Blogging, breaks and mother guilt

I've been on vacation from a lot of things, including blogging.

Christmas break is like that.

There's been a lot going on: the kids had a great time at the birthday party of a friend and had an equally great time at a church youth group party, which included going to see National Treasure 2. They went sledding with Atticus and built gingerbread houses with me.

And I've fit in a fair amount of reading (and will be back later with some notes on what I've read.)

But for now, I want to quickly address a little issue we homeschooling mothers sometimes struggle with:

Benign neglect.

Faith, at Dumb Ox Academy, got me thinking about this. Perhaps, a better phrase would be "masterly inactivity" (sounds a little nicer and more deliberate, doesn't it?)

We homeschooling moms are with our kids quite a bit. A lot. And that's a great thing. It's what allows us to pursue our vision of education, to grow closer to our kids, to share ideas and interests and fun.

But, it also sets us up, at times, for guilt. Because, when you're used to being with your kids all the time, you can start to feel a bit guilty if you're not with them, or if you're in the same house, but not fully "present" to them.

I maintain that a bit of masterly inactivity and benign neglect are a good thing.

As I said in a comment to Faith:

As homeschooling moms, we are with our children nearly *all* the time. It’s okay to take periods (like Christmas break) to be “selfish” because it isn’t really selfishness. It’s recharge time. And we need it.

As your kids have shown you, they’ll be fine!

I tend to shoo my kids away fairly frequently during Christmas vacation, with a “Not now … I’m reading.”

Mothers need breaks, too. And, learning to entertain yourself without a plan, a schedule, or structure is a necessary life skill.

If you want, record it in your best education-ese on your list of homeschooling accomplishments for 2007:

"Children learned the value of independently chosen and executed pursuits."

Then lose the guilt.

It's Christmas break.

Now, go away.

I'm reading.

Poetry Friday: All kinds of chocolate under the tree

An original ditty about the last few days:




On the first day of Christmas my children gave to me
All kinds of chocolate under the tree.

On the second day of Christmas Ramona took from me
Two Lindor truffles
And a Reese's peanut butter tree.

On the third day of Christmas Ramona took from me
Three Russell Stovers
Two Lindor truffles
And a Reese's peanut butter tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas Ramona took from me
Four little Doves
Three Russell Stovers
Two Lindor truffles
And a Reese's peanut butter tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas you're bound to fi-i-i-ind me
Hidden in my room
with the la-a-a-st peanut butter tree.

When [the Magi] had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Arise, take the young child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the child to destroy Him."
When he arose, he took the young child and His mother by night and departed into Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt have I called My Son." When Herod realized that he had been made a fool of by the Magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the Magi.

Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the Prophet: "A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, for they were no more." ~~ Matt. 2:13-18

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Today the Church honors the innocent children slaughtered at Herod's hand, the martyrs who died for Christ without knowing of Him in this life.

For a beautiful commentary, see today's reading at Universalis, from a sermon of St Quodvultdeus.

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And, today, I am praying for all the holy innocents everywhere who have died too soon ... for all the lost babies and their mourning mothers ... for all who, having been open to life, have suffered in seeing a life lost.

May you feel God's peace and comfort on this solemn but beautiful feast day.

May you feel the assurance that we will see our lost children again.

My tip for a peaceful Christmas

Remember the wise words of a five-year-old:

Last night, when I lamented that we'd been busy and had forgotten to do a couple of things I'd said we would do, I sighed, "Where do the days go?"

"To God," said Ramona. "He takes care of our days."

*****

May He take care of you and your days as we celebrate His coming.

A happy, holy and blessed Christmas to you all!

Are we a wee bit protective of our Advent chocolates?

Methinks the bungee cord speaks volumes.

Why call them Christmas cards?

I call ours "Epiphany cards" because they always go out sometime between Christmas and Epiphany. I sometimes intend for them to be Christmas cards, but it never happens.

This year, both Anne-with-an-e and Betsy want to write our Christmas letter, so this editor is patiently waiting.

I guess I should have assigned a strict deadline, eh?

On Holiness

A dear friend of mine, Fr. Joe, delivered this homily recently, in the wake of the Von Maur shootings in Omaha. It's a beautiful reflection on what God calls us to, no matter what happens.
In the wake of evil, sin, and suffering, we are continually called to holiness.

Thanks so much to Jeff, a police officer (and one of the first responders at Von Maur that day) for reproducing the entire text of Fr. Joe's homily. Our prayers continue for Jeff and everyone involved in any way in what happened on that day.

Fr. Joe's homily:

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"It Happened to Us"

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"911 Tapes Spell Out 6 Deadly Minutes"

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"The 8 Lives Taken"

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"The Footsteps of a Killer"

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These are the headlines from the paper this past week following Wednesday’s shooting at the Westroads.

