My Very Favorite Stocking Stuffers:: Hurry! Giveaway!

It's been quite awhile since I've hosted a giveaway. The sidebar ads are gone and posting here has been regrettably rare. Outside, the leaves are brilliant orange and red and purple (yes, purple--we were all about looking for purple this year). Soon, the trees will be bare and Advent will be upon us. Then it will be too late;-).

Now is the time to visit Garry Brix at St. Luke's Brush and choose a peg doll or two for Christmas stockings. If you wait until it's starting to feel like Christmas, you will miss your opportunity. So, go look. I'm such a huge fan of these sweet dolls and they are so much a part of my family's culture (see Sarah's first birthday cake? And this All Saints music video?), that I'm happy to offer a rare giveaway. 

Visit St. Luke's Brush and find something you like. Come back here and leave a comment telling us about it. You will be entered to win a St. Nicholas doll. The winner will be chosen by Sarah on her birthday, October 31, the Vigil of All Saints. And it will be announced promptly:-). 

In addition to the giveaway, Garry is offering 10% off orders that are $100 or more with a coupon code CHRISTMAS2015 which will be good through November 8. Orders placed with this code will arrive in time for the Feast of St. Nicholas.

In our home, we do stockings on the Feast of St. Nicholas and these dolls really, truly are perennial favorites. I can't say enough good things about them.

Go shop! Then come back and tell me all about it!

WINNER: The winner is Jennie Lou, who wrote "My favorite (if I have to choose!) is St. Nicholas so I really would love to win it! It will go in my baby's shoes when we all put our big boots out on St. Nicholas Eve."

Encourage One Another

Care Package sent to me by my friend Aimee, because sometimes, we can extend care to other women across miles.

“I’m not being ridiculous," she said, as she pulled one napkin after another out of the box. “I have four children at my table. We need all these.”

“Take your time,” I said. “I’ve got nine kids. I get it.”

She stopped her hurried napkin-pulling and turned to look at me.

“You have nine kids? And you survived? How do you do it? I mean, I know we can’t have a long conversation, but just tell me one thing. One piece of advice. How do I do it?”

She was so earnest, there in the restaurant in Charlottesville, her husband and children waiting. Glancing at the table, I saw a child in a soccer uniform other than the ones local to the area. Her youngest was about kindergarten age. Her oldest, about 13.

“You’re in the thick of it now,” I replied. “Everyone needs you to get anywhere. No one is really old enough to be left on her own or to drive by herself, but they are all old enough to have their own circles of activity and interest that need you. It’s exhausting. The one thing I wish I’d done more is ask for help. You can’t be pulled in four directions all day every day without time to re-charge. Ask for help in order to be able to take care of yourself. “

“Yes,” she said. “That’s it exactly. I have no help. It’s all me. I work fulltime teaching school and then I come home and face more needy children. Everyone needs and needs and needs, and there’s no time for me to recharge. No space, either really.”

“Find some. Find time and space. That’s key. Can you trade off with another mom, maybe?” I encouraged her.

“I’m not from around here. I live outside Washington. Everybody’s busy. Everybody keeps their heads down and just plows through. I don’t have anyone else to ask.”

“Yep, I know. I live in Northern Virginia.”

“I live in suburban Maryland,” she said, beginning to notice the cluster of people behind her waiting for napkins. She thanked me and hurried off to her family.

I sat down with my own little brood of whichever of my children were with me that day and I pondered all the pieces of the hurried conversation. She was right. I’ve noticed the head-down-and-barrel-through posture that comes in neighborhoods where people work long days and then commute long hours.

We are meant to live in community. We are meant to bear one another’s burdens and to connect in meaningful ways. Clearly, this lady was so starved for emotional connection with another woman that she would allow herself to be vulnerable in a restaurant in a town away from home. And I really believe that if we weren’t both far from our usual stomping grounds, I would have offered to be that leg up for her. What I hope is that she tucked my words into her heart and she thought about how to share that same vulnerability with a neighbor or a co-worker. Maybe it’s harder to express a need to someone nearby than it is to express it to a stranger far from home.

I’ve thought about her often in the month or so since we met. And I look for her — or rather, the mom like her — in all my own familiar places now. I’ve thought about all the times I felt the way she did and all the times I still do. I’ve resolved to take my own advice: to seek someone else and to ask for help, to allow myself to be vulnerable. At the same time, I’m looking other women in the eyes and praying that they will let me into the places where they need shoring up.

