In the Heart of my Home

Daybook for the Beginning of Advent

Outside My Window::

::It was a beautiful, glorious day and everyone spent the day in the afternoon in the sunshine.

I am Listening to::

::Music Blocks. I have a strict "no noisy toy" policy. I've never bought an electronic toy for a little person. (We do have a video game set but that's not what I'm talking about--I'm talking obnoxious baby and toddler toys that talk and bark and blink and make me absolutely nuts). Any electronic toy given as a gift is quickly banished to the basement and then, one day not long after, it mysteriously disappears. My sanity depends on it. Music Blocks are the one exception. They are enduring and at least 6 babies have enjoyed them well into their preschool years and beyond.

I am wearing ::

::A pink ski sweater, jeans, boots, and a pink bandana tied like a headband.

To Be Fit and Happy::

::I'm seriously considering eliminating this prompt because it makes me squirm to look at weeks of resolve and little action.

I am Thankful For::

::a long overdue conversation with a dear soul and a renewed sense of friendship and understanding.

I am Pondering:

::never speak badly of your brother, not even when you have plenty of reasons for doing so. Go first to the tabernacle, and then go to the priest, your father, and also tell him what is bothering you.

And to no one else. - St. Josemaria Escriva

Imagine for a moment a woman's world where everyone took this advice...

I am Reading:

::In Conversation with God: Advent and Christmas

::Lots of picture books from "the first 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::

:: Lots of cooking and crafting this week! Because the floor guys are going to take over our house soon, I'm front-loading the cooking and crafting aspects of advent this year. My hope  is to enjoy creating a little Christmas magic in my kitchen and keeping room while the wood just sits here and takes up space acclimates to my house, before the floors are torn apart and made anew. Then, when the workers are tearing up and nailing down the middle floor and we're banished to the upstairs, we'll shift our focus to paper and pencils... I am well aware that I could save all of it for after Christmas day, while it is still the Christmas season, but most of our candy making and crafting is for gift-giving. And giving gifts to teachers and coaches and co-workers and neighbors after the first of the year seems like an afterthought to them (because, most of them aren't operating on a liturgical calendar). Since the gift is for them, I'd prefer to do it on their calendar. We'll scurry early.

I am Thinking:

::that I'm glad to be finished with my Christmas shopping:-)! I've also got our photo taken and cards ordered. Gift wrap awaits the boxes to be delivered. I know that the construction zone to come will present its own challenges; I'd like to minimize the ones that are within my control.

I am Creating::

::homemade healing salve and some chest rub; homemade hand sanitizer; beeswax candles; snowflake ornaments; hot cocoa mix and peppermint marshmallows; fudge; Victorian ornaments and cards; angel ornaments; gingerbread houses...

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:

::As the season begins, I am well aware that it's going to be busy and a bit disjointed. I know that things will come my way that look nothing like a Dayspring card. In order to keep my rhythm and see the beauty, I will need to live prayerfully in the moment. I cannot dwell on time gone by. I cannot worry about what's to come. I can only cherish the now and live it to its fullest. Please God, give me the grace and strength to do just that.

To Live the Liturgy:

::I am so ready to embrace heartily this advent season. Both the St. Andrew Christmas devotion and the Immaculate Conception Novena begin today.

I am Hoping and Praying:

::for a child we all know as Wonderboy. Please God, enlighten the doctors and help them and his parents to solve the riddle and know for sure how to nourish him. Grant his parents renewed  strength and clear wisdom as they work so hard on his behalf.

In the Garden:

::roses still blooming. Every year, we hope for that December rose. Only two days to go!

Around the House:

::the "Prepare" purple letters are on the mantel and the nativity sets are out--both the ones that beg wee hands to play and the ones we've put out of reach. (I've noticed the sidebar searches for mantel letters, Here's a picture for the beginning of Advent . This is Gaudete Sunday. Here's a tutorial. )

::candles are fresh and ready on the table, awaiting each evening's advent prayer.

::I've gotten some Mrs. Meyer's pine scented soap to inspire us as we "Make our house fair as we are able; sweep the hearth and set the table!"

::Jesse Tree ornaments are in a basket at the ready and so is a beautiful advent calendar given to Stephen by his godmother.

On Keeping Home:

::It's amazing how much simpler it gets to keep home in a baby's second year. I hope I never forget how difficult it is when one is pregnant and postpartum. I want to have a heart for helping those moms--just when you so need and want order, it's darn  near impossible to achieve the order you want. Then, the seasons are over and once again, order returns. But not the baby. So, if you're trying to keep house with a wee baby, squeeze that baby just a little tighter, for just a little longer and cut yourself a whole lot of housekeeping slack.

One of My Favorite Things:

::Seeing Sarah Annie asleep in Mike's arms the morning of his birthday. I think there'd be no midlife crises if every man awakened to find himself 45 and the warm center of a baby girl's world.

