Our First St. Lucia Celebration

Truth #1: We are only on the cusp of learning the meaning behind St. Lucia.
Truth #2: St. Lucia is ma' gurl!

The Swedish celebration of St. Lucia's Day comes from the stories that were told by Monks who first brought Christianity to Sweden. From that point on, Sweden holds one of the biggest celebrations of St. Lucia's Day on December 13th every year.

St. Lucia was a young girl who believed in Christ and followed Him the point of martyrdom. She was killed for her faith in 304 AD. The most common story that has been passed down for generations is that St. Lucia would secretly carry food to the persecuted Christians in Rome, who were forced into living underground in the catacombs. In order to keep her hands free to carry supplies and provisions, she would wear candles on her head. This had a two-fold function, lighting the way and maximizing her "carrying capacity."

This is also why her feast day is during the darkest time of year, close to the winter solstice. St. Lucia reminds us that there is always a little light in the darkness.

I recently read a quote from St. Lucia and it resonated with me. "...whatever you give away at death for the Lord's sake you give because you cannot take it with you. Give now to the true Savior, while you are healthy, whatever you intended to give away at your death." Those things that we hold so dear and close–that we hold right up until the end–why not give them away while you are still able to witness and enjoy the blessings those gifts are to those around you? In a culture that is so busy, busy, busy, one of the most precious gifts we have to give–specifically as parents–is our time. It is so easy to allow work, life, this-and-that-other-thing to eat up our time. As parents, there are many things that the two of us hold a united front on, and the "rage against busy" is something we fight for with paramount priority. We are purposeful about slowing down and just being together. As a family, we look forward to and protect those days when no one has to get up early for work or school. No one has to to be anywhere or do anything but be with each other. So that is precisely the way we chose to celebrate St. Lucia's Day. We gave each other one of our greatest gift we have, our time.

We participated in a few of the traditional Scandinavian/Swedish customs of the feast day. MAK played an integral part in our celebration. I cannot rate the heights of her excitement for today. Inviting her into my magical time of peace, I woke her up just before 6:00 am (for real... judge me, whatevs). I wasn't a foot into her room and she was bolt upright in bed, "Is it the early morning?" "Sure is." "Are you sure?" "Yep, I am sure." "Woah, that was a short sleep!"

I carried her downstairs and we rolled out dough and made "sweet rolls." Traditionally, these are saffron flavored rolls, but folks, lemme tell ya, saffron is like the world's most expensive spice! Hash-to-the-tagTRUTH! So, um NO... no saffron rolls here. Though I tried to talk her into letting me flavor the frosting with orange juice, "little Lucy" was having none of that! "You guys can just eat oranges. I'll just drink the juice."

Then she got all "Lucied up."  We didn't have a long white gown, so a ruffled white-with-gold-polka-dot dress with a red sash (or Christmas ribbon) tied around her waist sufficed well. I found the smallest wreath I had and made candles out of popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners. She was adamant that the candles NOT be real! (Ben recently demonstrated the burning of hair as warning for them to be careful whilst blowing out candles) 

Then, while it was still dark, she carried her prepared food upstairs where the four of us cuddled in Mom and Dad's bed, ate our sweet rolls, fruit, and coffee, and watched The Polar Express. It was the BEST, most magical morning in the HISTORY OF EVER! The rest of day was spent relishing the slow pace of togetherness. We played, we dressed up, we danced, we imagined, we talked, we listened, we ate, we rested... We Lucied!

Our prayer as parents is that through our gift of time, we will create space for those sweet moments with our kids to speak to and about the work of Christ in our lives and theirs. That we will have those times of darkness–hopefully a few of them together–so that when they are in those times of darkness alone, they will be reminded that the light will alway pierce the darkness. 

So today we say "thank you" to Saint Lucia, bringer of light, for the reminder that even in our darkest of times the light will come. Hopefully, it will come from within.

