In the Heart of my Home

On Our Knees Tonight

This seems like a good plan for the last night of the year:

"When night comes, and retrospect shows that everything was patchwork and much that one had planned left undone, when so many things rouse shame and regret, then take all as is, lay it in God's hands, and offer it up to Him. In this way we will be able to rest in Him, actually to rest and to begin the new day like a new life."

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Christmas Week Daybook

Outside My Window::

::The sun is rising in a glorious banner of deep pink. It's very cold and we're expecting some of that dreaded wintry mix in the not-too-distant future.

I am Listening to::

::I can't be certain but I think I might be listening to the scamper of mice in the attic.

I am wearing ::

::Under Armor sweatpants and a UVa. hoodie. Both are Patrick's. I think I need to go shopping:-)

I am Thankful For::

::a MacBook. MY MacBook. Mike surprised me with a MacBook for Christmas. I've never, ever had a computer to call my own. I'm still stunned by magnitude of possibilities in this machine. And the sweetness of the gesture.

::a far away mentor who has long advised that I should take a laptop and get out of the house to write now and then, more for my mental health than for my professional growth. She could not possibly have known about the MacBook, but she sent me a cafe gift card that will accompany the new laptop and me to the first of what I hope to be regular hours of refreshment for mom. Serendipity, no?

I am Pondering:

::"Insmuch as I advance, upheld by God, in the way that He has traced for me, that which stands for me for 'duty' becomes more and more clear to me. The great thing is not to lose oneself in unrealizable plans and projects, not to live in tomorrow, but patiently turn thought into action, goodwill into determination. "

- Elisabeth Leseur, (H/T Kim, via Cay's Google Shared Items)

I am Reading:

::In Conversation with God: Advent and Christmas

From the Kitchen::

::Lots of green tea with mint these days--seems like the perfect tonic for overindulging. I do promise to update the kitchen blog with notes from our holiday feasting--mostly so I wont' forget what worked and what didn't next year.

I am Thinking:

::about all those things Mary pondered in her heart and how sometimes it's better to just ponder things in my heart than to give them voice.

I am Creating::

::order. Yes! I'm creating lots and lots of empty spaces, at least temporarily, as I prep to have hardwood floors installed throughout the house. It's like moving--everything is being moved to the basement. Moving is very good for thoroughly purging and cleaning. We were long overdue for that.

On my iPod::

::John Mayer. I'm under Michael's musical influence these days.

Towards a Real Education::

::All the plans are polished for next week and the schedule has been tweaked. January is always a nose-to-the-grindstone kind of month. I'm actually looking forward to the discipline and structure.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty:

::I'm clinging to the rhythm and beauty of the Church in these waning days of Christmas. I am loathe to let go of the ringing memory of Joy to the World! as we left the basilica Christmas Eve. And I'm more determined than ever that my home will reflect both the rhythm and the beauty of my faith.

To Live the Liturgy:

::We will celebrate Mary as the Mother of God on Friday. This title is my favorite of all titles for Our Lady. I plan to kiss a whole lot of baby cheeks in her honor.

I am Hoping and Praying:

:: for health and fitness, strength and grace to do His will.

In the Garden:

::Snow still blankets the garden, though it's bare and melting in spots. It was a very white Christmas.

Around the House:

::Yesterday, I boxed 60 cubic feet of books to store until the floors are finished. Then, they will be carefully shelved once again, with an eye towards extreme order. And, I boxed another 15 cubic feet of books for Michael to sell. He's got a little fundraiser going to earn money for a trip to Rome. Finally, I gave about 10 cubic feet of books away. All in all, a very good day's work.

On Keeping Home:

::I'm on a purging and cleaning roll like never before. I can't overstate how necessary this time of rethinking spaces and recommitting to order is for all of us. If I live through it, the result will be great.

One of My Favorite Things:

::Reunions! Gracie is here with us this week. Joy abounds!

Sarah Annie this week:

::Still not walking. She's signing a whole lot all of a sudden, though. Mike's been gone since Christmas Day and she is really missing him, particularly first thing in the morning. Those morning snuggles had become a happy routine for her. I'm thinking she's going to hate the basketball--Super Bowl schedule of January.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:

::Let's see, it's Wednesday already and I'm just now getting around to thinking things out in my Daybook.