Sarah Annie this week:

::She's definitely got Mommy-itis. She won't let me make the slightest move away from her unless she's asleep. But as long as she is with me, she is utterly content. She's also very determined to practice walking all. the. time. She can't let go at all (she's all wobbly knees) and she doesn't want to sit in a walker, but she demands that someone help her walk every waking hour. We watch her and we know that she no longer wants to be trapped in that baby body--in her mind, she's ready to run, if only the rest of her would catch up.

And I, I bite my lip and squeeze my eyes and know that my kangaroo days are numbered and the number is very small indeed.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:

::Gingerbread day on Tuesday (In honor of Jan Brett's Birthday).

::Peppermint Day on Wednesday

::Atrium on Thursday

::Beeswax Day on Friday

::Futsal begins on Saturday and so does rec league basketball and there's a basketball tournament for the big boys.

::St. Nicholas party at church after Mass on Sunday, December 6. 

A Picture Thought I'm Sharing:

Walk on, sweet baby. Just don't forget the way back.

We have a good news/bad news floor update.
The bad news: It's going to take the installer 2-21/2 weeks to do the first floor and then he's thinking he'll do the second floor after Christmas. The wood has to sit here about 5 days before they get started.That would be pretty much all of advent and the Christmas season with my house looking and feeling and SOUNDING like a construction zone.

The good news: The installer's name is Jesus. If you're going to spend Advent and Christmas with a stranger in your house, it's good his name is Jesus, huh?
--

By Definition

Eu-cha-rist (ykr-st) The Eucharist is another name for Holy communion. The term comes from the Greek by way of Latin, and it means "thanksgiving." It is used in three ways: first, to refer to the Real Presence of Christ; second, to refer to Christ's continuing action as High Priest (He "gave thanks" at the Last Supper, which began the consecration of the bread and wine); and third, to refer to the Sacrament of Holy Communion itself. [Middle English eukarist, from Old French eucariste, from Late Latin eucharistia, from Greek eukharisti, from eukharistos, grateful, thankful : eu-, eu- + kharizesthai, to show favor (from kharis, grace; see gher-² in Indo-European roots).]

When you fall asleep early wondering whether you are going to make a 6AM run to the airport or a later one (depending on the plane they catch) and the phone rings in the middle of the night and it's an airport official with a very thick accent and in your sleepy haze you have no idea what she's telling you except that she has the names of three of your dearest treasures, your heart skips a beat. Or two. Or three. I think she said there are weather delays in either Portland or Seattle and she needed to help them find another flight. Did I have a number where they could be reached?  I think that means that they are not yet on any airplane. Really the only thing I know for certain is that Mike's cell phone is dead and this is the busiest day of the year for air travel. And that a United official from India is truly sorry that she woke me and the crying baby in my bed. And that it's not so easy to get back to sleep after the airlines calls in the middle of night. Not so easy at all.

Wordless Wednesday

 

 

 

St. Andrew Chaplets

I've gotten a few little notes in the inbox looking for directions to making  St. Andrew chaplets. Oh, we love our purple beads! The St. Andrew Christmas prayer is my favorite Advent devotion. I made the chaplets during bedrest and, like so many things during bedrest, I'm a little sketchy on remembering details. So, I can tell you that the beads are purple jasper (or maybe they are purple crazy lace agate? No, last year's post says jasper). But I can't tell you where I got them. Nor can I tell you where I got the St. Andrew medals. All I know for sure is that it wasn't locally, because...I was on bedrest. I'm sure I ordered them.

The lovely Alice Cantrell has tutorials on how to make chaplets here. Because Alice created them, the tutorials themselves are beautiful:-). Mine are very simple chaplets, easily made in an afternoon. But go order your stuff now! Oh, alright, I love St.Andrew so much, I'll google a little to get you going.

Purple crazy lace agate is here and  jasper is available here. There are St. Andrew medals here. Maybe someone else can find more affordable medals for buying in quantity and leave a link below?

While looking for St Andrew medals this morning, I read this: St. Andrew gifts can be a blessing to women who are hoping to conceive, as Saint Andrew is the patron saint of women desiring to conceive. Who knew? Not me. Though looking back at my experience with this devotion, it doesn't surprise me at all. Good St. Andrew...

Comments are open in case you have questions.

      

Daybook: Thanksgiving Week

Outside my window::

::it's dark and cold after an absolutely beautiful soccer weekend.

 I am listening to::

::quiet. We were all up very late last night when Real Salt Lake played two 15 minute overtime periods and then went to penalty kicks to win the MLS Cup. Mike has the little boys in Seattle with him.They were texting us from down on the field where they witnessed the trophy presentation up close and personal. It still makes me grin wildly to imagine how thrilled Nicky and Stephen must have been.

I am wearing ::

::A bright pink hooded sweatshirt and jeans.  A french braid, earrings, wedding band and no engagement ring. My diamond must have caught something and the setting bent. I need to have it fixed before I wear it again. This has happened several times and I've always been lucky to find the diamond. I think I should probably have the ring completely reset but the sentimental part of me wonders if that isn't a bad thing do do.