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And then this morning we hear these words from the prophet Isaiah: "There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea."

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So last week, "6 Deadly Minutes" and "8 Lives" — 9 including the killer — "Taken." But this morning, "There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain."
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Somehow, both are true.

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In the wake of last week’s tragedy I think we can find ourselves having a variety of responses. Some I believe are helpful, others not—and perhaps we find ourselves moving between them.

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Some that I believe are not helpful are:

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Minimizing the event—sort of pretending it didn’t happen—or since I didn’t know anyone personally, it doesn’t really affect me.

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The opposite, also not helpful—maximizing the event—beginning to live in fear—erroneously concluding that we are not ever safe.

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Another unhelpful response is to isolate the perpetrator or seek hatred or revenge on his family and friends—wishing evil upon them, instead of good.

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So what are some helpful responses?

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Reaching out beyond ourselves—connecting or re-connecting with family and friends.

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Showing compassion and generosity to the victims—offering our prayers and support.
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Returning to a sense of normalcy. For example, if shopping at Westroads is part of your Christmas routine, then return there, without fear.

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What is the best response? Well, this is the one that gets us from the headlines of the last week’s papers to the prophetic vision of Isaiah—from "6 Deadly Minutes" to a holy mountain where there is no harm or ruin. It is what will help us realize the Kingdom of God in its fullness and glory. And that is conversion of live and growth in holiness.
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The best response to an encounter with evil—to the ugliness of sin, such as we’ve rarely seen before—is holiness. There is no better remedy.

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That’s why the words of John the Baptist in our gospel this morning ring true throughout the centuries until our present day—"Repent" and "Prepare the way of the Lord."

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And so, my friends, if there are parts of our lives where we cling to selfishness, where we put other things ahead of our relationship to God, we are called to repent—to turn away from that sin and turn towards God—to discover anew His mercy and His peace, and the fullness of His plan for my life. The sacrament of reconciliation is a privileged place for this encounter, and one I certainly recommend during this Advent season.

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Last week reminded us that the world -- and if we’re honest, ourselves too -- have a long way to go to prepare for the coming of Christ. But the more we grow in holiness—and the more we share the gift of our faith and the peace and joy we have found in Christ—the closer our world will come to reflect that Kingdom.

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My brothers and sisters, let’s not forget the headlines of last week, but let’s not dwell on them obsessively either. A better place to focus our attention this Advent is on the words of the Prophet Isaiah: "There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea."

Poetry Friday

Today's poem is chosen for no particular reason, other than a love of Yeats.



Have a lovely Poetry Friday! You can find the whole round-up at AmoXcalli today.


Aedh wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
by W. B. Yeats

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

Is there a support group for that?

Ramona pulled her cup of milk from the refrigerator and, as she did so, spilled a little bit on the floor.

"Oh, Mommy!" she cried, "I spilled some milk!"

"That's okay," I said, grabbing a towel. "We'll just clean it up."

Then, as Ramona looked down at the floor to survey just how much how spilled, she tipped the rest of the cup and the rest of the milk went flying.

"Oh!" she said, looking up at me in surprise. "I was just startled by my drinking problem."

I'm so predictable

I wrote this in '05, my first year of blogging, and reran it last December. I'm rerunning it again, because that's part of what makes me so predictable. And, it's all still true. (Except the babysitter part. Our oldest is -- gasp! -- old enough to babysit now. And, it's not hard to keep Ramona happy during Mass now, either. But, the rest of it? Predictably true.)

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My husband and I have a holiday tradition. Every year, close to Christmas, we get a babysitter, go out for Chinese food, buy all the last-minute ...

** (WARNING: Santa spoiler ahead) **

... stocking stuffers and generally fall in love all over again -- with each other, with our children, and with the magic of Christmas. We talk about our days, about my parents and his, about holiday travel plans, about how we'll keep the youngest child happy and calm during the long Christmas Eve Mass. And we talk about how we can't believe how drastically our Christmases have changed over the years.

You see, when we married, we didn't want children. Children were nice enough for other people, but not for us. We didn't want the mess, the commitment, the responsibility. We were happy to be "child free" as opposed to "childless."

Then something happened. I became a Christian.

Oops. Short-circuit in the selfishness department. I began to long for a child. Soon, Atticus's heart caught up with mine in the procreation department, and we set forth to create a family. After some heartbreaking miscarriages, we had Anne. But only one child, Atticus said. One child is enough.

Then I became a Catholic.

Oops. Short-circuit in the openness to life department. We had Betsy. Several more heartbreaking miscarriages later, God awarded us with Ramona, and here we are. Falling in love again at Christmas time, and crazy, head-over-heels in love with our children.