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. 
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Thanks-to-the-giving 2014

At some point during the ceremonies of the feast of thanksgiving 2014, it came to me in a pre-comatose vision that this was my 10th year of giving the thanks with the man I love and two of the Earth's best, my in-laws. I find it Bazaar (with a capital "B") that there are stretches of my life that can be measured in decades! It has been a decade since my "first hunt," and 9 years since my second hunt, and well that must be where the need to impress ended because in 2 tries I was over that whole getting up early to sit outside in the Wisconsin nonsense of coldness, praying that a deer might shuffle by, while praying that no one would kill it in front of me! hashtagBambi

These thanksgiving days when the human alarm clock arrives at the bedroom door, beckoning all the hunters to the hunt, I roll over and snuggle into the middle of bed, stretch my arms and legs out as wide as I can and belly-sleep the hours away until a little one wakes me to the sounds of impatient hunger. Why-oh-why can they just not eat more at dinner, or learn to feed themselves, or just learn to be awake and quiet at the same time?!?

This year was one of the precious few that we got to have the whole family together on the mountain! There just are not enough of these times! These 4 are a... FORCE!

There was some "crafting" to be had and surely no one at this table started eating the turkey craft supplies before we even got started!! 

The candy turkeys... well... they almost were NOT because sometimes Pinterest directions are lies and impossibilities!

So then one is left to think for oneself to get Oreos, candy corn, various chocolates, and frosting into poultry formations!

Though the left over frosting could not go to waste!

Grandma and Grandpa's house is filled with magics both inside and out, one of the outside magics is the sledding hill right off the front porch. 

Some get points for style. This guy took to "snowboarding" like it was nothing!

Some get points for flare. Yes, that wee one was gunning it so fast down the hill that she flew right off the back end!

Some get points for precision. This boy could repeatedly turn his sled 180 degrees to slide through his uncle's legs backwards...every time!

Some get points taken way for danger. These two... whoa... these two + speed + tree = negatory big ben!

All turned out alright, but those ladies need to learn to harness the power!

Once the outdoor shenanigans were completed, the indoor fun and poor choices abounded...

Leap frog = fun!

 Looking through the binoculars at a high powered flashlight = poor choice

 Opening presents in brand new PJs = fun

 Not keeping your eye on the ball = poor choice

Being awesome = fun

More leap frog = more fun

Fighting over toys with your fellow sibling = ugly poor choice

Grandpa reading one of his childhood favorites to his grandkids = sentimental fun-ness

Swinging from the rafters = really fun poor choice

Watching the snowfall from the warmth of the cabin = precious fun

Jumping on Grandma and Grandpa's bed = caught 'ya poor-choicing it, little lady!

All-in-all, this was a lovely time with family! We are so very thankful!

In other news, with the conclusion of my "impressive" hunting days, I thankfully birthed a lad that sees the enjoyment in such sport!

Just don't kill Bambi in front of him!

Mimi Reads!

Last thursday night was the most dreaded night of school year, parent-teacher conferences. I am not sure why this night stresses me out so much but it very much so does! I am talking like from day one of the school year my eyes are focused on this night, this night of 15 minutes per parent of small talk, albeit directed and purposeful small talk, but small talk just the same. I am terrible at small talk, at speaking with people I don't know, and about sensitive subjects, like their kid! I have said this before, but I do NOT do things I am not good at...except for when I have to. Unfortunately, parent-teacher conferences is a "have to" situation.
Partway through the Valley of Conferences I was given the most precious gift. This year I find myself in a unique "spawn swap." I have my girl's teacher's kid in one of my classes, and that night we reversed roles and I was the teacher and her child the subject. Though right at the very end she could no longer contain herself and blurted out the life altering words, "SHE READ TODAY!" I heard those three words and went slack-jaw-tear-welling-bless on her! As if my emotional state wasn't already verging on the crazed, I clearly leapt over that proverbial cliff in that moment. I couldn't wait to get home and hear it from my girl herself!
She read chapter one of her school book to us and she was so proud of herself, and we were so proud of her, I about went ballistic... again! We decided that a celebration was needed and what says Happy Reading better than a brick of scotcheroos? NOTHING is the answer NOTHING! It was her choice and we all supported her.

Also, a maiden voyage to the library as an official "reader." Super big deal! Although, she felt like trash in the moment due to some sort of sick she has acquired, she pushed through for a trip to the Mother Land.

#trueconfessions

 Honest truth, I have scrolled through our family fall pictures approximately 87 ga-llion times, because they make my heart soar! Though if we were to be truly forthcoming with our adventure in family picturing we would not be able to withhold the following gems from you, our people! So as promised, the blooper-reel 20-14!