To be Fit and Happy::

:: News Flash: Chik-Fil-A has the most outrageously good peppermint milkshakes. These threaten to be my undoing this season as I have a confessed peppermint milkshake addiction. Chik-Fil-A is way too close and that drive-thru option makes these shakes way too accessible...way more accessible than the also awesome Dairy Queen ones....

I am thankful for::

::nebulizers. Ours has served us well for fifteen years. It's going every day at least four times a day for the foreseeable future. As I sit and inhale secondhand steroids, I reflect on how far the treatment of asthma has come in a generation. And I am very, very grateful for nebulizers at home and little plastic respules of pulmicort.

::my 86-year-old father-in-law, who is still my faithful companion every time a soccer ball is kicked or basketball is shot. He's amazing.

 I am pondering ::

::"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~Chesterton

I am reading ::

::nothing right this moment. I took my current book to Adoration, left it in the van, and it got swallowed by whatever van creature swallows things. I'm sure it's here somewhere; I just don't know where.

From the kitchen::

:: Today is a massive clean out of pantry and fridge and then a shopping. I don't cook Thanksgiving dinner, but I do cook all weekend long and I'm looking very forward to it.

I'm thinking:: 

::that it's an extraordinary privilege to watch my oldest child play with my youngest. She thinks he's just grand. He loves to be silly and he's still got a lot of play in him, but he's strong and tender, too. He picks her up and tucks her inside his coat and together they melt my heart. He joined us for soccer yesterday,much to Sarah Annie's delight.

I am creating ::

::as much order as humanly possible before the house is torn apart to install the flooring.

On my iPod::

::David Archuleta's Christmas album. I caved and allowed Mary Beth to download it last night. She heard him sing two songs live at Kaleidoscope on Ice last week and was captivated. The ice show was taped to air on television on Thanksgiving after the football game on FOX. Everyone from Karoline to Mike had nothing but great things to say about the show. Dorothy Hamill is as enchanting as ever  and we got a peek at the USA's new Olympic contender and became fans for life. "Kaleidoscope" (the newest incarnation of "Frosted Pink") is the creation of Mike Burg, CEO of Edge Health, LLC, who developed the program after twice winning the battle against Hodgkin's disease. Go Mike Burg!

Towards a real eduction::

::The lesson plans for December are here and here. We're taking all our old favorite advent books and reorganizing them to focus on Christmas Around the World and dovetail with geography studies. And then, there is our Ann-with-an-E advent and Christmas, too--that one has me giggling a bit with anticipation. 

Towards rhythm and beauty::

::Oh, the rhythm of advent! I love this time of the Church year. This is the rhythm of advent for me. (Lyrics and MIDI file here.)

To Live the Liturgy::

::Mass Thanksgiving morning is a definite plan. Then, Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent. I'll get all the Jesse Tree ornaments out this week and make sure they are all accounted for. I'm printing parts of this resource to use with the Jesse Tree this year.

I am hoping and praying::

::for Michael as he takes several exams this week.

::for a peaceful Thanksgiving week and for safe travels for all.

In the Garden::

::roses still blooming. Every year, we hope for that December rose...

Around the House::

::I am determined to have the whole house clean and shining and smelling of sweet beeswax when Michael walks through the door for Thanksgiving break tomorrow night. Maybe I've seen too many Hallmark commercials, but it just seems like that's the way it should be. I bought new fleece sheets for his bed and thoroughly cleaned the room he shares with Christian last week. Now, to finish the rest of the house:-).

On Keeping Home::

::Oh my goodness! We thought we'd bought the right wood for the floor and we were moving along to the installation phase. Then, we gave a  sample to Sarah Annie and let her hit it with a Lego. She dented it pretty effortlessly. So...back to the warehouse we went. Now, we think we've chosen the right wood, but it's going to be a bit longer before it's delivered and then it has to sit in the house and absorb humidity for a week and then they will install. Deep breath. It looks like this is the year that the Foss family learns what it's like not to decorate for Christmas until just before the feast. But I'm fine with that. Just get rid of these nasty carpets. I don't care about the chaos. Really, I don't. La la la la la la....

One of my favorite things::

::Watching Patrick play soccer. I'm sure he'd think it odd to hear me say that he is poetry in motion, but I'll say it anyway. Dear God, I'm so grateful for your generous gifts and for your faithfulness. Thank you for the chance to watch him play all weekend. Poetry, really.

Sarah Anne this week::

::And she crawls! So far, it's just two little scoots and then SPLAT, but still, we'll take it. And she also blows kisses. She is very generous with these blown blessings and she offered them far and wide in Maryland all weekend, making lots of total strangers smile. 

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week::

::The little boys are touring Seattle with Mike until Wednesday.

::Girls will make a craft store run to lay in supplies for advent

::Must do St. Nicholas shopping.

::All the boys will go to the studio to watch the PTI Thanksgiving show. That way, they'll be conveniently on hand to spirit away all the leftovers. Every year, the set is "decorated" with an impressive Thanksgiving spread. And that spread blesses the Foss family all weekend. Yeah for ESPN!

::Major holiday on Thursday.

::Mike's birthday on Saturday. I am thinking a white tablecloth dinner date. My most competent babysitter will be home to hold down the fort. The baby will be just fine without me for a few hours. It's about time.

