18 Things I Will Not Regret Doing with My Kids

Tim Challies posts 18 things that he knows he won't regret taking time to do with his kids. It's a great list. 

• When that wave [of guilt] rises up, when I feel like I could drown beneath all that regret, I sometimes consider those things I will never regret.

Check it out… and more importantly, make your own list. Read more.

To the Out-of-Breath Mom

This is a helpful post from one tired mom to another.

• We look at magazines, books, blogs, and pinterest boards full of serene moments and yet, oftentimes, the only serenity we get is the 4.5 minutes where we race to shower while the cry of mo–o–oom is heard outside the door. Savor those seconds. For real. It's okay to condition your hair twice when you really need a break.

Read more.

Why I Am Against the Family

Our own S.D. Smith writes over at ForTheFamily.org about the rightful place of family in the Christian worldview.

• I’m against The Family as a rival, or substitute, religion. I’m against The Family as an end. I’m against The Family as an avenue of self-righteous Moralism, a weapon to stomp those who have failed to keep a clean record. I’m against The Family as a sentimental idol. I am against The Family.

​Read more.

9 Things You Should Know about Down Syndrome

October is Down Syndrome month, and the Gospel Coalition has a great fact sheet.

• Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition. The Centers for Disease Control in 2011 estimated the frequency of Down syndrome in the U.S. is 1 in 691 live births.

This is an important piece of teaching our children to think holistically about the way they value life. Read more.

GrammarNerd: The New York Times embraces 'email' over 'e-mail' in updated style guidelines

I've resisted email instead of e-mail for a long time. But, it looks like the battle is almost lost. Read more.

Around the Warren:

The Underrated Adventure of Coloring Inside the Lines

Our week started with S.D. Smith encouraging us to train our children to color inside the lines.

• At some point it became a cliche of creativity to advocate “coloring outside the lines.” I have a small concern about that and it involves the fact that those pictures are usually horrible.

Read more.

The Necessity of Fiction in a Child's Life

Guest-poster Liz Cottrill explains the great value of fiction to children.

• If there is anything a child is born to naturally crave and enjoy, it is a story. Once their physical needs are met, love and security are established, the instinctive delight in a story emerges as a sure and certain reality.

She's definitely our kind of people. Read more.

On Cleaning the Bathroom

Rebecca Reynolds' household poetry continues. I mean, it's more than household poetry, but … well, read it.

• There are two razors charging on the counter,
  wires crossed one over another.

  It seems strange to me
  that a man grown from a seed inside my body
  leans over this sink now.
  He bends down into the mirror and lifts his chin
  to catch the spares.

​It's great. Read more.

Something to Try with Your Kids:

Mini-Caramel Apples… read that again. Now read it like Tina Fey doing an Oprah impersonation. Mini-Caramel Apples! Read more.

And Something Fun to Watch

NASA posted a great video of fire on the sun. I know, the sun is on fire… but this is cool.

Thanks for reading! We're on your side.