::Mike, Michael, and Patrick will return home today. They will be tired after having driven all night. Patrick will want his sweatpants back. Christian will be very, very happy that he is longer the only one capable of carrying boxes down two flights of stairs:-)

::I'm thinking Family Fondue Night for New Year's Eve.

::My dad and stepmother will spend New Year's Day with us.

::Date night with Mike on Saturday, compliments of Michael. We're going to the Cheesecake Factory.

A Picture Thought  I'm Sharing:

 There are no pictures on this computer at all. Pictures forthcoming when technology allows.

Through her Eyes: Christmas Gift

The days from the Solstice to Christmas Eve were among the darkest and coldest of my life. Tears were shed, apologies said. Hard won peace felt fragile. I stumbled into Christmas Eve morning in a typical melancholy fashion. I set about making the customary magic happen, all while feeling like an utter failure at just about everything that mattered. It was not a pretty place to be.

Our plan was to accompany Mike to Midnight Mass at the Basilica. Karoline had chattered all day about the "big church."  Earlier this season, we had received a letter from our pastor encouraging us, among other things, to attend Mass at noon on Christmas Day in order to make Christ the center of the Christmas celebration. We've opted for Midnight Mass for several years now and one of the great blessings of that is that it brings the reason for the feast into sharp focus. We are Midnight Mass people. Karoline and Katie talked all day about going to the "big church."

I was exhausted. Sarah Annie has some wicked virus that sounds suspiciously like bronchitis. We're sharing it. My throat is sore. I've slept and eaten very little since that dark settled at the week's beginning. We hosted brunch for 18 people Thursday morning. I caught a quick nap putting Sarah to sleep. At dinner, just an hour before the pilgrimage was to begin, Mike said again that he could just take a few children with him (they'd be just fine while he worked) and I could stay home with the little ones.  Michael, looking green around the gills, contemplated staying home as well. Maybe this just wasn't the year to do this big midnight thing.

I waffled. Katie cried. She wanted to go and she wanted me with her. Karoline announced she was going. We went. It is an hour's drive to the church. Mike needed to be there 2 1/2 hours early. Mass was two hours. Then it's an hour home in the wee hours of Christmas morning. This trek is a huge commitment. On the way there, I discussed strategy with Christian. We decided that I'd take the little girls and visit all the small chapels before Mass began, then I'd duck out with Sarah Anne and not even attempt to sit through Mass. He'd keep Karoline under his watchful care. Michael would take care of Katie. Paddy would be in charge of the little boys. I would spend Mass sitting quietly with my baby in the lower church. They would be together upstairs in the pew.

From the minute we arrived, Karoline was stuck to me like tenacious tinsel on tree. We went to the large nativity, where just an hour earlier, her Daddy had climbed inside and tenderly moved Joseph (to get  a better shot--but still it touched me somehow that he was worried about Joseph). Been a rough week--doesn't take much to make me cry. At the sight of baby Jesus, Karoline's eyes grew wide. She dropped to her knees.

"Hi, Baby Jesus! It's me. Thank you for all the children in our family. Thank you for making Sarah Annie my little sister. I love you!"

And she was up, leaving the strangers who witnessed the moment with me to wipe their eyes.

It's Christmas.

I decided to try to stay in the upper church for Mass. Karoline wanted to be with me and I wanted her to see the beauty that is Christmas Eve with the Papal Nuncio. She was awed and both little ones were hushed for the candlelit procession. She knew the hymns and sang along. Paddy made sure she didn't catch her hair on fire with the candles. It was a bit stressful. Then the lights came up. And she and Sarah Annie chattered away while they took all the donation envelopes for the rack on the pew and "organized" them. We made it to the Kyrie. And then we walked that very long aisle from our reserved seats in front  to the back of the church. Karoline wasn't leaving me for anything. Now I had them both.

We made our way to the crypt church. I knew I'd hear the music and know when to go back upstairs for communion. Slowly, I walked Karoline around the church, stopping at each mosaic to tell her about the saint depicted there. She spent a long time at the nativity, patting the nearby sheep and begging to touch baby Jesus. We saw St. Elizabeth. And St. Anne holding the Blessed Mother with a book to read. We stopped to say a prayer with St. Joseph. Then, we were at the center of the back of the church. "Jesus is here too, Karoline," I whispered, "really here in the Tabernacle."

