Category - Family Life

Christmas Carols

caroling-snowmen.gifMy favorite Christmas carol is “O Holy Night” and I’m particularly fond of the way Robert Goulet sang it. My parents had a great Christmas album with it on it, but sadly, Bob Goulet’s version is not to be had on iTunes. Josh Groban does a nice job, too, but nothing beats Robert Goulet’s deep, soothing voice. If I had any idea how to go about doing it, I’d get my parents to rip the whole album on to a CD for me.

My next favorite would be “Do You Hear What I Hear.” I love the story.

I like Bob Seger doing The Little Drummer Boy. Something about his gruff voice singing that tender song with a great drum in the background just gets to me.

And of course, Bruce Springsteen singing “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town in concert”…my favorite part is when Clarence Clemons starts “ho ho ho”ing and Bruce starts cracking up.

And it just wouldn’t be Christmas without Elvis singing “Here Comes Santa Claus.” ( Ha! You thought I was going for “Blue Christmas”, didn’t you? No, those “we-oo-we-oo-wees” are just too much. ) Elvis sings all of the verses but the best parts are the lines “Santa knows that we’re God’s children, that makes everything right” and “Let’s give thanks to the Lord above that Santa Claus Comes tonight.” Sing it, Elvis!

However, you have not lived until you’ve seen our family break into Feliz Navidad. We heard it a couple of times during our cruise (you didn’t think I’d go a whole post without mentioning it, did you?). I want to apologize to anyone on Deck 6 who was trying to nap while we went singing and dancing down the hall. I’m afraid we got a little loud. Let’s blame Philip.

So what are you favorite Christmas carols?

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The Holly and the Ivy

cookies.jpgWhen do you make Christmas cookies?  Do you bake early and often during December or wait until Christmas is upon us?

Unless I am called upon to produce Christmas cookies for an exchange or potluck, I prefer to save my baking until right before Christmas.  We start eating them on Christmas Eve and continue enjoy them throughout the rest of the week.  If I baked cookies too early then they’d be gone before Christmas.

It’s also part of my plan to have a low-stress Christmas.  I have my shopping done around Halloween and my cards mailed by the 17th.  Cookies are baked around the 21st.  The rest of the month we just enjoy the sights and sounds of the season.  Too many rushed and hectic Christmases past have taught me to plan ahead, slow down and relax.

We do our decorating during the weekend after Thanksgiving.   Except this year, where we were busily packing for our cruise.  Did I mention we went on a cruise?  The ship was beautifully decorated for Christmas and the Disney characters were dressed for winter.  Wait, where was I?  Oh yes – the decorating.  I held off on decorating during Thanksgiving weekend for years.  It was still November, after all!  But then days and sometimes weeks would pass with nary an evergreen on our mantle and I would get frustrated.  I finally realized that the crucial step in decorating, without which there would be neither holly or ivy, was Philip retrieving the Christmas boxes from the garage/shed/under the stairs.  If I tried to wait until December, then I also needed to wait until he was home from work and probably even after dinner.  The boxes would then sit in the house until he had time to climb the roof for the lights and help me assemble the tree.  Manly work, that Christmas decorating.  So one year I gave in and used Thanksgiving weekend for decorating.  And what do you know, just like that, my December to-do list was shortened.  I’ve never looked back.

Now growing up, one set of my cousins didn’t even put up their tree until Christmas Eve.  I thought that was sad and a bit extreme.  I know that the Christmas season technically and liturgically doesn’t start until Christmas Day, this being the Advent Season afterall, but that’s a bit much.

I just refuse to let Christmas stress me out.  I want to sit back and listen to Christmas carols and look out our tree.  I want to go to Christmas parties knowing that I don’t need to rush off to do some last minute shopping.  And you know what I do if the Christmas cards don’t get out in time?  I send New Year’s cards!  Vista Print and Kodak even have some nice New Year’s photo cards.  Order them right before Christmas when you realize your Christmas cards aren’t going out and they’ll arrived just in time to mail around the 28th.  Actually, go ahead and order them now and let yourself off the hook for the Christmas cards.

So what do you do to relieve the load during Christmas time? (and have you noticed that when I ask a question at the end of a blog post, hardly anyone answers?)

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Back to Reality

I’m back from vacation.  Did you miss me?

We were on a week long Disney Cruise.  It was wonderful.  Not too relaxing, but wonderful all the same.  Did you enjoy all the snow that I caused?  Remember how much I dislike the heat of summer?  Remember how where ever I have lived in the last 15 years has had record warm winters?  And when I move, those same places break snowfall records in the very next winter? Well, the day before we left, that big storm that was coming across the US was still predicted to go north of DC.  Then as I boarded a plane to Florida, the storm grew and headed south.  I hear Washington got 2-3 inches snow while I was sunning it up in the Caribbean.   Of course the cruise director said that the week we were there was the best weather they’d had in 2 months.  He thanked “who ever brought the great weather with them.”  That would be me.

So now we’re back.  The bags are mostly unpacked.  We are all sporting a lovely tan.  We’ve added several Disney related items to our collection.  We’ve booked another cruise for 2009.  We even joined the Disney Vacation Club.