And all because of of a Child born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. Had Mary said, "No, thank you, I'd like to remain child-free," I would be childless. There would have been no conversion, no short-circuit, and most certainly, no joy. How does one thank God for that?

I always seem to do it in the same old, tired way.

I cry.

May you, too, shed some tears of ineffable gratitude this Christmas.

Instead of visiting friends ...

... we are trapped in the house.

Betsy felt ill this morning and consequently our plans with two different friends had to be canceled.

Are you stuck inside, too?

Here are a few online places to visit:

A page full of shape-book patterns. Ramona and I might make a mitten book.

Penguin activities

Trim a Jan Brett Christmas Tree

Trim a Jan Brett Gingerbread House

Go to FreeRice.com ... again ....

Visit the World of Peter Rabbit (thank, Aunt Lisa)

Visit Hoops and YoYo (thanks, Jennifer, for introducing us) ... you don't need to send an e-card ... they just make us laugh. I especially love this one. I especially love Coffee Jitters.

One more idea for this week

Visit someone you don't often see.

Make the time for someone you love but have fallen out of touch with.

Have an Advent tea.

Or coffee.

Call a friend.

Remember that Jesus came to the little, the lowly, and the humble ... Ask for littleness, lowliness, and humility.

Feel and see the blessings around you in this last full week of Advent.

I said "No."

Ramona:

"Mommy, can you just give me a lit candle to walk around the house with?"

What we've been up to

Shipping things

Decorating the tree

Attending Ramona's tea parties

Snuggling

Celebrating St. Lucia

Visiting Santa

I'm still fighting "mouse shoulder" (or whatever it is) so I'm still limiting my computer time. I may have to actually go see a doctor if I wish to regain my full-steam online blathering. Drat.

In the meantime, I hope to get going on our O Antiphon House going today. Visit O Night Divine for details.

Poetry Friday

The haiku I wrote this morning combines the ineffable with the inevitable.

A Christmas Haiku

Christmas on its way
Such a sublime, holy day
But today: I ship


Find the whole Poetry Friday Round-up at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

More giveaways! More giveaways!

Maureen Wittman is giving books away! Visit Maureen here for a chance to enter for today's book, and go here for an explanation of the whole thing, including the fact that this contest has become a month-long gig.

Maureen has so many fans and supporters that she has enough books to keep this thing going for weeks, so get over there and win something wonderful!

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Drop by Cay's Cajun Cottage for today's BookWalk, the last one before Christmas.

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Nancy Brown is giving away a free CD with every purchase of her book, The Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide.

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Melissa Wiley has some giveaways coming up, so keep an eye on her.

She's right, you know

Danielle Bean very kindly mentioned that you could come here to find the St. Lucia bread recipe that we know and love. And, I just want to reiterate what Danielle said in her encouragement about making this bread:

Do not be intimidated by this yeast dough recipe.

Listen to me: Step away from the fear!

I used to think I was incapable of anything involving yeast. But, honestly, you really can't mess this up. You'd have to light the yeast on fire to ruin this bread. It's easy. This is me ... not-very-domestic-Karen speaking.

You can do this.

What made me laugh today was that Danielle accused herself of being too lazy to post the recipe, but she sweetly overlooked the fact that I didn't really post it again ... I just linked to last year's post.

Enjoy it! And, if you don't get around to enjoying it until next week, just call it something else. "December 18th Bread" has a distinctive ring, I think.

Ramona expands on the chocolate theme

Remember her idea to frost the fudge?

Today's gem:

"Mommy! I have a new idea for fudge. You know chocolate chips? Those things we put in cookies? We should put some of those in the fudge!"

Suzanne, aka St. Nicholas

Suzanne, at Blessed Among Men, is running a contest for a very worthy cause!

Make a donation for "Mary", a mom in need this Christmas, and you'll have a chance to win a tower of coffee or chocolate (there was something else from which to choose, too, but it escaped my attention. I was looking at the coffee and the chocolate.)

Visit Suzanne here to see the details. Good luck to all, and may Mary and her children have a blessed Christmas.

Preparing for St. Lucia Day

We always read this book:

Last year we made these wreaths:

We always make this bread:

More details, including the recipe, are here.

And, don't forget to check out O Night Divine for more ideas and history.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The feast is today!

Read more here, at Catholic Culture.

I have a great love for Our Lady of Guadalupe, which stems especially from the incidents recounted in this essay.

Have a blessed feast!

Sleepy Ramona

Last night, as I was putting her to bed, Ramona said:

"You can just call me the Sleep Meister."

Something I love about December and something I don't

In an effort to spare my mouse arm, I'm posting something I first posted two years ago:

As Christmas approaches, the whole world (or, at least my whole tiny world in our tiny town) gets caught up in the preparations. People chatter about decorating trees, baking cookies, giving gifts. I hear "Merry Christmas" everywhere and radio stations that normally shy away from Jesus and His pesky ways play songs about the Savior. On TV, Linus Van Pelt announces to the whole world what Christmas is all about.