"In the gold box?" she asked.

I nodded.

She dropped to her knees. I stood in awed amazement.

Thank you Jesus, for Sarah Annie. And especially thank you for giving me to my mommy. I love you, Jesus! Bye bye.

She was off to look at the next mosaic. I was rooted to the spot right there in front of that Tabernacle where the Baby and the King had just touched the tenderest part of my heart and healed the wounds He knew were there.

Yes, thank you Jesus. I love you, too

It's Almost Time

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final Days of Advent: All the Candles are Lit

Real Women...

...buy the men in their lives Dockers for Christmas. Don't you think?

Happy Birthday Nicholas!

Sweet Nicholas,

You've heard the story so many times, the tale of God's gracious blessing the night you were born. You know all about the date and the time . Ever since you were very little, you've been a bit obsessed about dates and times. I wonder if you didn't orchestrate the whole thing yourself;-) You were up early this morning, just like every morning of your life. I tried to beat you out of bed and downstairs to prepare your traditional hot chocolate in bed. You granted me a little grace when you saw me on the stairs.

"I'll just go to the bathroom and go back to bed," you offered.

I'm pretty sure this was a huge sacrifice on your behalf because the computer was screaming your name, all fat and happy with Fantasy Football stats as it is on Monday mornings. I merrily made hot chocolate and went to "pretend" to wake you up.

You had made a discovery in the bathroom mirror.

You were mad. Really mad. Across your forehead, in big green letters, I read "Kiss Me" and on your cheeks, "I'm 9."

It was really, really hard not to laugh.

Oh, dear boy! This IS your life.

You are the youngest of five brothers. 

Just remember, one day, you're going to be bigger and stronger than all of them.

(Pssst, after analyzing handwriting, I'm pretty sure it was Paddy. And I've got an idea;-)

I love you so much!

Mama

Nick (on the left) with "big" brother and best friend, Stephen, in Seattle last month.

As It Should Be

Do you ever wish the world would stop spinning just for a couple of days so you could catch up? Do you wish the calendar would magically clear of every outside obligation and the world would be enveloped in a quiet hush? Do you wish you could just find some time and space to be still and know God? And then to revel in all things hearth and home?

I live in the suburbs of the most intense city on earth. And that intensity spills out into every facet of life. We have intense athletic programs, intense academic programs, even intense grocery stores. This place I call home is peopled by Type-A-to the-Extremists and they are raising more Type-A-to-the-Extremists. Sometimes the pace is so dizzying I can't breathe.

And then God intervenes.

"Enough!" He cries. Enough talk, enough manipulation, enough with your misguided notion of power over life and death and health and welfare.

Be still.

 He breathes a blessing of pure white. 

We are quieted.

We are awed.

We are humbled.

We are called to prayer.

O Root of Jesse,
you who are standing as a banner for the peoples,
you before whom kings clap shut their mouths,
you whom the nations entreat:
Come to free us -- now, do not delay.

Office Christmas Party

I was going to write about it. Actually, at one point last night I looked up and saw five different people texting and I thought that I wished I had some way to Twitter the party, because I do think it was a rather entertaining experience. Alas, I don't. And I was gone all day yesterday and this is quite the "day after" in my home. So, I'll spare you my impressions and let the pros entertain you. This version is pretty funny. And, by the way,  the fastest bowler ever is pretty darn sore today. Once upon a time, I fell in love with the pitcher on the varsity baseball team. Thirty years later, I'm still swooning over his strength and speed;-).We're going to be snowed in all day tomorrow and I will have the privilege of testing our homemade sore muscle rub on a nationally recognized fast bowler. Office party perks, no?

The Rest of the Story

You've read about the Friday that shone with God's grace. Now, let me tell you about the Saturday that followed it. I woke up Saturday morning, gazed at the tree (sans contacts or glasses) and thought it didn't look quite as pretty as in years past. Then, I spoke aloud to myself: Stop it! Stop being such a ridiculous, persnickety perfectionist. You are going to scar these children for life if you say one bad thing about this tree that they've so lovingly erected and decorated. Just stop it!