Sadly, now it’s back to cooking our own food and making our own beds.  No more Charlie and Ivan bringing Mickey ice cream bars or cheese cake or baked Alaska after dinner.  No more towel animals on our bed after dinner.  I just printed out this week’s school schedule (we took an extra day off to recooperate) and planned out our dinner menu.  I’ve got Brownie meeting plans to make and a stack of mail to answer.  Sigh.

Is it too early to start a 2009 Cruise Countdown?

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Worldwide Candle Lighting

I know this may be too late for some of you (sorry, I’ve been gone), but tonight is the Worldwide Candle Lighting in honor of children that have died.

 

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Please light a candle at 7 pm tonight and keep it lit for one hour as a wave of light covers the globe.  But most importantly, whether you participate or forget or read this too late, please say a prayer for those families who have been left behind to carry on.

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New Words

So how was your Thanksgiving?  Ours was low key and peaceful.  I forgot about the Macy’s parade since that’s never been part of our West Coast Thanksgiving.  The only year I’ve seen it was last year.  We watched it in the hotel in the morning while packing up to move into our new house later that day.

We only watched the first half of the Cowboys game.  I don’t care for the Cowboys and my team is having a losing decade (Phil says they’re rebuilding) and never plays on Thanksgiving.  Still, I haven’t seen a football game in a while and I thought it would be fun.  Boo enjoyed watching with me, but unfortunately for him, it led to the revelation that he’d been playing tackle football with some of his older and much bigger friends when they’d been told not to.   We had a good discussion about death and dismemberment and the dangers of football without padding.

Dinner was wonderful, especially since we ordered it from the Club this year.  Very delicious!  They improved their sweet potatoes from last year, bringing the whole meal up to the same quality I would make.  The pumpkin pie was even better than mine.

Later, we all watched that traditional holiday movie, “Star War Episode 2.”  By the end, Bip had added “Bobo Fett” to his vocabulary.  And when it was time for desert he learned to say, “punteen pie.”  He was so thrilled that he went around to everyone, letting us know that something good was coming.  “Boo!  Punteen pie!”  “Yes, Bip, we’re having pumpkin pie.”  “Daddy!  Me-a punteen pie, too!”  “Yes, Bip, you can have some pumpkin pie, too.”  “Yay! Punteen pie!”

But the best moment was before dinner, when we went around the table, everyone saying what they are thankful for.  Do you do this too?  Bip, as he always does when he prays, listed his favorite people:  Boo-a, Puntin Girl (or a close rendition of her real name),  Mama, Daddy, and to our great surprise and  delight, he added someone else for the first time.  He said, “Becky.”  Then he paused and added, “baby.”  Yes, we are all thankful for Becky Baby.

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Thankful

Yesterday morning was another early one as we wound our way through the city for an appointment at Walter Reed.  It was time for Pumpkin Girl to follow up with the pediatric urologist regarding her recent kidney infection.  We made good time and all five of our guardian angels, plus our own personal saint in heaven were able to stop our car from plowing into the pickup truck trying to turn left in front of us, then changing his mind and stopping in the intersection.  We were just one block away from the entrance to the hospital, so we’d have ended up there one way or another anyway.

Pumpkin Girl made it through her tests bravely, like I knew she could.   A short time later we were headed home, with one more thing to be thankful for…her reflux is gone!

So this morning we are thankful for

the friends and family who only stayed in our lives for a short time and blessed us with the chance to love and be loved.

the friends and family who have stayed with us for years.

for opportunities offered- accepted or turned down.

for the continued and newly discovered health of our children.

for the basics.

for the luxuries.

And even though we will never look around the table and say we are thankful that “we are all here together,” we are thankful for who is here today and for having the chance to love those who are not.

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The Jesse Tree

But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. Isaiah 11:1

Part One of Three

So what exactly is a Jesse Tree?

Well, it’s simply a tree decorated with ornaments that tell the story of Jesus’ ancestors and of the events leading to Jesus’ birth. The name is taken from Isaiah 11:1,”But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (Jesse, you’ll remember is the father of King David.) During Advent, one ornament is hung on the tree each day. You can read an accompanying scriptural passage or just say a line or two about the meaning of the ornament.

From CatholicCulture.org :

THE STORY OF THE JESSE TREE Jesse was the father of the great King David of the Old Testament. He is often looked upon as the first person in the genealogy of Jesus.

In Church art a design developed showing the relationship of Jesus with Jesse and other biblical personages. This design showed a branched tree growing from a reclining figure of Jesse. The various branches had pictures of other Old and New Testament figures who were ancestors of Jesus. At the top of the tree were figures of Mary and Jesus. This design was used mostly in stained glass windows in some of the great medieval cathedrals of Europe. The Cathedral of Chartres (which was dedicated in 1260) has a particularly beautiful Jesse Tree window.

Interestingly, there is not one set of “right” Jesse tree symbols. You can do a search for them on the internet and in books, but most lists will vary in some way. If you want to start a Jesse Tree for your family, pick a list that appeals to you. Many of them have scriptural readings associated with each symbol. Or combine lists to make it unique to your family.