It's as if, for awhile, the world shares one faith.

It stirs me to imagine what it would be like to live in a world that truly lived and acted as the Body of Christ, a world that shared one vision and had one goal: to see that Savior that Linus tells us about.

Then, of course, it all comes to an abrupt halt on December 26th (this is the part I don't love ....) While my family and I are celebrating via the liturgical calendar, which tells us that Christmas begins on December 25th, is celebrated for an octave and that the Christmas season marches officially on until the Feast of the Presentation (Feb. 2), while we're belting out Christmas carols, celebrating the birth of Jesus in high style, the rest of the world is saying it's over. We're still saying "Merry Christmas" when others have switched to "Happy New Year." We count the Twelve Days of Christmas and look forward to the Feast of the Epiphany in a world that thinks the Twelve Days of Christmas must mean the final countdown of shopping days before the 25th.
But, we don't let any of that put a damper on our celebrations. Jesus and His birthday are worth days and days of celebration, and He's worth looking like an out-of-sync moron in the eyes of the world. And fortunately, we're raising kids who don't mind being out-of-sync morons (at least not so far) so they happily celebrate right along with us.

And we're all thankful that, at least for a little while, the world cared about what Linus Van Pelt had to say.

If I happen to owe you an email ...

... I hope to get to it soon.

I spent all day yesterday nursing a sore shoulder/back/neck.

On the mend now, and hoping to get my mouse arm going again soon ....

That's my chocolate girl

Atticus made fudge for us last night.

This morning, Ramona said, "Mommy! I have a new idea for fudge. We should try putting chocolate frosting on it."

How literature teaches us beautiful things

Last year at this time, I posted this, about Ramona and one of our Advent books:

Yesterday, I told Ramona, "We get to go to Mass, to celebrate Mary's Immaculate Conception!"
She replied, "Oh, yes! Mary -- the ship! The rose!"
And I realized that she was recalling the images of Mary from Barbara Helen Berger's lovely book, The Donkey's Dream, which introduces children to traditional imagery for the Blessed Virgin.
For more about the imagery (a city, a ship, a fountain, a rose, a lady full of heaven) in this exquisitely illustrated book, see this link at the author's website.
For more indepth information, see this excellent article from Ignatius Insight.

This year, The Donkey's Dream is still one of Ramona's favorite Advent books. She has asked for it nearly every day. And, I love to read it to her, because I dearly love this book, too. It is beautiful and magical. The illustrations are celestial. It teaches, as all good literature does, without appearing to teach a thing.

Literature allows us to absorb "lessons" (which, to my mind, really means just learning how to live) by way of beauty and immersion, pondering and talking.

Immerse yourself in beautiful picture books and other literature this Advent, and see if the "lessons" don't stick far better than anything over which your kids will be tested.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary

Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
See the excellent Catholic Encyclopedia entry here.

Go here to see Catholic Culture's article and here for their activities and ideas for observing the day.

This gorgeous painting is by our artist of the month, Bartolome Esteban Murillo. (See some of the other beautiful images of the Blessed Mother, which we've been taking a look at, here, here, here.)

Have a blessed feast day!

Poetry Friday

Atticus wants to know what I would like to have for Christmas.

There is always a long list of books, of course. And I've also been meandering through Lesley's (and I have Lissa to thank for introducing me) Small Meadow Press, which is like taking a quiet stroll through another time and place. I want my home to feel like that time and place, but that would require a lot of new things. (To be brutally honest, it might require razing the house and starting from scratch.) I may have to be content with small touches here and there: splashes of beauty, peaceful reminders, simple and lovely embellishments.

The list of things I covet is long. Which seems contrary and wrong, but there you have it.

Today, I'll share one of those things with you. Go here to see what Lesley created from this snippet of Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

And how I felt it beat
under my pillow
in the morning's dark.
An hour before the sun
would let me read!
My books!

And, so, this meandering little Poetry Friday post is about nothing and about many things ...

It's about Browning's keen understanding that to love a book is to enter into real intimacy.

It's about one woman's ability to envision and create things that transform a home into a haven, or a note to a friend into a keepsake. (I don't mean for this to become a commercial ... I just find Small Meadow creations to be perfectly enchanting. Perhaps I am under some kind of spell.)

It's about the spell that beauty casts.

It's about pondering what it means that encountering peaceful, lovely things can cast such a spell.

And it's about Christmas -- peaceful, lovely Christmas -- which isn't about making long lists but is about the most peaceful and sublime Gift of my life.

Happy Poetry Friday.