And then, it unfolds predictably;-)

I make myself a cup of tea and stop at the computer to check the day's busy schedule. Glancing at the clock, I thank God for an extra half hour and write a column that was due two days previously. I send it off, get breakfast for the masses, and then launch headlong into basketball and futsal and a bit of shopping.  I arrive home about 2:30, just a half hour before everyone from Karoline to Mary Beth are set to go to a birthday party at my friend Susanna's. Mike and Patrick are in NC at a soccer tournament. Michael is back at school and Christian is coaching Stephen's basketball game. Sarah Annie hasn't napped yet and I am looking very forward to putting her down and enjoying the rare luxury of several hours alone in my house to clean. Mothers of many children will assure you that hours alone in one's house to put it all in order is a luxury indeed.

I stop to look at the tree. I look a little more closely. I stick my head inside and look at the branches. They are numbered. "Ten" is on the bottom and the top branch cluster is "1."  I look a little more closely. "Nine" and "6" look much the same. Except for the direction in which they are pointing. I compare the "9" with the ten below it and "6" with the "7". Wrong direction. The "9s" are where the "6s" belong and vice versa. When the "9" row went in (with "6s" instead), we were two branches short. No problem. Just turn that hole to the corner and no one will be the wiser. Carry on. 

I try to just do a quick switch. But wait, there's more! It's a pre-lit tree. Every branch in a row is wired to the one beside it. (Yes, you read that right). There are no quick switches to be had. I call Michael for clarification. Explanation. He's clear as mud.

I stick my head in there again.

When the "6" row went in with (the "9s" instead) there were too many branches. No problem. Just add those 9s-into-6s to  the "5" row and keep moving up. Put the "extra "5s" in "4" row and the "4s" in the "3" row and so on. When you get to the top, then what? Mary Beth is watching me make this discovery. "Oh, yeah," she shrugs, "I remember him saying something about leftovers." Sure enough, the "leftovers" are just resting on top of other branches, without a hole to call their own.

Leftovers! It's an artificial Christmas tree. Who has leftovers?!

Mary Beth gathers everyone to walk to the birthday party. Silence settles in my house. I put the baby to sleep, thinking all the while about whether or not it is over-the-top perfectionistic to fix this tree. It is not. It must be fixed. This tree would bug Mike. I know that Karoline will be devastated to see the tree come apart. I know that I will have no patience for this task if Sarah Annie is awake. I know that my house is empty except for a sleeping baby. I know what I must do.

I get a ladder from the garage. I take every last ornament off the tree. Then, I remove the lights. Yes, I did say it was a pre-lit tree, but last year, half those lights didn't light. This year, I thought I was oh-so-clever and I asked Michael to stop and buy brand new lights before coming to put up the tree. So it would a minimal fuss kind of thing. You know? No messing with lights to figure out what went wrong...

I'm 5'2" The tree is nine feet tall. Removing lights is accomplished by climbing up and down and then moving the ladder. Up and down and then moving the ladder. Over and over. Then, I switch the branches. Then, I string the lights again. Up and down and then moving the ladder. Over and over. My respect for my husband is growing exponentially. Those lights have to make it all the way around the tree just so. You can't have two feet bare at the bottom. You don't want them too spaced out at the top. Up and down and up and down. Done!

Stephen goes to the party after his game, comes home, asks for extra time for all. Yes! I mentally make a note to bake Susanna extra cookies next week. Can she see me in my sunroom from her back window? Am I the laughingstock of the neighborhood? For once, I truly could not care less.

Christian arrives home. He sits in wise silence for some time, watching me. I think he might just be smirking. He says something about how Dad always...

I shoot him a withering look.

He begins to hand me fragile ornaments for the top. I enjoy putting them exactly where I want them. I wonder about a new tradition. One where the children disappear for a few hours and the tree magically appears in their home. I wonder...

Sarah Annie awakens.  Christian retrieves her from my bed. One by one, he helps her carry every single ornament to me. And every single time she says, "Ohhhhh," pursing her lips just so. And every single time I say, "Thank you!" and am rewarded with dimples. The three of us settle into an unexpectedly happy routine. Christian is shy and very quiet. He does not relish the noise of our household. I think how much more pleasant this impromptu tree-trimming party is for him. Come to think of it, it is rather more pleasant for me, too.