Because we really do need one another.

That Scary Hospitality Thing

Photo credit: Karoline Foss, or maybe Sarah Foss. 

Hospitality scares me. You, too?

Did you grow up in a home where everything had to be magazine-perfect when guests were coming? And now, when after a soccer game, your husband turns to the couple standing next to you on the sidelines and says, "Come by our house; let's cook out," you die a thousand deaths. Because you know there are no guest towels in the foyer bathroom, and you know the kitchen floor is sticky under the bar stools by the island. And you know you hadn't really budgeted for an impromptu cookout. But he's smiling warmly and they are offering to bring something, so you also know this is going to happen.

Die, you tell yourself. Die to your perfectionism. Die to your pride. And don't you dare start barking orders at your children as if you could whip things into shape quickly enough to keep up the image that your household is perfect.

It's not. And you know it.

Instead, shove aside your Martha Stewart imagination and resolve this one thing: Offer hospitality without a side of sin. Offer gracious hospitality. Offer grace-filled hospitality.

In 1 Kings 17, the prophet Elijah goes to Zaraphath and drops in unexpectedly on a widow, who has only a handful of oil and a little water with which to feed herself and her son. The prophet asks for a cup of water and some bread. She explains that she has very little, even as she goes off to prepare something for him. And he assures her all will be well.

I think it’s safe to assume the widow is remarkably unconcerned about guest towels and sticky spots. She is a bit concerned about quantity, because she barely has enough for herself and her son. She extends herself anyway, offers hospitality to Elijah and is blessed beyond her wildest imaginings. You can't outgive God.

But you can stand rooted in pride and miss the opportunity to both give and receive blessing. The key to hospitality is humility.

In order to truly extend hospitality we must put away our pride. We must be willing to open our doors, no matter the state of homes or our wardrobes, and to graciously seek to make our visitors feel welcome and at ease. When we do this, we allow people to see us as we are. We put away the pretense and we offer ourselves with all our weaknesses. When we offer ourselves to other people and allow them to see our imperfections, we take a chance.

A chance is all God needs.

He'll step into the space you create in that chance and He will bless it. It may not look perfect. It very well could be disastrous by magazine standards. (I've had that happen exactly once in 28 years, and I'm still learning from that particular experience.) But it will be blessed.

As we begin to practice the ministry of hospitality, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable; we live genuine humility. We open our doors and our hearts, and certainly some people will come through those doors who don’t view our efforts through the same lens of charity. On occasion, we will hear a critical comment; we will be judged according to the world’s standards. We will feel as if we’ve come up short. But we haven’t truly. Those are the times the hospitable hostess will offer to Christ, imperfect and heartfelt, knowing that He will redeem the time and the effort.

When it's 11 a.m. and you're still in your pajamas and the doorbell rings and it's your neighbor, let her in. Clear a spot on the couch. Find a clean mug and make tea.

Take a chance.

In every guest, see Christ. Open your heart wide; risk allowing people to see your weaknesses. For it is in that very weakness that His power is made perfect.

Monday Night Football Geography and Cuisine

One of the benefits that comes with having taken the time to archive lessons in years past is that I don't have to start from scratch when I want to begin with a child's interest and take it somewhere constructive. Below is a post from 2007 together with an update. 

~*~*~*

Next week begins Monday Night Football, noted on my calendar for the entire season as "MNF."  Why does a middle-aged mama note Monday Night Football on her calendar? I like to keep track of my husband. He won't be on the couch with a beer and a bowl of chips. He'll be at every Monday Night Football site all season long (with the exception of the double-booked nights--he can't bi-locate so when MNF is at two locations, he's only at one of them;-). As much as we love sports around here and as grateful as we are for this job, this is a very long haul through the fall.

Last year, as my younger children began to figure out the rhythm to Mike's travels, we started moving a Post-it note arrow around on a big wall map so that they could see where he was. But a flat map on the wall doesn't really do much for a child's imagination. They couldn't really picture him where he was working.  Kim introduced me to the idea of geography textboxes  and I found these wonderful picture books, and an idea was born.

Every week, on Monday, we spend the afternoon reading and writing about the state where Monday Night Football is being played. The books are packed with information and illustrations and pictures. There is a short rhyming verse on each page, perfect for the little ones. The older children spend more time with the book, reading the more involved columns on the page for detail.