 A  Picture Thought I'm Sharing:

Karoline at the ice show, taken with Mike's cell phone

After 21 years of feeding babies on the sidelines of ridiculously cold athletic events, I discover nursing camisoles. These could seriously change my life as I know it. Oh happy day! I hope it SNOWS out there today. (Not really.)

Advent and Christmas Around the World

In the learning spaces, we're cleaning up and clearing out and making room for some old favorites. We've pulled out the advent and Christmas books boxes and we're organizing in a new way this year, to dovetail nicely with our geography studies. Lots of details here.

Have a lovely weekend!

Morning Chat

I was up early to share my morning cuppa with Lisa Hendey and Sarah Reinhard this morning. We talked turkey, of course, and we also chatted a bit about our pets. Come listen in and leave a message of your own!

A Seamless Life

As Advent approaches, the binder is taken from the shelf. In it, I find lists, some handwritten, some printed in orderly type. There are gift lists, menus, shopping lists, to-do lists. All the ghosts of Christmas past. These lists are enormously helpful as I look ahead. I set them each out upon the counter and gaze upon the colorful quilt they make there. But I sigh with the longing. I long for the one-piece life my friend Ann Voskamp describes. Ann is an artist and a poet and she reminds me frequently that “I can live a one piece life, an ordinary life that is wholly sacred, because the Holy Spirit resides within, this body now being the very house of God.” But can I do it during Advent?

Surrender: Find God

As I mentioned in my Daybook this week, I've scrapped the idea to write about depression. Ever since I mentioned burnout last summer, I've been struck by the emails I've received from mothers who were suffering burnout and even depression. They are not the same thing, but writing about burnout often prompts readers to tell me about depression.I've experienced both.

What was curious about my mail this summer, though, was that much of it -- most of it -- was from experienced, veteran homeschool moms who were looking at a new school year and struggling to find the joy and inspiration they'd always had for this way of life.It was as if some great plague was sweeping through the homes of established home educators and putting out all the lights. Dark and foreboding, this plague threatened to extinguish a great good in our society. 

I believe in spiritual warfare. I believe that the good guys and the bad guys are duking it out up there ( out there?) and that evil prowls the world for the ruin of our souls. And that evil has a vested interest in our children and their future. Where better to fight the fight than at our kitchen tables and home libraries, on our field trips and nature walks? And how better to wage war than to zap the energy and enthusiasm of the mother who is laying down her life for this grand adventure in holy, alternative education?

Indeed. The Commander of Evil had a battle plan: Put doubt and discouragement in the hearts of the experienced mothers, the mentors, the teachers. Rob them of their joy; dry up the wellspring of their gratitude.

Instinctively, we turned to prayer. How, God, did we arrive in this barren place? Show us how.Give drink to thirsty souls who, despite the discouragement of our days, do long to joyfully do your will in our homes with the children you have entrusted to us.

We saw that discouragement and burnout creeps in little by little, one sleepless night at time. We have more children now and find that big kids rob us of sleep in an altogether different but no less exhausting way as small ones. And if we are blessed to have both big and small, sleep is a stranger indeed. Sometimes, we are so tired that we don't even recognize that it is tiredness we feel. It's a blurred line between fatigue and despondency. We are so weary we can't even remember why we thought that this lifestyle was a good idea in the first place.

Burnout begins to erode the rhythm of our days when our guard is down and poor habits take root. The bright,  fresh resolve  we had as new homeschoolers frankly gets a little tarnished around the edges. We get a little lazy. We are still working hard, but yes, if we are honest, we see sloth in the corners and crevices. It's time to fine tune the habit training for everyone in the household, time to commit again to the principles we know to be true.

Discouragement is allowed to fill the rooms of our heart when emptiness leaves space for it. A curious thing seems to happen in the middle years of home education. Loneliness. Co-ops become much trickier to navigate because they don't fill the needs of varied ages. Mom's Night Out is given over to carpooling teenagers. Time alone with our husbands becomes such a precious commodity that we guard it with our lives and rarely sacrifice it for time for female fellowship. Inevitable differences in philosophies of education further separate us from each other. And so very many of our comrades choose school in the middle years. The ranks dwindle. We are increasingly alone.

What to do?

Pray.

That's all. Find God. In the beginning, we can be carried through the challenges of this lifestyle on the shoulders of great ideas and good friends. But that's not enough for the long haul.

Because God knows that this is our vocation and that vocation is all about becoming more like Him. He must increase. I must decrease. I must let go of my notions of magazine-cover homeschooling success. I must let go of my dreams of children growing up in a community of completely like-minded families, never to be challenged by the world or left alone by a bosom buddy. I must let go of my idea of what this is all supposed to look like. Less of me. More of Him. Until it's all Him. We're climbing Calvary here and it's getting steep all of a sudden.

My prayer must be the listening kind. Not the wish list kind. What is it, God? What are you telling me?