When the tree is fully decorated, I step back to look at our work. It's just beautiful. It really, really is. (But my house is still trashed--a story for another day perhaps). Christian and I treat ourselves and Sarah Annie to Indian carryout in the glow of the twinkling lights.

I briefly consider re-writing the column. Are you kidding me?? I just had to re-decorate my tree; I'm so not re-writing the column, too. (So I update here--because we're all about truth in blogging.) God gives us grace for the day. Each tree-trimming day had a grace of its own. The truth is, when I look back on this day, my memory will surely be a funny one. And a sweet one. Twinkling time with my two shyest, quietest children.  I find myself thanking God (and Michael) for a most unexpected blessing.

Time to Stop and Pray

I trip over the dog as I get out of bed and I land on a Lego. To my credit, I utter not a sound, lest I wake the baby. I shiver in the cold and make my way to the kitchen. Flipping on the light, I survey the remains of some teenaged boy's midnight foraging. A long sigh escapes my lips. Just days until Christmas and so very much to do. I drop two milk chocolate kisses and one candy cane kiss into the bottom of my coffee cup. That will do it, I am sure. Strength for the day. Except that I forget to put the coffee in the pot, and now hot water is melting the candy at the bottom of my cup. Back up. Start over. With coffee this time.Read the rest here, please,  and then come back tomorrow for pictures and -- ahem -- the rest of the story;-).

Gaudete Daybook

Disclaimer: There are about four blog posts in this Daybook. I haven't had time to blog them all and I won't have time to blog them all. So, I'm gathering my thoughts here as briefly as possible (for me), so that I can put them "on paper" and out of my head. Thanks for indulging my wordiness:-)

Outside My Window::

::The wind is howling. It's still very dark, but I know the temperature has dropped significantly and it's going to be a blustery day.

I am Listening to::

::The wind howl, the refrigerator hum. The almost silence of very early morning.

I am wearing ::

::boot cut jeans, a long sleeved white t-shirt with a green V-neck cardigan over it. No earrings. A long time ago, an attempt was made to create a right ear where I have none. That skin is different from other ear skin and if I don't keep earrings in, the hole closes easily. Then, in order to wear earrings again, I have to re-pierce my ear. And so, I will, no doubt. Just as soon as I discover what my teenaged boys have done with my starter earrings.

I am Thankful For::

::a local pediatrician, dentist and pharmacist. When we first moved to this town over thirteen years ago, we had none of those. In the last two days, I've used all of them and I've been extremely grateful they were five minutes away.

I am Pondering:

::When a reporter asked co-founder Phil Knight if NIKE will suspend their endorsement contracts with Tiger Woods, he gave the following response.

“I think he’s been really great…When his career is over, you’ll look back on these indiscretions as a minor blip, but the media is making a big deal out of it right now.”

I wasn't going to write anything about Tiger. I voiced my opinion of Tiger in this household and ended up having a rare argument with my husband. For the record, he thought I was way too liberal. And, for the record, this was early on. And, he totally misunderstood. She articulated much, much better and perusing the comments, one can see that my husband understood her much better than he understood me. I'm sure I could analyze that for awhile, but I won't.

Anyhow, I am going to write just a little about Phil Knight and NIKE. Because despite my previous misunderstanding with my dear husband, I know the sports media pretty, um-- intimately. They don't going looking for smut to report. They don't enjoy spending ten hours a day in a newsroom inundated with a growing list of Tiger Woods trysts and text messages. They don't like feeling like they need a shower (or confession) after doing their jobs. But what they really, really don't like is being schnookered. They don't like being taken for fools. They don't like liars and false personas and truly, they have zero tolerance for men who cheat. Sportswriters hate cheaters. At least that's the position of the sports media types who live in this house and the ones who frequently visit here. This is not the story they wanted to report when they went into sports television. This is not the angle of the game they wanted to celebrate in print and video. At the end of the day though, the media I know think that this "indiscretion" is a bit more than a minor blip. They are all about outing the liar and the cheat. As parents and as sports reporters, they're unlikely to hold Tiger up as a role model for our children. And they're willing to bet Tiger's wife isn't promoting him as one for hers either.