The year the baby arrived four weeks into football season. I relied heavily on the idea in these free unit studies which are keyed to the books. This year, I think we are going to focus only on the information in the book during our study time. Each child is creating his or her own book. The books vary according to age and interest and I'm giving the children free reign to pull out of the alphabet books what matters most to them and then to express that in their notebooks.

On Monday evenings, we watch ESPN beginning well before the game. In all honesty, this has nothing to do with geography and everything to do with our Daddy's shows. But, the bonus to our devotion is that we see great scenic shots of the places we've just read in the books. All the way up through the pre-game show and the introduction, there are sights and sounds of the state we've studied.

Finally, as he dashes through the airport on his way home, Mike collects a few postcards from each state to add to the book. All the books we will use for Monday Night Football geography (and plenty more) are linked on the sidebar. Maybe you'd like to travel with us this fall!

LOTS more resources here.

~*~*~

Update:

Mike is no longer traveling with Monday Night Football. The child whose narration is pictured above is now a a couple months away from graduating college. What follows is from two years ago. I thought the tradition would do a slow fade this year. It hasn't. Nick isn't letting this one go--maybe ever. So, tonight, we are having bratwursts with cheese. Stephen really lobbied for Kansas BBQ, but Nick, faithful keeper of the tradition, won out.

Thoughts from 2013:

 I am ever so grateful that I recorded this study when I did, because I was reminded this morning.

Longtime readers will recognize Paddy as the boy who always had a ball at his feet. In the absence of a ball, he had wadded up newspaper, socks, pillows, whatever he could get those feet on. Paddy is playing soccer at UVa now, but the incessant sound of dribbling is still making me nuts on Monday mornings.

"Nicholas, quit kicking."

"Nicholas, keep your feet still."

Nicholas, please try to finish up that lesson."

"Good golly, child, will you PLEASE stop with the dang ball!"

All before 10:00. 

Mary Beth looked at me and said "Does this feel like Paddy all over again?" 

Indeed.

The big difference is that Paddy was never a huge football fan. He was a huge Daddy fan, but football wasn't a passion. The Monday Night Football hook for him was tracking Dad. Nicholas, on the other hand, is obsessed with all things ESPN, especially football.

"Hey Nick, who plays tonight?"

"Cincinnati and Pittsburgh."

"How about if we study them today? You read these two books and then make two main lesson pages (see Paddy's examples) and we can make football food from Cincinnati and Pittsburgh."

"Wait, you mean we can have Philly Cheesesteaks?!?!"

"NOoooo, research Pittsburgh and Cincinnati food and get back to me."

And so, tonight, we will have cabbage rolls and pierogies for dinner.

Then we'll have Buckeyes for dessert. 

He's already planning menus for the rest of the season.

And later today, he's going to treat himself to T is for Touchdown.

Katie and Karoline are joining in because that's how we roll...

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Lots and Lots of Books for the Feast of St. Francis

In honor of her birthday, which happens to fall on the Feast of St. Francis, I invited Karoline to read and review a new book Amy Welborn sent to our house. We have an extensive St. Francis library, linked below Karoline's review. This new book is a breath of fresh air. I think you might want to add it to your book basket before the feast on October 4th. But don't just take my word for it; Karoline (who will turn 9 on the big day), chimes in with some persuasive enthusiasm.

“This book just is AMAZING!
It just so happens that the feast of St. Francis is my birthday: October 4th ! Since St. Francis’ feast is my birthday, reading this book when it came in the mail this week was very interesting to me. But it doesn’t have to be your birthday to be interesting for you. Now I’m going to tell you a little bit about the book, but the rest you’ll have to find out on your own.

It’s about two cousins who are named Gianna and Lorenzo and their great uncle , Brother Antonio. Lorenzo and Gianna are not happy because their parents dropped them off early that morning so that they could go visit a winery. This book feels like a true story, because I’ve been left home before so my parents can visit a winery. Brother Antonio tells them about a game where they walk in Assissi and they go where St.Francis did stuff. He asks them what Francis did there. They earn points for getting the answer right. It’s a trivia game, but they walked around. I can’t give away the ending and tell you who wins the contest.

The cousins learn lessons in the book about St. Francis and his kindness and they become friends and learn about kindness and forgiveness. You have to read the book to find out any more.

I like the way my mom’s friend, Amy Welborn, wrote a biography of St. Francis at the end, so that we could get the rest of the story that we didn’t find out in the trivia game.