+Let go of the failures. You see that child who did something you never thought a child of yours would do? You see that test score that is so not what you imagined? You see that house that doesn't look at all like the one you envisioned? You see failure? I see grace. My grace is sufficient. My plan is perfect. I will take those apparent failures and in the broken emptiness, I will pour abundant grace. I will grow there. Not you.

+Don't listen to the sideline conversation about the excellent education at the topnotch private schools, the promises of intellectual rigor and growth in virtue. Don't hear the women talking about all the good they are doing in the world outside their homes. Don't even incline your ear towards the glowing reports of homeschooling success. Quit comparing. Take joy-genuine joy--in knowing that others are doing God's good work. But don't compete. And don't compare. I want to see you improve and you will only improve if you fix your focus on me, not them.

+Be prepared to set aside your plans. Oh, dear, I know you love those plans! They give you great pleasure, crafting them and sharing them and envisioning how they will come to life and bless your children. But be prepared-- because life will happen. And your plans will be cast aside. I will force you to bend until you break. And into your brokenness, I will pour my grace. First though, you will have to be emptied and laid bare, without the crutch of your own design. My plans are bigger, better. My plans are for salvation.

+Finally, know that you will be be scorned. When you receive only reproaches and blame, when the world looks aghast at the work of your hands, if you can know that you have done my will, you will know peace. And you will know joy. Real joy. The kind that sustains you and lifts you and lights the darkness and warms the cold, tired emptiness. Do my will. Live for me. Do you trust me? Can you surrender?

Daybook: Quiet in the Heart of my Home

Outside my window::

::it's Saturday morning around dawn as I begin this entry. The rain has stopped at last but it's still gray and very damp. 

 I am listening to::

::quiet. No one is awake yet. I force myself to get out of bed earlier and earlier because I so need the quiet. I've been especially noise-sensitive lately.

I am wearing ::

::A pink fleece bathrobe with satin trim that reminds me of a comfort blanket I had as a child, and a pair of pink fleece slippers. These were my finds at Costco this week. Go! You know you want them, too:-)

To be Fit and Happy::

:: Dear Lord, please grant me one week between now and Christmas when no one is sick. Please? Please?

I am thankful for::

::a fabulous new math tutor who understands our particular brand of dyscalcula and assorted other learning disabilities. I can't tell you how many sleepless nights I've spent trying to figure out how to do what she does so very well. "Thankful" doesn't even begin to capture it.

 I am pondering ::

::The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Ecclesiastes 9:17 (not that my children are fools or anything;-)

I am reading ::

::Keep it Simple

From the kitchen::

:: I'm trying to heed Ann's advice and incorporate orange  veggies into at least a meal a day. Favorites here are butternut squash risotto and this curried soup. Morning fare is carrots juice blended with an orange and frozen peaches. I'm looking forward to trying Tracy's pasta. And then there are the ubiquitous pumpkin muffins...

I'm thinking:: 

::I was much more active before I had big kids to do so much of my lifting and carrying for me.

I am creating ::

::a recipe scrapbook with Mary Beth. This resource is so beautiful it deserves its own post. Maybe this week?

On my iPod::

::Free Angelus Christmas MP3. Enter code 212. Exquisite.

Towards a real eduction::

::We have several narration projects to bring to completion this week before we diverge from the regularly scheduled curriculum to the advent-infused curriculum.

::I wonder if the Kindle's text-to-speech feature would bless reluctant readers and dyslexics. If you have firsthand experience with the voice, please send me an email. I don't think they'd like stilted computer-sounding voices...

Towards rhythm and beauty::

::It's interesting; at the beginning of every sports season and every school term, I sit with iCal and fiddle for hours to make it all fit. In some instances--like the carpool scheduling and such--it's very, very necessary. Getting five different kids four different places in the middle of a major traffic hub requires precision. In other cases--like the school planning--I don't even look at iCal again until the next planning period. I plan to make sure that there is theoretically enough time to do it all, but I rarely stick to anything but the most basic skeleton of a plan.

To Live the Liturgy::

::We'll review the mustard seed and the precious pearl in the atrium this week and then synthesize the Kingdom Parables--all in anticipation of advent.

I am hoping and praying::

::more prayers of thanksgiving. Suddenly, I can see God's hand in so many places.

::for healing in my friend Molly's household where H1N1 has landed her infant daughter in the hospital and her others home sick without mom. Please pray for them! (And an interesting note: our hospital is allowing absolutely NO visitors. Molly can't even leave to meet me in the cafeteria. Things are even tighter in the Birthing Inn. I'm grateful that Sarah's saga was last year and not this flu season. I can't imagine how difficult these restrictions are on mamas, babies, and families. Lord, bless them with grace and strength!)

In the Garden::

::roses still blooming. Every year, we hope for that December rose...

Around the House::

::some things are just maintenance things, you know? I never cross them off the to-do list. I finally have a new laundry rhythm. It's so simple that I wonder at my previous struggle. Three loads a day, folded on the dining room table, sorted into baskets according to gender and put away by the oldest child of each gender and me before dinner. Every. single. day.

