Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

For Your Viewing Pleasure

So my daughter does a lot of coloring and craft projects at school. And here is what I do with them. I actually really enjoy them. Just thought I'd share.

More Advent

I have been meaning to post on this for some time, but. . . my time is not my own - and it seems if I want any to do anything other than is requried, lately I have to steal time from when I should be sleeping!! But I guess that teaches obedience, right?

In any case, the following is from the Office of Readings, Friday of the First Week of Advent. I just LOVE it and have it bookmarked and have read it over and over. I'm only going to type the first few paragraphs but that gives you a taste. I hope it moves you as much as it moves me.

From the Proslogion by Saint Anslem, bishop:

Insignificant man, escape from your everyday business for a short while, hide for a moment from your restless thoughts. Break off from your cares and troubles and be less concerned about your tasks and labors. Make a little time for God and rest a while in him.

Enter into your mind's inner chamber. Shut out everything but God and whatever helps you seek him; and when you have shut the door, look for him. Speak now to God and say with your whole heart: I seek your face; your face, Lord, I desire.

I have been trying to focus on Peace this Advent. But God has been asking me to surrender. I can peacefully surrender on the outside - not yelling at the kids, doing what I should, not throwing a fit or acting out. But on the inside. . . I am anything but peaceful. Sometimes I wonder as I sit peacefully waiting for something, if the person next to me can hear me yelling in my head. God is asking me to surrender. . . on the inside. . . I'll let you know if He wins or not :)

Oh and something a bit less reflective. . . here are a few of my favorite titles in our Advent/Christmas library:

The Story of Christmas

The Crippled Lamb

Room for a Little One

Small Successes

1) Took three kids, aged 3 and under, to the doctor on Tuesday (two to see the doc and one because he goes where I go) and received a compliment for being so patient with my children.

2) Mopped the floors today. (Sounds like nothing, but the floors were getting VERY bad and our regular routine has flown out the window with me and the kids not feeling so well this week.)

3) Took the time to let my kids play outside on the playground today - which included pushing two of them on the swings for at least 10 min (would have been longer but Paul started to fuss and try to eat the rubber pieces - yuck).

Join me in sharing your successes on the Faith and Family Life website.

Preparing for Christ's coming

So, I feel like I have had my arm twisted now and must post about our Advent activities. First, my friend Monica had to make an amazing post with tons of creativity and general amazingness. Then my friend Karen posted about her Christmas preparations and even mentioned me, so now I feel I must comply and let you all know what is happening in our household.

I'll start with a few silly things that mean a lot to me and you might not have stopped to think about before. First, here is our tree, complete with presents. It was actually up before Thanksgiving (which I only recommend if you are not hosting). Yes, I had most of my presents bought long before we should be "thinking" about Christmas - since it just gets earlier and earlier each year. . . but wait, why should we not think about Christmas ALL YEAR?? What could be more important? Well I would venture to say only Easter would be more important (although I'm not sure that is theologically correct, or even that you could really say one is more important than the other - Easter proved Jesus is God, but if Jesus had never been born, Easter would never have happened). In any case, good planning - ahead of time is just that, good (in my humble opinion). Don't think I'm down on Thanksgiving or anything, but I feel there is room for more than just turkey, thankfulness, and remembering the Saints and our deceased loved ones during October and November. But to make my final point, why start early? This way I am able to prayerfully enjoy Advent. Our tree was up and our Advent wreath ready for the first Sunday of Advent. That makes me happy. I like to be prepared. And this is really a theme for Advent in general.

Be watchful and ready for you know not when the Son of Man is coming.

Secondly, as cheesey as it is, I find it important to put up an outdoor nativity scene. With all the pretty lights and such, I think it is important that we get reminding of WHY we do what we do and it all comes down to Jesus coming into the world. I do usually try to make it look nice with lights around it and such, but I have not gotten that far this year because sickness hit our house and we are still recovering. In any case, the main characters are out. Oh and my kids LOVE it. They always "say hello" to Jesus when we leave the house and then when we get back, while they are waiting for me to get the door unlocked, they "visit" with Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In fact, the other night, Rebekah wanted to go out on the porch and "see Jesus" again after dinner.

Now, on to the more traditional Advent activities. . .

Here is our advent wreath. We usually light it during dinner - although I have thought of possibly having it lit for lunch, as well, but I'm afraid my candles won't last if I do that. It is on a platter because it retires to the top of the bookshelf between meals.

Here is a book I just bought and am enjoying immensely. It has prayers in it. Not a lot, but they are simple prayers that the kids seem to understand and there are pictures. We have been saying one of these prayers when we light the advent wreath.

Here is our basic nativity scene. This one is all one piece so it is a little more durable. I often set it on the table or the top of our wood-burning stove - somewhere close, so the kids can enjoy it.

Here is our a-bit-more-fragile nativity scene. Notice the absence of Jesus :)

This is a book, calendar thingy that my Mom got for us this year.

It has 24 little books inside it that you can read and then hang on the tree. It seems promising, but so far I am not overly impressed as the books do not appear to be geared much for children (of course, so far we have only done one - we started it on December 1st as there are 24 so it will end on Christmas eve).

And finally, perhaps the most important advent preparation. . . I am not really adding extra specific prayers for myself. I'm just trying to be faithful to what I feel called to at this time: Morning Prayer & Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours (the office of readings if I can squeeze it in), a weekly adoration holy hour, and a few minutes in my bible every day, along with spiritual reading as I am able. But perhaps even more, in the midst of my every-day chores, I am trying to seek peace in each moment. Every time the baby cries or my kids wipe jelly on my freshly washed jeans or spill their milk (again). . .whatever, I am trying to stop from blowing up and instead seeking peace. I am especially trying to keep the sense of peace as I am out and about in the grocery store or at school. Everyone seems all hyper and excited at this time of year (with good reason, if it is excitement for Jesus coming :) but we need to prepare our hearts and I think mine is best prepared by seeking Jesus in the quiet - even if that quiet is only noticeable deep inside my soul.

Blessings to all this season!!

Whiney Wednesday

1) Can I just say "the baby" and leave it at that? He is such a social nut - he is fine if he is the center of attention, but the second I try to get something done. . . Does he have to wail CONSTANTLY?!?! He is not sleeping so well, he wiggles when you try to hold him. He seems to want to nurse all the time (and especially at times when it is MOST inconvenient - as when I had both sick big brothers at the doc office and she is trying to look them over). Gosh, I love him, I know, but he is adding a new level of difficulty to pretty much everything else that needs to be done.

2) Sleep. . . the thought of a full night of sleep. . . oh my. Lately the baby has been waking up at least 2 or 3 times. Then one or two of the other children (who normally would not wake up) have been waking up, needing assistance or "scared," etc. The worst is that I could just have them get in bed with us (we have a king-size futon on the floor - plenty of room, no need to worry about falls), but you run the risk of having to wash the sheets in the morning (which is a royal pain since our mattress protector is coming apart as it is and the more I wash it, the closer it gets to its final days - and of course there is no money to replace it right now). So I try to get them back to their bed which means waking up pretty fully and often climbing out of warm covers to coax them back where they belong.

3) On top of it all I am sick. Not falling down "I'm gonna die" sick, but just sick enough to be miserable. Just sick enough to forget things like appointments or where Rebekah's library books are, but not sick enough to look sick when people see me out and about. You know what I mean? Let's hope so cause I just lost my voice so I can't tell you.

For info on Whiney Wednesday, click here.