And, Atticus, I'll have that list for you soon.

(The entire Poetry Friday round-up can be found here at Becky's Book Reviews.)

Ramona and snow

It's a snow day here today!

Atticus is home, making hamburger soup and homemade bread for dinner.

Betsy and Ramona have been outside to play several times, and therefore a good chunk of my day has been spent piling things on Ramona and later pulling them off.

This morning, as I was still wrestling with the internet (we're now fully back, thank you!) and taking an overly long time to attend to Ramona's request to help her find the right pants to wear outside, she finally yelled from the other room, "If you do not come to help me soon, I shall go mad!"

I did, and she didn't.

He always brings socks!

And darned cute ones, too.

Ramona's monkey socks are a little too big but she loves them.

The girls have also been enjoying chocolate coins and candy canes today, and Ramona is looking forward to painting a small, wooden Christmas ornament.

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

A Telegram from me

Wishing to communicate ... STOP

Internet access spotty tonight ... STOP

Getting frustrated ... STOP

Complaining? Me? ... STOP

I will.

Right now.

Hope to be back tomorrow.

FreeRice.com

I wish I could remember where I recently heard about FreeRice.com ....

I may have no idea where I heard about it, but I do know that my kids are loving it.

It's a vocabulary quiz and an easy way to donate food to hungry people. The totals are impressive. The way it works is explained here.

The addiction level is high.

St. Nicholas day is fast approaching!

We love to celebrate this feast day. On St. Nicholas Eve, the children leave their shoes outside their bedroom doors. In the morning they find chocolate coins, and a few small gifts (fun socks, a craft, a Christmas ornament ... St. Nick varies his routine.)

On the feast day, we read books and do activities centered on the saint and on his connection to Christ and Christmas. It's become a tradition to watch Nicholas, the Boy Who Became Santa.

And, my absolute favorite St. Nicholas resource is the St. Nicholas Center, loaded with fun ideas, activities and recipes. And, this year, they even have instructions for a St. Nicholas spoon saint, ala Alice Gunther, from Cottage Blessings!

(Clip art above courtesy of Two Hearts Design.)

Visit Donna-Marie to enter

Donna-Marie is having a contest.

She's giving away a copy of her beautiful book, Prayerfully Expecting.

Details are here. Hurry! A winner will be chosen next week, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12th.

Prayers around the Advent Wreath

In the comments section of the Christmas Mosaic post, Danae asked about prayers to accompany the Advent wreath.

I like to use prayers from Prayers and Customs of Advent and Christmas.

This page has prayers for the beginning of Advent, along with short daily prayers for each week.

This page has some nice prayers for very young children.

Some short Advent meditations are here.

A few recipes are here.

All of the prayers on this site are short and easy for families to use.

When we light the candles on the Advent wreath each night, we divide up the "duties" (which are seen by the kids as fun and privilege, thus the fighting over them which resulted in the division of duty.)

One child gets to light the candle, one reads the prayer, and one gets to snuff out the candle at the end of the meal (the antique candle snuffer we use makes this especially attractive.) This way, everyone is involved, duties rotate and everyone is happy. Some nights, though, everyone reeeeeally wants to light a candle, or everyone reeeeeally wants to snuff a candle out. So, sometimes, I must admit, we relight candles just for the fun of it, and snuff them out again.

Because we're easily amused, I guess.

Have fun. Because, as much as Advent is about spiritual preparation, it should be about fun with your family, too.

The First Sunday of Advent: The Jesus Stocking

The Jesus stocking is something I started when Anne-with-an-e was very young. I was looking for ways to keep our Christmas focused on Jesus rather than all the (delightful and fun though they are) other trappings of the holiday. It's a simple stocking and I used fabric paint to add His name. I sometimes think I should upgrade it to something worthy of our King, but on the other hand, I think perhaps He's pleased with the simplicity.

What goes in the Jesus stocking? It can be whatever you like. We've done it a couple of different ways.

Like the Thanksgiving Tree, each night at dinner we name something for which we're thankful, record it on a small piece of paper, and add it to the stocking. On Christmas day, it's fun to read all the blessings we've counted during Advent, from the littlest things (such as a tea party with Tigger), to grown-up concerns (such as being thankful that the car broke down in our driveway instead of twenty miles from home on a sub-zero day), to every-day-but-enormous joys (such as friendship, family and faith.) Here are some samples from years past:


Another idea for the Jesus stocking is to use it for corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Many of us are familiar with the idea of setting up a manger for baby Jesus and filling it with soft hay (we use yarn) in preparation for Christmas day. The idea for the Jesus stocking is similar. Corporal and spiritual works of mercy, small sacrifices, kindnesses and prayers are recorded and dropped in the stocking as gifts for Jesus. The children are encouraged to fill Jesus's stocking with gifts throughout Advent.