This is how it all started and it is a divine wonder that we were able to capture as many sweet pictures as we did. Our boy is far less emotionally transparent as our girl but his defiant-try-hard faces are of the plenty! Ma-lass, well, I just laugh every time I look at her face. I mean for the love of all things pouty face, if there were an award to be given for such things... Ding-ding-ding we have winner!

Clearly I did not get the memo to express either "shock-and-awe" or "torqued-off." Who are these people?

I will let you assign the aforementioned expressions as you see fit.

M: Good one, Mom... good one!

Photo documentation of the process of wisdom imparting.

Dad: The camera is this direction. Please look there and smile! For the love, SMILE...naturally!

Mom: Girl, be happy, look happy!

Are there prizes for second place pouty face?

Oh MERCY! Bless her little heart and his silly try hard antics!

Just BLESS!

Fall Pausings

We are to that point, where we can neatly fold up and tuck away the first quarter of the school year. Though in my case it would be more like gather up the pieces of the first quarter and mush them all together into an attempt at a single cohesive mass, and then shove it into a deep, dark space to hopefully never surface again. Either way it is past tense, which in and of itself is magical!
Thankfully, for my girl, she associates with the former description of the school year. Actually she may rather not tuck away the first quarter, she may more likely take all the pieces of her time in kindergarten and turn them into glitter and have it rain down on her each and everyday–and true to glitter's reputation, it would never leave. She would be able to find remnants of it everywhere, and for always!

Our girl is living the dream of kindergarten. She loves her school. She loves her teacher. She loves her friends. She loves maps and continents. She loves writing her whole name and her spanish numbers (yeah, I know numbers are numbers in english or spanish... just go with it). As parents, we are beaming with joy at the love of learning that is flourishing in our wee lass.

In case that was not enough awesomeness for you, let us delve deeper into the amazingness of girlfriend's teacher. She has a serious case of the magics!!! She has got girlfriend's number for sure, and that, folks, is something this parental unit has hoped and prayed for! MAK needed a place where she was not the queen/ruler/center/judge/jury/alpha/omega of all things. This task seems insurmountable due to her wiles of immense cuteness and wit, but fear ye not, her personal Mistress of Ceremonies has brewed up the perfect blend of showcasing our girl's strengths and mixing them with a heavy does of equality in the classroom, which is a magical recipe we once feared may not exist. I was not so much worried about it, just doubted it to be a reality. Shameful behavior, I know.

I knew that we had made the right choice of schools from the very first visit, but it was once again confirmed in the form of an average question with a typical magical response. The other day my sweet lady and I were having a discussion about favorites and when questioned about her favorite animal she responded with "unicorns, even though you can't see them!" Perfect, 10,000% PERFECT! Thank you to all those involved in my girl's education, thank you for preserving the magic!

Preschool + my boy = a lot of mixed feelings. That about sums it up. He never wants to go, though often is upset when we pick him up too early. He has also encountered a teacher with magics that specifically make sense to our boy and his tender, logical, analytical self. She gets him, he gets her, and they have a special bond!

The 2014-2015 school year for me doesn't contain many mixed feelings. The feelings have been assessed and reassessed (*groan*) and they come out unfortunate every time. My year can be summed up as a fractal leaf pattern. I am trying so hard to hold unto my chlorophyll but slowly and surely my mineral supply continues to dwindle and I can no longer maintain the supplies of growth and continue to be overrun by anthocyanins. Yeah, there is still some green and I will hold on as long as I can. Though my dad's words keep ringing in my ears, "attitude is a choice" and I need to make a different choice. My students (at least in one of my classes) and I had a heart-to-heart about attitude choices and we are now aware that our current attitudes are helping no one, so... I'll see about keeping you updated on that. If it is going well, I'll let you know, if it's not, I likely won't. #Truth!

Speaking of leaves and magics and this time of year I just could not look outside any longer, at all the amazing colors of fall without marching my family out there and capturing some of their magics! So I end this informative keep-you-up-to-date post. Though, attitude choices were... well... we'll post a blooper reel at a later time.  Here are some fall magics!

I find him so handsome!

Pausing for Magics!