Happy St. Nicholas Day!
Outside my window...
Cold. But no snow. A few days ago it was 60 and the boys were playing outside without jackets. I will gladly take either and am grateful when the snow holds out this long.
Thankful for...
Lots. Advent plans coming together. Little boys who are genuinely into it all. The St. Andrew Christmas Novena. Our Jesse Tree ornaments! They came and I love them and all the people who worked so hard to create them! Internet friends. Bacon.
Thinking about...
I know I have a, shall we say, intense personality. I'm sorry if that comes across a little too much sometimes. I've always been that way. But I promise it (almost) always comes from a good place. Usually.
I know I have a, shall we say, intense personality. I'm sorry if that comes across a little too much sometimes. I've always been that way. But I promise it (almost) always comes from a good place. Usually.
Learning...
Simple. On a fun unschooly note, last year I put a CD player from Goodwill into the playroom. Lately the boys have been putting their IEW poetry CDs and their tales of King Arthur CD in and happily listening to them over and over while playing with Legos. And they are learning them by heart. I think I'm going to run with this...
From the kitchen...
Last night I made this coffee cake crozier for St. Nicholas Day. I wasn't impressed with the recipe and there were mistakes in it...I don't really recommend it. I ended up filling it with a brown sugar/cinnamon filling and drizzled a cream cheese frosting over it instead to counteract the lackluster dough. It sure enough did.
I know. I cannot for the life of me take a good food picture. Why is that?
The word for the rest of the Advent menu is simple. Soup, stew, and crockpots.
Creating...
Our Advent works of mercy plan.
And a next week birthday for the Luke-head!
Going...
To have a crazy weekend. Saturday is a holy day of obligation and we have about four other obligations all of which seem to fall right around the same time. Which means prioritizing and taking it one at a time, I suppose, and hoping that nothing too important falls through the cracks.
Hoping...
To be better at getting the posts I have in my head through the keyboard and onto the screen.
To be better at getting the posts I have in my head through the keyboard and onto the screen.
And that the Advent at Ephesus CD I ordered gets here soon!
Reading...
The Hobbit
Advent and Christmas with Fulton J. Sheen
Advent and Christmas with the Saints
And I'm going to be bringing out our basket of Advent and Christmas books later today, I think. I've never gotten around to wrapping a book for each day of Advent but maybe someday I will. I'm not even sure we have that many right now but we're getting there. Oh, and this book today:
(Lest you think I am that super organized, I totally forgot I had this book until just this moment...score.)
Praying...
For the young man Chris I mentioned last month. He passed away last week and leaves behind a young wife. Please pray for the repose of his soul and the comfort of his family.
For an internet friend.
For the men in the prison near us who are opening their hearts to Jesus on their Kairos weekend.
Hearing...
The boys playing with Brian and a few men who stayed with us last night. Wait, that sounds weird, right? Brian has been helping run a series of monthly men's nights. The speaker this month came in from out of town and brought two friends. They stayed at our house and shared our St. Nicholas feast this morning. And they are really really good guys. There are awesome good holy young men in the world. Really, there are.
Around the house...
The Advent signs abound...
And Advent cleaning. Rather than spring and fall cleaning I try to do Lent and Advent cleaning. It kind of fits with the whole penitential thing, at least for me. Trying to deep clean one room each day. I decided the other day that I'd like to spend the first two weeks of Advent clearing and cleaning and then once Gaudete Sunday hits, the Christmas decorations and tasks begin. That's just begging for a spiritual analogy, right?
A few of my favorite things...
Reading with John Paul at night, reading with Michael and David before their naps, watching Luke who has now acquired the ability to quasi-throw a ball (hysterical).
A few plans for the rest of the week...
Working on our Advent mercy list...we'll be making hats and scarves and buying gloves for the people at the homeless shelter where Brian volunteers once a month. Brian said that is the thing they ask for most when they are there. And a whole lot more nuttiness going on.
This is Luke's new camera face. Isn't that the best?
Wait. I'm ALLOWED to rip this paper??
Camera face.
Just want to smoosh him all the time.
So when exactly Do you guys start decorating for Christmas. On the 3 Sunday of Advent or Chrstmas Eve? Or alittle of both? I just never know when is best!
ReplyDeleteWe put up the tree and bring out the decorations on Gaudete Sunday (the 3rd Sunday)...though each year it's taking a few more days to get everything up! We wait on treats and songs until after the vigil Mass on Christmas Eve. I know families who wait until Christmas Eve to decorate but I know myself well enough to know that would stress me out and I want the house to feel ready for Him. I also know great families who put their trees and decorations up much earlier. There's no "right" way to do it but I feel like our way makes the most sense for us.
DeleteOh! I haven't seen that Saint Nicholas book before! I am trying to get together a good collection of them.
ReplyDelete