For much of Advent, the Jesus stocking will be the only one hanging on the mantle (the small tree to the right is our Jesse Tree):


to remind us that He is at the center of the celebration to which we look forward with such joy.

Surrounded by our favorite Advent books and calendars, this place of honor for the King is a constant reminder that what we anticipate in this season of hope is not a gift, but the Gift: our Lord and Savior.

Poetry Friday -- Morning

I'm not a morning person.

By nature, I'm the classic night owl.

I once happily sat up from 1-6 a.m. typing up a letter to a dear friend (I went through all of my old journals and compiled every entry about him, creating a chronicle of our friendship.) That seemed natural to me. I made it through several years of college without ever taking an 8:00 class. That seemed natural, too. I used to think one couldn't act truly human until sometime after 10 a.m.

But, my days of staying up late and typing till 6 a.m. came to an abrupt halt when I had children. Because children get up early, I've had to learn to get up early. And, when my children were very, very young, "getting up early" translated, for me, into "torture." They expected me to not only be awake but alive and alert and -- oh, my heavens -- to act like a good mommy. It's been an education.

And, over the years (and now that Ramona sometimes actually sleeps later in the morning) I've come to appreciate the beauty of an early rising that is accompanied by coffee and a bit of time to myself. I still don't get up at 4 a.m., like my wonderful morning-person-friend Margaret does (still staying up too late to do that) but I do love that tiny window of time in the morning, when it's just me, the coffee, and perhaps that cello on the radio that Billy Collins mentions in this poem.

Morning
by Billy Collins

Why do we bother with the rest of the day,
the swale of the afternoon,
the sudden dip into evening,

then night with his notorious perfumes,
his many-pointed stars?

This is the best—
throwing off the light covers,
feet on the cold floor,
and buzzing around the house on espresso—

Read the rest of the poem here.

Poetry Friday is being hosted today by Two Writing Teachers.
Find the whole round-up here.

Christmas Mosaic

Cay Gibson's new book, Christmas Mosaic is available now from Hillside Education.

This book is a wonderful resource for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. In addition to a terrific booklist and suggested activities, it offers essays from:

Margot Davidson
Kathryn Faulkner
Elizabeth Foss
Alice Gunther
Dawn Hanigan
Jennifer Miller
Gwen Wise

and, ahem, me.

Okay, so call me biased.

But, it is a wonderful resource and the kind of book I love to curl up with when pumpkin bread is baking and I have a cup of coffee by my side. I can peruse, dream and plan to my heart's content (and then, of course, uncurl myself and visit the library and the bookstore.)

I love to add new books to our liturgical year collections, and I have a feeling I'll find a few new gems in Christmas Mosaic. Thanks, Cay, for asking me to be a small part of this lovely project (my contribution is just one tiny essay) and thanks for all your hard work on this book. I'm looking forward to digging in!

I'm giving her an A+

The girls were having a snack and chatting tonight, and Ramona (we found out later) was trying to remember the word "attitude." She was demonstrating "a good one" and "a bad one" but we didn't yet know what word she was trying to recall.

"You know," she said, "it's like grammar, only it's the way you act."

A couple more Christmas ideas

Looking for handmade things? Rebecca at A Gyspsy Caravan has taken a "Handmade Pledge" and she has some great suggestions. Yesterday's links also include some homemade and handmade ideas.

Here are a couple more:

Doll Clothes Super Store has some very cute, very frugal clothes for American Girl dolls. The photos on the site are not of the highest quality, but the clothes are really cute. I ordered this matching set in blue for Ramona two Christmases ago, and she wore the dress for two summers. Betsy also loved this matching set. And, there are some cute historical outfits for the dolls here.

Kim Shenberger's Bookworm Bookmarks are beautiful. She has existing designs, or will create something to your specifications. I love her calligraphy (she created the Poetry Friday button, among many others.)

Ramona is up, so my time is up!

Oops! How did I miss this one?!

Lissa's post: "Best Gifts for Homeschoolers."

Off to add it to the post on Christmas shopping (and thinking that maybe I missed it because last night's post is time-stamped 11:49 p.m. and I should have been in bed?)

They're doing my holiday shopping post for me

There is absolutely no need for me to put together a Christmas shopping post. I've been thinking of doing one, but (as so often is the case) the more I thought about it, the more I put it off. And now, so many other bloggers are doing it for me. Thank you, kind women!

Check out:

Alicia at Love2Learn

Jennifer at As Cozy as Spring

Danielle Bean

Melissa Wiley's Best Gifts for Homeschoolers

That's why we homeschool

The other day, as the girls and I reviewed some of the things we've read about so far in our Middle Ages study, I stopped in the middle of my globe-pointing and said, "Well, of course, this isn't the only stuff that was happening during that time. Basically, we're covering a very tiny portion of what happened in European history. It would take years and years and years to learn everything there is to know about the Middle Ages."