I am Reading:

::In Conversation with God: Advent and Christmas

::this sweet book. Lissa gave a golden-hued review here. All I can add is that Karoline has the same pajamas with the same hole in the toe and when we read her this book she IS the little girl in the story. Pretty strong recommendation for a living book. If you click "Preview," you can read the whole thing before you buy the book. Click on the upper righthand corner of the "pages" and they will turn.

From the Kitchen::

::No. more. sugar. Blech. Michael will be home tomorrow night to whip us all into nutritional shape. We need it. Today, I clean out the kitchen and re-stock it so we can all pretend we've been as nutritionally pure as he is all along;-)

I am Thinking:

::that it is a relief somehow to know that someone else stresses about office parties the way I do. Truth be told, for an office party, the one I have to attend is pretty cool. No cocktail dresses--just bowling clothes. Nothing like a friendly bowling game with a bunch of uber-athletes and the people who write about them:-) The whole night always feels like a witty narrative.  I love witty narrative. So why do I always stress about these things?

I am Creating::

::order. Please God. I know it's a sin of sensuality to say something like "I can't live another day in this chaos," but if it weren't a sin, I'd say it. So, please God, help me create order out of chaos.

On my iPod::

::L'Angelus O Night Divine. I will never tire of these songs. Never.;-)

Towards a Real Education::

::Today will be devoted to Victorian crafts. Mary Beth's friend Bailey is taking the day off from school. She will play Diana to Mary Beth's Anne-with-an-e. Should be utterly lovely and we can all use a dose of lovely.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty:

::The last month has taught me a valuable lesson in rhythm and beauty. We need both. I need both. The rhythm of the Church is the underpinning of our daily life. The particular traditions our family has tied to the seasons and to each day anchor us. When I scrap those, we do fall apart. That's the rhythm part of the lesson. The beauty part is that it really does matter what it looks like in my domestic church. Whether that is entirely good or not, it's a fact. I struggle--and fail--in an untidy mess. I flourish--we all flourish-- in a place of peaceful beauty.

To Live the Liturgy:

::we met Gaudete Sunday with news of great joy. A long-begged-for answer to prayer echoed loudly in our town. God's timing is amazing and we are looking forward to the great blessing this will bring to our family in the new year. And no, I'm not pregnant.

I am Hoping and Praying:

:: for health and fitness, strength and grace to do His will.

In the Garden:

::it is winter at last. The roses have drooped and fallen. The pansies are sleeping beneath the frost.

Around the House:

::sometime last week, I recognized the utter stupidity of trying to pack up two floors of my home in order to rip up all the carpet and vinyl and install hardwood floors while trying to meet a book deadline, ready a family of eleven for Christmas and facilitate the play in two soccer tournaments in distant states--one before Christmas and one right after.  I announced very calmly one evening that the floors will go in the week before the Super Bowl. [There was an audible sigh of relief. I think it came from the man who will spend that week in Miami;-) Someone's got to pay for the floors.] We'll have spotted, dirty carpets for Christmas. I'll light a candle or two. It won't smell bad and I'm pretty sure Jesus won't care.

On Keeping Home:

::Now, that I've stopped packing, I need to go back and make it look like Christmas around here. I also need to plan for our Cousins' Christmas celebration, a birthday party, Christmas, and a gathering for New Year's. I'm trying to clear my head and shift gears because I remember really loving this planning and partying.

One of My Favorite Things:

::The Basilica. I literally feel like I can inhale God in this place. One of the beautiful things about Catholicism is worshiping with all our senses. We see and hear and smell and touch and even taste God. No where does that come alive to me more than in the Basilica.

Sarah Annie this week:

::when last I reported, she had three new teeth. She took a tumble on Sunday night and now, she might not have all three of them. She tore her frenulum and her gum is really bruised. The dentist isn't sure yet about the fate of the tooth. Poor baby. Poor brother who watched her fall!