On Keeping Home::

::we have chosen the wood for the floors and now we're just waiting for delivery. I can hardly wait for the wonderful transformation my house is about to undergo.I keep walking around with the sample in my hand, imagining, imagining, imagining...

One of my favorite things::

::morning. Really. I love morning. I love the quiet. I get up very, very early in order to indulge in morning quiet. The perfect morning proceeds exactly in this order:

1. morning offering while still in bed,
   
2. up and into a warm bathrobe,
   
3. cup of tea,
   
4. Bible, prayer journal, spiritual book--QUIET TIME
   
5. computer for calendar/email check 
6. time to blog
   
7. children awake
   
8. breakfast for kids
9. wake Mike with breakfast in bed

Less-than-perfect mornings: #1 while scooping up the baby so she doesn't wake Mike, then directly to a very abbreviated #4 while hiding in the bathroom and quickly on to #8 & #9--a totally non-negotiable scramble, no pun intended.

Sarah Anne this week::

::Still not crawling, but she has decided that if absolutely necessary she will sit on her bottom and scoot very slowly across the room. She has a new tooth on top, bringing the grand total to 3. In other news, she's not been able to wean off the inhaled steroids that we began again in early September. Poor little love, breathing just doesn't come easy... 

How's the burnout recovery going?

::So, I'm still gathering thoughts on depression, but my mail indicates that this is an intense and very personal topic. Prudence dictates that writing and publishing about it is probably something I should not do until I'm fully rested and have lots and lots of time for discussion. So, we'll hold off on that for ten years or so.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week::

:: Tying up lots of loose ends: putting the finishes touches on the advent school plans; putting the finishing touches on book project; putting every loose thing in my house into a box so that the floors can go in...

::Girls have a Daddy Date to an ice show

::Soccer Tournament this weekend

::shhh...the little boys just might have a surprise trip to Seattle in their future.

 A  Picture Thought I'm Sharing:

Fifth's disease. Of course, we have Fifth's Disease. We've certainly had at least four other diseases since school started. Poor dear.

Un-Friending

I admit I'm not a good Facebooker. I know the format is supposed to be intuitive and my kids certainly seem to have the hang of it, but I just don't like it much. I'm never absolutely certain who is reading which conversations. And the visual clutter drives me nuts. I much prefer blogs.

That said, after I finished checking up on my children at Facebook the other day, I clicked around to see what some old friends have been up to lately. When I went to one place, I discovered I had been "un-friended." It took me awhile to figure that out (as I said, I don't totally have the hang of it) but once I did figure it out, I felt fourteen again.

For about 3 minutes.

Did I do something wrong? Write something somewhere? Offend her somehow? Was she just scaling back and making her circle smaller? Was it personal?

After my 3 minutes of high school flashback, I called to mind a recent conversation with a friend (a friend-friend, the kind with whom you have philosophical conversations about friendship). She told me how some people have no problem moving on from friendships. They don't necessarily make friends for life. Friendship, she explained, isn't like marriage. It's OK to move on, sometimes. This came as a surprise to me. I just assumed that everyone approaches friendship like I do. When I'm your friend, I'm your friend forever. And if you move on, I spend years wondering why--mostly wondering what it was I did wrong. If you move on and come back, I'm readily happy and willing and eager to make things good again (though I'm increasingly cautious about giving away my heart quite the way I used to). That's just the way I'm wired. Come to think of it, my high school geometry teacher sat me down one day after school to warn me that this was a very good way to get hurt again and again. I pretty much ignored her.

My friendship paradigm has changed since my recent friend-friend conversation.(I'm a slow learner, no? In geometry and friendship.) Now, I understand better that some people (most people?) have different friends in different seasons in their lives in addition to some friends that are lifetime friends. People who approach friendship that way don't agonize about friendships that have faded. They move on. They are fine. And they pretty much assume their former friend is, too. Can you be a "former friend"--really? I can't say the revelation cured me. I still miss every faded friendship. Every. Single. One. But I have a slightly different perspective, and maybe a little more peace.And hopefully, I am better able to help my children navigate the world of friendships, because goodness knows this new internet dimension just makes it more complicated. Or does it?

Now people can just "un-friend" with a click.

Easy.

Laugh about it: Unfriended by Garrison Keillor (HT: Ann)

Advent and the Generous Person

After I posted a whole bunch of Advent links this week, I got some notes from sweet, generous souls who want so much to "do Advent right." What books to read? What crafts to make? How to fast? How to pray? How to make it all meaningful and holy and right for our families? How to use this time to repent, to grow in holiness, to right the wrongs? How, especially, to touch the hearts, souls, and minds of our children?

Homeschool mamas, in particular, are a pensive bunch aren't we? We think things to death, examine them all so closely, work so hard ...

I can feel the pace quickening. I can feel the frantic concern for being sure that we are doing everything just perfectly.

I think, perhaps, we need to stop looking, stop reading, stop thinking, stop trying so hard. Stop worrying so much.

We need to touch the ones we love by being Christ to one another. Simple.

