curly hair.  Camilla wouldn’t even look at her. She does this whenever strangers are around: turns her face away, won’t make eye contact, stays close to Bryan or me. … Family 2009-06-03T20:02:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/birth_birth_birth Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/birth_birth_birth#When:22:00:00Z What's your experience? | I’ve been thinking a lot about birth lately.  I’ve been writing the story of my son Blaise’s birth on my own blog (it begins here) and as I mentally relive the experience, it’s brought the topic to the front of my mind. I used to be uninterested in birth.  My mom - who gave birth six times, … Just me 2009-06-02T22:00:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/travel_challenges Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/travel_challenges#When:19:00:00Z Funny in the future | When I was a kid, my parents would pack us children and all the stuff we needed for ten days into the car and drive thirteen hours to visit my grandparents.  It makes me tired just thinking about it.  All the kids!  All the stuff!  Sometimes we even drove overnight! A couple years ago, Bryan and … Family 2009-06-01T19:00:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/vacation_relaxation Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/vacation_relaxation#When:03:04:00Z Not quite as easy with kids, but still great | For months, my husband and I have been looking forward to this coming week. When we were sleep-deprived, when we were overwhelmed, when the long Michigan winter was getting us down, one of us would remind the other what was coming the last week of May.  We’d both smile, thinking about … Family 2009-05-22T03:04:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/prayer_time_kids Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/prayer_time_kids#When:21:02:00Z What are your behavioral standards? | Camilla is two-and-a-half now, and my husband and I are gradually reassessing our standards for her behavior in all kinds of situations. Babies get away with a lot of things that older children, which is how it should be.  I like babyhood because of its simple baby-has-a-need, parent-responds set-up.  Toddlerhood, being the bridge between babyhood … Family 2009-05-20T21:02:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/stuffed_animal_love Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/stuffed_animal_love#When:19:54:00Z Does your child have a favorite? | When Camilla was a baby, she was very difficult to put to sleep. I read Elizabeth Pantley’s book The No-Cry Sleep Solution (which I highly recommend, by the way) and decided to start trying some of Pantley’s suggestions. One of the suggestions was to try to help your child get attached to a blanket … Family 2009-05-19T19:54:00+00:00 http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/skillet_of_doom Arwen Mosher http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/skillet_of_doom#When:22:25:00Z Share your kitchen oops-es! | On Saturday I made one of my favorite potato indulgences*, which is baked in a skillet with a metal handle. I use this skillet almost every day.  I generally use it on the stove-top.  During stove-top use the insulated handle is fine to grab with a bare hand. But on Saturday I was not using the … Food 2009-05-18T22:25:00+00:00