Oh January

It's our second snow day and I'm hoping for another happy one.  I started my day nice and slow in front of the living room window and the fireplace making plans.   

Best day!

A whole day at home with no plans!  Though I know it's early in the year, I think it's safe to say today will be one of the best of 2014.  A walk, the park, great meals, a homemade pie, lots of snuggles, warm blankets and a fire, cocoa, Matlock (they're hooked!), last minute homework, anticipation and then confirmation of a snow day, a musical performed by the Baum Girls, and all that wonderful snow! Let me linger in my bliss before you remind me that sometimes one day more is one day too much.  However,  I'm already making my plans for tomorrow so bring on that snow day!

Eleanor is 8!

Eleanor turned 8 on Tuesday!
What at gem she is.
She's insightful, honest, thoughtful and observant.    
She is wise and empathetic, calm and good deep down to her toes.
She loves to laugh and her laugh fills our house with happiness.
She doesn't like sarcasm or poking fun at anyones expense.
She has high expectations of herself and everyone else
She likes sports and art, and zebra print, lots of zebra print.
She is a whiz with numbers and her words flow beautifully too.
In addition to all of this she is a contradiction every single day and I love that.  She reminds me to never put limits on anyone, don't box them in.  We get to change our minds, we get to be who we want and are called to be.

Christmas morning.  

"Do I contradict myself?  Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes"
Walt Whitman "Song of Myself"
Whitman wrote it and Eleanor  lives it!  Oh, how I love you Ellie!!

Sometimes there's just a whole lot of laundry...

The stomach flu has been going around just about everyone we know.  It was inevitable really that it would hit us.  And it did.  Poor Emma got sick Thursday evening.  Oh, the timing! Her class had a pajama day and read in planned for Friday and she had plans to go to a friends after school to make cookies and spend the night.  My heart hurt for her to have to miss out on so much fun.  She was disappointed and even cried but as she often does she surprised me with her understanding and acceptance that things don't always go our way.

Yesterday was spent washing load after load of bedding and clothing and cleaning everything else, while praying that we could rid our house of those nasty germs and keep everyone else healthy.  This is become quite a regular routine around here.  In the last 4 week we've had head lice, strep throat, and now stomach flu.  Being a mom of three young of kids is so much fun but the laundry is a big job on a normal week, add illness and I'm telling you it's staggering!

While I won't rest easy for awhile, stomach flu has a way of keeping quiet for a few days and then striking again, today we are all well!  Which is a wonderful gift because our holiday celebrations begin this morning with our annual Teddy Bear Tea!

Before 5

2 more days of school until Christmas Vacation!  It's been a good week full of preparations for Christmas. 

Yesterday after school we gave Eleanor an early birthday gift and took her and a friend  to a craft studio in Webster Groves for a workshop.  While she was busy making art, Emma, Lucy and I walked around Webster and did a little Christmas shopping.   I think it was the most fun I've ever had Christmas shopping.   We didn't buy much but I did get a few ideas!  After a quick dinner at Bread Company we came home and all of us were in bed by 7:30.  No kidding, we were so tired.  Which is why at 4:30 I was awake.

 I was also awake early because of these two.  When they sleep with me I usually sleep on one side and  make one of them sleep in the middle…it gets hot in there and they both kick and push in their sleep.  Last night they were bickering so I slept in the middle but hen I got upstairs from my run this morning this is how I found those two.  Both in the middle, sharing a pillow.  

This

Remember when I told you that I wanted to put into words my feelings about Christmas Shop but seemed unable?  On Sunday this sermon pretty much summed up all I was feeling.  It reminded me of why, even though it's exhausting, and heart breaking, and frustrating I keep going back.  Hope.  Hope and love keep me going back.  A desire to stand with someone and let them know they are not alone and that someone cares.  This is Christmas.



 

The Holly and the Ivy

The calendar tells me that there are just 10 more days until Christmas Eve.  My front porch doesn't believe it.  There still sit pumpkins.  Pumpkins that are in fact covered in snow and possibly probably rotting underneath.  I need to pay bills and figure out what we have in the refrigerator, change everyones sheets, probably clean a bathroom or two and think about gifts for our teachers….and a good chunk of the folks on our Christmas list.  Nothing has been wrapped.  They'll be no cards this year and maybe no homemade cookie gifts for our friends and sweet teachers.  Just now, like in the last 20 minutes I've felt like maybe I could start thinking about making a list, a plan for what must be done and what can be let go of over the next 10 days.  The goal is to enjoy the time, not just check boxes off.   I'll make my list tonight, in front of the fire, while watching The Muppets Christmas Carol.   Spending 7 days at Christmas Shop always requires some time for reentry into my regular life.  This year has been no different.  Today I've choked back a few tears.  Not really sad tears just full tears.   There is so much in this world that I don't understand and being plucked out of my beautiful, neat, safe little life rips that wide open.  Today I can't quite put it into words but I will.  Instead of my own words, in my mind I hear The Holly and the Ivy, in my favorite version by The Lower Lights.  In particular these lines...

The holly wears a blossom

As white as any flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Savior.

The rising of the sun,
The running of the deer,
The playing of the organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

Oh, the holly bears a berry
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good.