The most generous person, if not simple, is troubled, anxious, and endlessly discouraged. His very generosity sometimes inclines him to be scrupulous and, under pretext of delicacy, warps his conscience. "Am I not deceived?" he cries. "Has God forgiven me? Should I in truth do this? AM I on the right path?" He is continually asking himself a thousand disturbing and confusing questions. By self-introspection, he ends by losing his clearness of vision. He inevitably falls into a profound melancholy, a fatal discouragement.

The simple soul escapes all such dangers because he looks to God far more than to creatures and laces himself above all that obscures, fatigues, and exasperates a soul who is not simple.

The soul who is not simple is represented in the Gospel by Martha, who was restless, anxious, and concerned with many things. The simple soul is represented by Mary, tranquilly seated at the feet of the Master, drinking in each word and solely mindful of His pleasure. The simple soul has found "the better part," "the one thing necessary"; [Luke 10:42] he is wholly given to God.

Without self-preoccupation, without artiface or hypocrisy, without subterfuge or dissolution, without fear of the world's opinion, speaking as he thinks, his heart in one sense on his sleeve, such a person is always calm and tranquil.He goes on his way unanxious and untroubled, his spirit free, and his heart full of joy and peace. Neither lack of success, contempt, gossip, trials, nor even his own falls, sins, and imperfections--nothing in this world---can disturb him. He has found the peace that Jesus gives, "the joy that none can take away" [John 16:22.].

Simplicity frees the soul from the burden, sometimes crushing, of the things of this world; it delivers the soul from the many vain anxieties so hard to bear. It makes it light, free, and joyous. ...

The souls who examine themselves most closely are not those who know themselves the best, nor above all, those who correct themselves most quickly. By unbandaging a wound to see whether it has healed, you end by aggravating it. On the contrary, the soul who looks to God rapidly learns self-knowledge and, what is much more important, detachment.

God is truth, and by contemplating Him, the soul becomes like Him. The simple soul knows itself at a glance; and if it happens that in certain hours of fatigue or forgetfulness the soul touches the earth, , no sooner is it conscious of this than up it rises by a stroke of the wing and soars rapidly away...

The simple soul knows itself because it knows God, who is pure light and who enlightens the conscience. [From Keep It Simple]

Lends a whole new meaning to "Simple Christmas," doesn't it?

Why, Thank You!

I am honored to have been nominated for Best Homeschool Mom Blog and Best Homeschooling Methods Blog. I'm pretty sure it was my kids who nominated me and it's nice to know they think so:-). The Homeschool Blog Awards are always a great place to find new friends and inspiration. Pop on over there and click around!

Advent and Christmas Clicking

If the decorations at the local strip mall are any indication, there are a whole lot of people thinking about Advent and Christmas. My inbox tells me that you're looking for something you saw here before. Here are some links to make the search a little easier. I know you're busy; I hope this helps!

Advent and Christmas Books and Lots of Lesson Plans

Advent and Christmas Reading

More Advent and Christmas Reading

Jan Brett Books and Lapbook

Jan Brett Gingerbread Lapbook

More Jan Brett

The Tomie de Paola unit (complete lesson plans for all of December:-)

Fairytale Christmas

Fairytales and Pine Tree Plans 

Cooking And Crafting

Peppermint Day and Another Peppermint Day

Making and Baking

Christmas Dinner

Set Another Place

Teacher's Gifts

Handmade Rosaries

"No Wheat" Christmas Making and Baking

Poinsettia Flower Fairy Ornaments

Pondering the Season:

How to Help Kids Truly be Merry

Advent Baby
Perspective
Hospitality with a Kind and Generous Heart
Adoption
A Dwelling Place for God

How to Spend our Time

Liturgical Notes

Jesse Tree

O Antiphon House

Gaudete Sunday

Immaculate Conception: Candle and Novena, Craft

St. Nicholas Day
St. Andrew Christmas Prayer
Feast of the Holy Family Prayer
St. Lucy's Morning

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Autumn & Winter Meals

In my Daybook post this week, I commented that we have at last nailed down a 3-week menu plan that links to recipes and keeps my kitchen humming happily. I was feeling like quite the accomplished, organized Domestic Goddess. Then, I realized today that I had linked to the plan from two years ago. Duh.

Here's the new, improved 3 week plan, the one that takes into account which day is grocery day, which day is the day no one is home to cook but everyone will get home hungry, the one that actually works! I know this because we'd been living it for several weeks before I posted it. 

More PDFs available as time permits. Now, I'm off to conquer the laundry room!

Knock, knock, Jesus!

In the atrium, my brand-new three-year-old sings her favorite song: "Knock, knock, Jesus, who is there? This is Karoline and here's my prayer." And then, she launches into a litany that always begins, "I wish..." Try as I do to impress upon her that praying isn't wishing, she insists on telling Jesus what she wishes.

And so do I.

Lately, it seems that all I have for Jesus is a laundry list. "I wish you'd right this wrong. I wish you'd bring justice and mercy to this hurting friend. I wish you'd win one for the good guys. I wish you'd heal a mother's grieving heart. I wish you'd protect these children from harm..." And on and on it goes, my list on behalf of the people I love. The wishes of my weary heart. The answers are slow to come. So I begin to yell a little louder. Knock, knock, Jesus! Do you hear me? You said to ask. I'm asking. Where are you? Read the rest here, please.