::Every night, when Sarah Anne has her bath, we float  a bottle of this magic in the warm water. After the bath is over, we lay her on a towel and sing a family favorite, composed when Christian was a baby: we rub, rub, rub, you 'cause we love, love, love you and so on. She gets quite a massage before pjs. This week, she has taken to singing with us and then signing "more" when we put the bottle away. If Mike misses bathtime, she sings it for him when she sees him and is rather insistent that he hit this particular element of the evening routine.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:

::Let's see, it's Wednesday already and I'm just now getting around to thinking things out in my Daybook. Monday morning, we paid an urgent visit to the dentist. Tuesday morning, Paddy passed out getting out of bed and we spent most of the day at the doctor. It's Wednesday morning. I'm hoping to get my haircut today. I've canceled that appointment twice already, so I'm not guaranteeing it.

::Victorian crafting today.

::tomorrow, Sarah Annie and I are going to spend the day at the Basilica, retreating into Advent, embracing the opportunities for confession and Mass, visiting each and every little chapel to pray for friends and family and all of you, and then hunkering down in the bookshop for a little--ahem--research. Then, we'll meet Mike and go to that office party. Michael will arrive home just in time to babysit:-).

::soccer and basketball into the weekend

A Picture Thought  I'm Sharing:

Sometimes the outtakes tell the story even better.

Christmas Trees and Glad Tidings

 

Mike left to take Patrick to North Carolina for a soccer tournament at 4:30 Friday morning and I promptly had a nervous breakdown went back to sleep. When I awoke, I surveyed my house, consulted the calendar, did the math, and figured there is no way we're getting floors before Christmas. A bit desperate and rather impatient, I called my Christmas Design Consultant and begged him for help.

 He was easily bribed with Peppermint Crackle cookies and rushed right over to help us make merry. The tree went up at last, much to the delight of my little girls (and me).

 

And we decorated to our hearts' content.

 Well satisfied with his handiwork, Michael settled in to watch the NCAA soccer semifinals. I made dinner--and worked on the last two chapters of the books I'm writing with Danielle Bean.

 

That's right. I wrote while cooking dinner. Only one of us can actually keyboard at a time. So, Danielle typed and I mashed potatoes. I think this is very appropriate for books written by moms, for moms. And just as dinner was put on the table, we were finished.

 

And delighted.

A very good day after all.

Prepare Ye!

strength and grace for the day

master baker

sweet deliciousness 

baby learning 

faith and hope

 

familiar books

 

timeless tales

 

boundless creativity

 

natural goodness

illumination

watching and waiting

Giving new meaning to Advent

in a very big way.

Go tell her you're praying (and crying).

Sweet Boy

A short time after an inquisition about why all the tops of the peppermint candies were smushed...

Child whose heart genuinely is as big as his patron's: Um, I want to be like St. Nicholas but I just don't have it in me, I think.

Me: St. Nicholas didn't do it all under his own strength.

Child, surveying the general chaos of his home: I think we really need to pray more around here.

Ya think?

I'm glad Advent is especially long this year. We are no where near ready to greet the Babe.

Yet.

Alrighty Then: The-Never-Goes-as-Planned Daybook

Outside My Window::

::The sun is just peeking up over the houses east of me. My day began very, very early. Even for me.

I am Listening to::

::sweet silence

I am wearing ::

::a George Mason soccer sweatshirt and some boy-child's sweatpants. Cashmere socks:-) Thanks, Elizabeth, for offering class for even the scruffiest of outfits.

I am Thankful For::

this

It was very kind of you and I"m honored and grateful.

I am Pondering:

::Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness. -- Bl. Teresa of Calcutta

I am Reading:

::In Conversation with God: Advent and Christmas

::Lots of picture books from "the second basket on the left." I've organized my books into baskets for the Advent and Christmas seasons . They are lined up on the window seat in the keeping room and we're enjoying revisiting old favorites as the season begins. No Christmas tree there since we're waiting on that until after the floors are finished, but I'm finding that the books bring the season to life just fine.

From the Kitchen::

::Yesterday, I made seventeen sweet goodie boxes for Mike to distribute at work. Paddy was a huge help in the mixing and making department. Mary Beth created beautiful labels and Christian entertained the baby in the kitchen(by feeding her chocolate!). It was a very enjoyable day.

I am Thinking:

::That when someone tells the world via Facebook that she is "laughing like Sarah laughed today" and her husband posts a stork as his profile picture, that it's not a secret anymore.Colleen and her family have been given the gift of new life.