The illustrations are very nice. They show a lot of details and that’s good because a lot of books leave the corners of pages white and waste space that could have art. I like all the colors that the artist used to show the countryside in Italy.

That’s all I can say without telling you too much. You should buy this book.
”

— Karoline Rose Foss

What follows is a kindness of longtime reader, Chris Scarlett, who generously shares her annotated list of picture books just in time to prepare for the Feast of St. Francis. A few of these are out of print, but please don't be discouraged. They are readily available at the library (St. Francis seems more welcome there than other saints) or used for purchase on Amazon for as little as a penny! Our family has read most of these (though I admit to adding a few new-to-us ones to our library this week), and I heartily concur with Chris' notes.

Many, many thanks to Chris:-)

The feast of St. Francis of Assisi, October 4th, will be here soon. We happen to own and have used about a week's worth of resources, but we have also borrowed some gems from the library in the past. So, I decided to check them out again, and in the process went down a rabbit trail of obtaining and reading a whole bunch of others. Many non-Catholics and other people of good will seem to relate to this holy and creation-loving saint. I am only listing the ones that seem to me to be worth your time; I returned some that just didn't seem serious enough, while retaining a selection that will work across an age span of children.

Each category is arranged from simplest to more complex. 

I strongly recommend reading any authors' notes first to see where they are coming from before sharing these with your family.

* means it is in Chris' personal library

Emphasis on Life of St. Francis:

++ The Good Man of Assisi by Mary Joslin, illustrations by Alison Wisenfeld* (a good place to start)

++  Brother Francis and the Friendly Beasts by Margaret Hodges, pictures by Ted Lewin* (two important people in children's lit)

++  Saint Francis by Brian Wildsmith* (stunning art style)

++  Song of St. Francis by Clyde Robert Bulla, illustrated by Valenti Angelo (retro with very few pictures, more of an early reader)

++  Francis, The Poor Man of Assisi by Tomie dePaola (well-researched, of course)

++  Saint Francis of Assisi by Joyce Denham, illustrated by Elena Temporin (whimsical style, includes a good sampling of episodes)

++  Brother Sun, Sister Moon, The Life and Stories of St. Francis by Margaret Mayoh, illustrated by Peter Malone (lovely biography plus legendary tales)

++  Saint Francis of Assisi, A Life of Joy by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK's adult son), illustrated by Dennis Nolan (contemporary art style)

++  St. Francis by Pelagie Doane* (1960 vintage Catholic, will be harder to locate)

++ Saint Francis Sings To Brother Sun, A Celebration of His Kinship With Nature selected and retold by Karen Pandell, illustrated by Bijou Le Tord ( a lot of material, quirky artwork)

Emphasis on St. Francis' Relationship With Animals (in which you will find a blend of history and legend):

++  Brother Wolf of Gubbio, A Legend of Saint Francis by Colony Elliott Santangelo (inks and colored pencils on bass wood)

++  Saint Francis and the Wolf by Jane Langton, illustrated by Ilse Plume (simple, sweet)

++  Saint Francis and the Animals by Leo Politi (1959 classic)

++  Francis Woke Up Early by Josephine Nobisso, illuminations by Maureen Hyde (fairy tale qualities, but by a beloved Catholic author, numerous awards)

Emphasis on the First Live Nativity Scene (great for Advent)

++  Saint Francis Celebrates Christmas retold by Mary Caswell Walsh, illustrated by Helen Caswell (brief)

++  A Gift From St. Francis, The First Creche by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Michele Lemieux* (our family's favorite in this category, we say, "pazzo, pazzo" when someone is doing something crazy)

++  The Living Nativity, The Story of Saint Francis and the Christmas Manger by David and Helen Haidle (more fictional, includes lesson-extending ideas in the back)

Three Inspired by St. Francis' "Canticle of the Sun":

(your youngest will love these, all are GORGEOUS, would make great gift books)

++ The Circle of Days by Reeve Lindbergh, illustrated by Cathie Felsted* (collage)

++  Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Saint Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures reimagined by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton (amazing scissor cuttings)

++ Be Blest, A Celebration of Seasons by Mary Beth Owens* (12 months, 12 wreaths, 12 poems)

Two That Include His Friend, St. Clare of Assisi:

++ . Clare and Francis by Guido Visconti, illustrated by Bimba Landmann

++  Francis and Clare, Saints of Assisi by Helen Walker Homan, illustrations by John Lawn (190 page Vision chapter book for a read aloud, or for older readers)