Daybook: Settling In

Outside my window::

::it's dark, but four little boys are determined to pretend it's not. A football game continues under the back lights. They'll come in when they are very cold and very hungry. 

 I am listening to::

::girls making dinner.

I am wearing ::

::black yoga pants and a gray ESPN sweatshirt. Ponytail. Cashmere socks. (Are you praying for my sock friend?)

To be Fit and Happy::

:: I finally can walk and talk and breathe at the same time. Back on track this week. T-Tapping back into the groove.

I am thankful for::

::a month of meaningful October celebrations.

 I am pondering ::

::Gratitude in November-

"When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude." ~Chesterton

I am reading ::

::Actually, I'm re-reading an advance copy of Sally Clarkson's new book. I read it through the first time, without stopping to do the study questions because I was under a deadline. I can't begin to express how much I needed this book at this time in my life. Now, I'm reading slowly and letting it all sink in.

Sally writes: Every day, I hear from precious women all around the world who know the Lord, and are committed to serving him in their homes, but they are weary in the work of being a mother. They have lost their way. They have no intention of giving up, but they need something more to keep going. I hear in their voices and words the need for a renewed sense of the Lord’s work in the midst of their lives. If that’s you, I want you to know this year that God wants you to be renewed in him…he wants to do “new things” (Isaiah 42:9) in and through you. He wants “You…Renewed!” in your habits, heart, home, and hope.

That's what the book is all about.

From the kitchen::

::Mary Beth and I have worked hard on the autumn menu. We've gotten lots of recipes linked and made some PDFs . I'll add more PDFs as I print and put them in my binder. Paddy and I finally figured out a new grocery routine. Michael used to do all the grocery shopping but the Costco people won't let Christian in without an adult, so he can't just drive there and do it for me. So, I've been going in with Patrick on my way to take the little boys to soccer. I leave Paddy there to do the shopping and then go back and go in and check him out after I drop the little boys. That keeps Sarah Annie in my arms and not the shopping cart and makes efficient use of drive time. Besides, I think being able to grocery shop is a very essential life skill and so far, I've got three teenage boys capable of shopping for a double digit family.

I'm thinking:: 

::that the Halloween fairy might come tonight and take several heaping hands full of candy. Enough of the sugar rush already!

I am creating ::

::Christmas lists.

On my iPod::

::Well, I know someone who really hopes I'll download six new songs on the Taylor Swift Platinum Fearless edition. Hmm, what can I attach to the bribe?

Towards a real eduction::

::We've moved from Africa to the Holy Land. Oh, and we've added laser pointers to our astronomy study at Kimberlee's suggestion.

Towards rhythm and beauty::

::Mike and I are going to make a hardwood flooring decision this week. I cannot wait to get rid of my carpet which looks like I've potty trained four children and a dog since we moved in, and all of them had muddy paws.

To Live the Liturgy::

::I'm very focused on some new saints this week and on the hearts of their grieving mothers.

I am hoping and praying::

::prayers of thanksgiving. We are not moving! Big sigh of relief. HUGE sigh of relief. Still some other things hanging out there, but the moving thing was huge.

In the Garden::

::the kids planted two flats of pansies and 90 tulip bulbs.

Around the House::

::I'm finally caught up with the laundry that slid while I was sick. That's a great thing because as the laundry goes, so goes the house.

On Keeping Home::

::I'm going to be packing up things this week in anticipation of massive furniture moving when the floors are installed. and of course when I pack, I'll purge. Yay for purging! 

One of my favorite things::

::The smell of baking bread. Patrick is baking four loaves at a time, every other day. I can't eat it, but it sure does make the house smell wonderful.

Sarah Anne this week::

::It's just so much fun to watch her personality emerge. She's quieter than Karoline, with a certain sweetness about her. She's learned to sign "more" and "thank you." 

How's the burnout recovery going?

::I'm gathering some thoughts on depression. Perhaps a post for later in the week. Or, perhaps not. We'll see what kind of time the Lord presents to me.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week::

::Election Day tomorrow and a doctor's appointment for my little girls. Basketball practice begins so there will be some tinkering in iCal while I figure it all out. Christian is coaching Stephen, Nick, and Mary Beth so I won't have to drive to those three practices and Paddy is playing on a team with Christian, so I won't have to drive there either. There! That was easy:-).

 A  Picture Thought I'm Sharing:

About midway through September, Christian began hunting for any school that would allow a homeschooler to play basketball on its team. The Catholic schools flatly denied him a chance. [Ahem] But he found a small Christian school nearby. He went to check it out and Paddy went along for the ride. When they got there, they discovered that the basketball coach is the soccer coach, too. The soccer team was struggling a bit with a losing record at that point in the season. Paddy and Christian decided to play soccer that day. Christian hadn't played in six years--except in the backyard, which in our life is pretty intense play. He took the goal. Paddy took the field.

The rest is history.