Give you goosebumps? Me too:-)

I am Creating::

::two books--by the end of the month. And really, they are so very close to finished! I can't wait to share them with you. I am so grateful for the opportunity to collaborate on a book with a friend who understands when we interrupt work to give driving directions to lost children, find socks for husbands rushing out the door, and usher three-year-olds to the potty right away. We've wedged some good conversations between the interruptions that are really the stuff of our lives. It's miraculous that these books are nearly finished.

On my iPod::

::L'Angelus O Night Divine. I will never tire of these songs. Never.;-)

Towards a Real Education::

:: In our family, we have long set aside this season for digging deeply into traditions. We do much, much more crafting than we do at any other time of year. Our academic work is narrowed to math, lots of reading from great picture books and Christmas-themed chapter books, and lots of narrating. We focus on Advent devotions and drink deeply from the well of our Church. It's a busy time and we all learn so much.At some point, Michael returns from college and fits right in--more than any other time of the year, this time is familiar and warm and welcoming for him. After immersion in faith and family, we return to "school as usual" in January more relaxed and more connected to one another and to our Savior because of our Advent traditions. It works for us.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty:

::Now that we've had this experiment in delaying decorating for Christmas, I can confirm what I always thought. It is more fruitful for me to have the reminders of the season up and in place at Advent's beginning. They keep me focused. This time around, I'm distracted by all that is yet to be done and I can forget the season altogether, depending on where I am in my house.

To Live the Liturgy:

::I was very sad and disappointed not to go to the Basilica for the feast of the Immaculate Conception this year. I don't know what else to say. The disappointment quieted me in a most unexpected way.

::we enjoyed a feast day tea yesterday to celebrate Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe. In the midst of our big baking and making day, three extra children joined us for stories and roses and Mexican hot chocolate.

I am Hoping and Praying:

::for "Galadriel."

In the Garden:

::December Roses on the feast of Juan Diego, even with snow!

Around the House:

::I keep telling myself that I am doing major de-cluttering and organizing and that once these floors are finished, our house will be as fresh and new and deepdown clean as when we first moved in. Right now, it's just utter chaos and we have way.too.much.stuff. The wood floors are not yet ordered. And I am strangely fine with that, for the most part. Whenever the utter chaos in my physical surroundings starts to threaten my peace, I find some excuse to go to the grocery store, dial #7 on my cell phone, and get Colleen to talk me down from my frenzy. So far, it's working fine. We'll have new floors when we have them.
I might put the Christmas tree up very soon, though.

On Keeping Home:

::making great progress, I'm sure. Just can't see the forest for the trees this week, I'm afraid.

One of My Favorite Things:

::The amazing advent calendar given to Stephen by his godmother. In a year when we really have very few reminders of the season about the house, this one is truly extraordinary.

Sarah Annie this week:

::Three new teeth! That doubles the number of teeth since last week. I am taking her with me to town for Mike's office party next week. She and her siblings have been sternly warned that she is not to walk until after the party. I don't want to have to chase her;-). Look for walking news on or around the 18th.

No, she isn't crawling, but clearly she's going to skip that step and just move on.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:

I'm planning as I go. It's better that way. Really.

A Picture Thought (or two) I'm Sharing:

Later. maybe?

Crazy Good!

These are outrageously good, exceedingly pretty, and way beyond addictive. Many thanks to Charlotte, who introduced me to peppermint kisses. Heretofore, I couldn't have cared less about kisses. Now, I have bought every bag of these at two local grocery stores and the CVS. They inspire Christmas creativity. Charlotte made pretzel dots. I know Colleen created yumminess of her own with these little gems last night (if she posts, I'll link). And we made chocolate crackle cookies with a kiss in the middle. I think these might just get Michael through exam week:-).

If I owe you an email, please know that I left Gmail open yesterday and Karoline discovered how much fun it is to "click on all those stars, Mommy, and make them *all* YELLOW!" thereby completely obliterating my mail triage system. I'm going to pick my way back through, but if you don't hear from me, feel free to send me another note. On behalf of Karoline, we're "fwowwy."

In My Garden: Snow Day

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