The Week Before Christmas::A Daybook

(I started this a few days back...ignore time references)

Listening to: Chattering little girls in the schoolroom.  I love that they've started to play in our back room now that it's far too cold to play on the picnic tables outdoors.  The neighbors bring over tupperware full of Lego Friends.  I have been eavesdropping on their hopes for Christmas, and I'm a little concerned--a friend just described an elaborate, many-stories tall Lego house that she's hoping for!  Geez, friends can raise the bar for present expectations! haha

From the Kitchen:  I owe Arwen a huge apology.  She and her friend baked Christmas "cookies" yesterday, except they put the dough in a pan and made "bars".  I was pretty disappointed because I was envisioning getting a head start on the cookie platter.  However, last night I gave the bars a try...and...they were a mazing!!!  I'm cutting them small and putting them on the platter after all! Teaches me to be critical! 

Living the Liturgy:

Despite the several things I posted about in the first week of advent, I just never got around to setting up a "hay for baby Jesus" crib this year.  (I'm sure you know, but you place in a piece of straw for each prayer or sacrifice and thus prepare a soft bed for Jesus by Christmas).  Not to be deterred, last night I capitalized upon the fact that it was the first day of the "O Antiphons" and told the kids that for this final octave before Christmas we would be working extra hard to get ready for Jesus.

Yep, I made it seem like this was all liturgically correct and not at all last-minute-fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants.  I'm really good at that.  It's a talent.  You could be jealous, but then again, you probably had your hay crib up on the first day of Advent! haha

Do you know that I really love the "O Antiphons"?  I didn't even know what these were until a few years ago.  If you don't, just think of "O Come O Come Emmanuel".  That song was written for the "O Antiphons": O Come Thou Wisdom, O Root of Jesse, Key of David...just find all of the verses and you'll have 'em!:)

The Antiphons are prayed in the Liturgy of the Hours, and these are the ones for December 17-Christmas Eve.  The first letter of each antiphon spelled backwards is "Ero Cras", latin for "Tomorrow I Come".  You should check out what Jessica does over at Shower of Roses--someday I'd love to be that organized and have a family gift for each day leading to Christmas.  

Around the House:

Are these nesting dolls cute or what?  Baby Jesus is still inside of Mary.  They're new this year, and I will add that they're quite sturdy.  My kids have been playing with them a lot.  (I think I got them from the Catholic Company??  They sell the shepherd with animals and three kings too).

 Rudolf has been a very present figure in our home this Advent.  Legolas loves him!  His nose lights up and blinks as "Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer" plays.

Worth Checking Out:  A friend of mine has shared some beautiful thoughts on suffering, the vocation of marriage, and God's mercy and grace.  Consoling words for those of us feeling a little less than pristinely prepared for the coming of Our Savior:

She writes: I may have lost out on a couple of months, but it wasn't too late to change my tune.  God is always ready and waiting for us to turn to Him.  We fall and fall again.  But we have to keep getting back up again and renewing our firm amendment to try harder in the future.  God's mercy is always available.  His help is always there.  We just have to choose to want it.

read the rest here

Plans for the Week:  Well, besides wrapping all of the gifts for my ten person family...

We're finishing up basketball games before a nice, long, three week break in the season.  My kids are off to a great start.  Gimli is on a great team and holds our family record for game points (I think it's 12, I'll be in trouble if I have this wrong!).  Aragorn is point guard on a team that isn't super-loaded with talent.  They have seen a victory, but yesterday was a devastating (30-point?) defeat.  I'm proud of how hard he plays.  And Arwen is an off-guard this year on a team with lots of good athletes.  There aren't any "stars" on her team, but they all work together really well, and they're fun to watch play.  In fact...I gotta go run to one right now!