Betsy, with gusto, replied, "Then let's take years and years and years to learn everything!"

Beorn the Proud

Our latest read-aloud:

Beorn the Proud, by Madeleine Polland, is set in ninth century Ireland and Denmark and follows the young lives of Ness, an Irish Christian girl, and Beorn, a pagan Viking boy who, in a raid on Ness's village, takes Ness as his slave.

The brutality of the Vikings is realistically portrayed from the opening pages: Ness's village has been destroyed, her family murdered. But we see, too, early in the story, a glimmer of hope for Beorn's future.

The clashes of culture, religion, and personality are deftly drawn. The power of slow but steady evangelization, the importance of knowing one's faith (in order to pass it on to others) and the beauty of conversion are at the heart of this story, which is also a rattlin' good tale of action and adventure.

Betsy gives it five stars. Anne-with-an-e enjoyed it, but perhaps not quite as much as Betsy did (though Anne was grateful for a female protagonist for a change, and is also looking forward to The Striped Ships. And, she's hanging on for all of our Joan of Arc reading.)

Planning for Advent

I'll be pulling our Advent plans together in the coming week. Last year's plans are here. Other past posts on Advent can be found here.

And, be sure to visit Mary Ellen Barrett's fabulous Advent and Christmas blog, O Night Divine. It's packed with ideas for preparation, celebration, gifts and more.

Feeling nostalgic

We have a little routine on Sunday mornings.

As we drive to Mass, we say a decade of the Rosary. Atticus concentrates on driving and I concentrate on leading the prayer. I ask the kids which mystery they'd like to contemplate and then they name people and intentions for whom they'd like to pray. Then we begin.

This morning, though, I must have been a little tired. As we pulled out of the driveway, instead of asking about meditating on a mystery, I said, "Okay, guys ... which decade would you like to meditate on?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Anne-with-an-e, "how about the 50's?"

Ramona's Pumpkin Turkey

wishes you and yours a happy and blessed Thanks- giving Day!

The grateful journey of Diane's heart

Margaret and Kristen beat me to the linkage, but if you haven't read it yet, run over now to see Diane at The Journey of a Mother's Heart for this these Thanksgiving thoughts.

They are so real, so heartfelt and so close to home.

Off to do a turkey craft with Ramona ....

Thanks, Diane.

Two laughs forward, one cackle back

Betsy recently informed us that she heard (somewhere) that laughter adds eight years to your life. (I just Googled this and still have no idea where she heard it.)

At any rate, the other day, we all shared a hearty laugh over something. Then:

Betsy: "Hey! We just added eight years to our lives!"

Ramona: "What?"

Betsy: "When you laugh, it makes you live longer!"

Ramona: "Do evil cackles count?"

What part of Thanksgiving are you?

You Are The Stuffing

You're complicated and complex, yet all your pieces fit together. People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

This, of course, makes no sense at all, but I'm throwing it in here because I haven't had time to think about that kindness post. (If you stopped by yesterday, you saw that I got one sentence written and then got interrupted ... then, I accidentally hit "Publish" instead of "Save." That post will be back when I've actually had time to write it....)

Thanksgiving Treasures

Last year, we were the recipients of a lovely honor. Our friends, Les and Leisa, sent us a letter announcing that we were among their "Thanksgiving Treasures."

Every year, each member of the family (mom, dad, and the four kids) chooses someone to be a "Thanksgiving Treasure." They send a letter to their treasure, explaining that they are grateful for that person's presence in their lives. They take the time to detail the things that make their friend special, and let the chosen treasure know that he or she will be prayed for nightly, as a candle is lit in the Les-and-Leisa home each night until Christmas.

Leisa explained that they came up with "Our Thanksgiving Treasures" to teach their children to hold onto that Thanksgiving gratitude and not let it get lost in the holiday rush. (And can I just say right now that I cried when I read their letter?)

I'd love to say that I followed up on this idea so completely that we have established our own Thanksgiving Treasure tradition. We haven't. Yet.

But, the beauty of this idea is that it's not too late. Les and Leisa's goal -- to carry the gratitude of Thanksgiving well beyond Turkey Day -- means that we can be reminded of our blessings all through Advent, too.

So, leave those Thanksgiving Trees up and get started on those letters!

Be kind

I have long, windy posts brewing in my head about this. They've been brewing for awhile and I'm longing for time to sit at the computer and write, write, write.

But before I can write ... I'm longing for time to think, think, think. I need to reflect and formulate and focus on what I want to say.

I want to link to the many different posts that I've read recently that talk about this very same, if simple, idea. Simple, but important. Foundational, really.