Ornaments can be anything you want – purchased or found items or you can craft some or all of them yourself. Fun foam, sculpey clay, felt- anything that works for you.  You could even print out pictures from the internet and tape them to the wall in a tree shape.

The Jesse Tree is so much more than a count-down to Christmas.   It is the telling of the story of God’s love and the promise of the Savior.  If you’re looking for a way to really emphasize the holiness of Christmas, the Jesse Tree can be a simple but effective tool.  While I think that the Jesse Tree is primarily a Catholic thing, there is no reason that other Christian denominations can’t start this fun tradition.

In Part 2 of my Jesse Tree Series, I’ll talk about the Jesse Tree Craft Swap that I am hosting, along with information on how to organize your own swap and some valuable lessons that I learned.

More information about the Jesse Tree Swap here: Jesse Tree Craft Swap

See the completed Jesse Tree Ornaments here: Jesse Tree Ornaments

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Blogging In the Shower

I’ve been busy organizing a Jesse Tree Swap. So you’re wondering what is a Jesse Tree and why would you swap it? Good question. I’ll tell you all about it later. Just so you know that I had 5 packages delivered today, with 21 more expected by Wednesday. We’re going on vacation at the end of the month and I thought it would be fun to undertake a Major Project before leaving. It’s all good though, and I can hardly wait to fill you in.

One of the unexpected benefits of blogging is that all those shower conversations I have with myself have a place to go. Do you talk to yourself in the shower? I do. All these random thoughts float around my head- funny observations, frustrations, questions and To Do lists. All that is blog fodder now. I just write what I’m thinking about in the shower that morning. It’s like you’re right there with me. But not. Which is probably good.

Anyway. So it was brought to my attention again that when I don’t blog everyday, people get a little perturbed. Sorry. Some days I’m actually just taking a shower and listening to celebrity scoop on my waterproof radio instead of thinking actual thoughts. I’ll try to do better.

Then there are the times when I’m actually distracted by life. As much as I’d like to blog, I just can’t justify sitting at the computer when my children are practically begging me to feed them.

When that happens I get a backlog of random thoughts in head that just bounce around with no place to go. So, in no particular order, here are my thoughts for the week:

1. A house on base is already decked out in Christmas lights. Not just a tasteful string across the front porch either. They’ve gone All Out. Polar Bears, even. The Whole Christmas Enchilada so to speak. I bet they’ll rip that stuff down by sunset on the 26th. Somehow I think for them it’s less about celebrating the birth of Christ as it is about showing everyone else just how much they love Christmas. At least Homer hasn’t made an appearance yet.

2. What is a Canuck and why are they crazy?

3. I have finished my Christmas shopping! Woo hoo, extra hoo! I have 2 or three more gifts to make and then I’m done for good. That includes Pumpkin Girl’s post-Christmas birthday, too.

4. According to Pumpkin Girl, I now have a job. You know, something more than caring for and educating three hooligans delightful children. I recently made and sold 2 pumpkin hats and so she thinks that’s my job. Then the big brother of one of the pumpkin hat recipients thought he’d like a similar rolled brim hat, in gray. So I’ve actually been commissioned for a hat. Amazing. Of all the crafts I’ve done through the years, it’s funny that the one I’m getting paid for is knitting.

5. We have a mouse. I’d feel bad about my shoddy housekeeping, but that’s not the culprit. Living in multiplexes like we do in base house, it’s inevitable that you’ll either get mice or roaches. Especially when there are three empty houses between you and the next neighbor and it’s gotten too cold to be outside. I called the maintenance people and hopefully they’ll be able to help.

6. I’m almost out of shower gel.

So there you have it. Hopefully something a little more interesting tomorrow.

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Martinmas

So Sunday was Martinmas.  It also happened to be Veteran’s Day.  Someone pointed out to me the wonderful coincidence that St. Martin of Tours was himself a soldier. Incidentally, it was also the weekend that local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts collected bags for food for distribution to the poor in their Scouting for Food campaign.  Of course, St. Martin is best known for his kindness to a poor beggar. It’s wonderful how God takes care of the details like that.

Collecting food for the poor and honoring our veterans – a fitting way to remember the example of St. Martin.

Now since we made lanterns a couple of days ago, I certainly wasn’t going to let the Feast of St. Martin, or Martinmas as it’s called, pass by without a Lantern Walk.

First, Boo and Pumpkin Girl made a super easy Meatball Soup from the Pampered Chef’s kid’s cookbook.  Once that was made, we armed ourselves with the Cub Scout Songbook and set off with our lit lanterns attached to sticks.

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We started off singing “This Little Light of Mine” which just seemed appropriate.  A few more well known songs, like three versus of “Yankee Doodle”, and “The Brave Old Duke of York” and we were good and warmed up.  Our heavy jackets helped, too.  But we really got going singing in rounds.  “Down By the Station,” “Three Blind Mice” and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” were the favorites.  Those songs have nothing to do with St. Martin, but the tradition is to walk along with your lit lanterns, singing songs, and those were the songs we knew.

We finished off with another round of “This Little Light of Mine,” then returned for our nice, warm soup.  Boo remembered to pray the homeless who were out in the cold that night.

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