Be kind.

That will have to do for now. A day of cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, baking brownies, reading to the kids, math, a volunteer project, and having company for dinner looms.

Maybe scrubbing toilets will afford a bit of time for contemplation. Maybe I can practice what I preach amidst the busy-ness.

Be kind.

One woman's coffee ...

... is another woman's sacrifice.

The other night, I headed out for a much-needed break.

Me: "I have to go out for awhile. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Ramona: "Awwwww ... where are you going?"

Me: "For coffee with the other homeschooling mom."

Ramona: "Awwww ... do you have to?"

Me: "I won't be gone very long, sweetie."

Ramona: "Awwwww ...."

Two hours later:

Me: "Ramona ... I see that you pulled another one of your sacrifice beads. What was your sacrifice?"

Ramona: "You being gone."

Me: "Awwwwww .... "

Poetry Friday

I'm cheating today. I'm posting about a post that is a post about an alphabet book in poetic form.

Are you following?

Go visit Kelly, at Big A little a. She is hosting the Poetry Friday Round-up this week.

Then, go read her review of a new alphabet book by Steve Martin and Roz Chast. It's posted at Book Buds and, in her comments, I said this of Kelly's review (which is funny and right-on-target and totally in step with my own schizophrenic ways) :

I haven't seen the book yet, but I love the review, because it *sounds* as if it would be my reaction. Exactly. Roz Chast *is* a genius, and Martin *can* write. But, I have the same schizophrenic reactions to the "type."

And, I really do think Chast's angst is too angsty for children. I picture my youngest walking away from the book looking like a Chast character.

I love Roz Chast, but I don't want Ramona to go neurotic on me. We have enough of that around here without encouraging it via alphabet books.

Maybe I'll just ask Atticus to give the book to me for Christmas, and I'll hide it from the children. (Though, I must admit, we are all big fans of being in a quandary. So I guess we're hopeless.)

Have a poetic Poetry Friday.

Happy Birthday to Alice!

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear (and we mean that, in every sense of the word!) Alice ...
Happy birthday to you!

We love you, Alice!


Have a beautiful birthday!

Love,
The Eds

A Centerpiece of Gratitude

This is a quick rerun of a post from last November -- sharing another idea for a fun and meaningful autumn/Thanksgiving display.

(from 11/21/06):


I took this idea from a parish function we attended last week. We were given a cornucopia to take home, with the suggestion that it be filled with symbols or favorite objects for each family member. We added a candle, a cornhusk doll and our scarecrow to complete our centerpiece.

Symbols chosen?

For all of us: A holy card with a picture of Jesus, the center of our lives
Atticus: Red pen (he's a high school teacher, you know) and tea
Me: A picture of the Blessed Mother, to represent being a Catholic mom, and a pen for writing
Anne-with-an-e: A ceramic puppy (she's an animal lover)
Betsy: A small, knotted one-decade Rosary
Ramona: A picture of me, because I'm her "favorite thing"

I love the way this simple but meaningful centerpiece turned out!

Ramona quips

Inspired by Crinkleroot, we headed out for a nature walk at a local lake yesterday.

Crinkleroot has a snake friend named Sassafrass, who pushes little piles of pebbles together by the seashore. So, yesterday, Ramona and I built pebble piles but Ramona didn't think hers were as nice as Sassafrass's.

"Well," I offered, "Sassafrass gets a lot of practice doing this kind of thing."

"Yes," said Ramona, "she does. When she goes out for her nature slither."

Ramona reads!

Ramona's independent reading is really taking off.

Currently, she's enjoying Cynthia Rylant's Puppy Mudge books. They are simple books (pre-reading/beginner level) and Ramona loves to read them aloud to her daddy and me. We're hearing quite a bit about how Mudge takes a bath, finds a friend, wants to play, loves his blanket and has a snack.





Another current favorite is Crinkleroot's Visit to Crinkle Cove by Jim Arnosky.

Crinkleroot has become quite a pal to Ramona. He's the next best thing to actually getting out into nature.





Also by Arnosky's alter-ego, Crinkleroot, Ramona loves 25 Mammals Every Child Should Know.

(Good for nature study and for reading skills as well.)




Another repeated check-out from our library is Beachcombing: Exploring the Seashore. Ramona adores anything about seashells (we must get this family to an ocean) and this book gives her plenty to love.



A number of Jim Arnosky's books are out of print, but they're worth hunting down. Check your library, or buy used.

And, be sure to spend some time wandering through his website. He has animal coloring pages, fact pages, and so many gorgeous books.

Just one more recommendation -- straight from Ramona (who just looked over my shoulder and said, "Oh! Mommy! You can't forget the lion book!") So without further ado, don't forget: the lion book!