Names for the Kids

I've decided to give my kids online names. I will give my oldest son the name Angelboy, my two year old daughter I will name Pumpkingirl and baby will get the name of Smileyboy. How's that?

Advent Devotions

I am really happy with our nightly Advent Devotions this year. We are doing the Jesse Tree and the Advent tree as was posted about here. After supper (and sometimes after dishes too) we read the Jesse Tree reading in the kitchen. The two year old then puts the new Jesse Tree Symbol on the tree as we move out to the living room. Before lighting the Advent Wreath Dad reads a special prayer which changes for each week of Advent. Usually my son lights the Advent Wreath and I read the mass readings for that day. After the mass readings we sing Marian Advent Songs which I found on the Love2Learn Blog. They are The Angel Gabriel and Maria Walks Amid the Thorn. That's it. Pretty simple.

The thing we especially enjoy is singing the hymns together. It took a little practice but we finally learned them. Maybe we'll add a few more next year. These two will do for now though. Maria walks Amid the Thorn is especially beautiful since it talks of the pregnant Maria bearing the child Jesus under her heart. Here are the words of the second verse:

What 'neath her heart doth Mary bear?

Kyrie eleison

A little child doth Mary bear,

Beneath her heart He nestles there.

Jesus and Maria

Isn't that beautiful?

Simple Woman Day Book

FOR TODAY...December 14, 2009

Outside my window...It was a little foggy outside when I took my husband to work around 7:00. It is warm and gray. The snow is turning to slush. Good snowman making snow.

I am thinking... that I need to do a little bill paying today to finish what I did not get done on Friday.

I am thankful for...being able to pay all my bills and then some.

From the learning rooms...I don't know what I'm going to do. I really need to get a plan in place and order books and things for when our next trimester starts in January. It's really difficult getting schooling done with all that goes on in the morning and then my son isn't here in the afternoon because he is taking classes at the Jr. High. I'm thinking about sending him to the public high school next year. Any encouragement and/ or ideas for homeschooling highschool?

From the kitchen...I made a rumproast last night with potatoes and carrots. My brother came over, ate with us, and played many games of chess with his nephew.

I am wearing...Jeans and a navy blue t-shirt with my black coat. I haven't taken it off yet since I got back from taking my husband to work

I am creating...a happy home for my children I hope.

I am going...to try and create a place for Jesus in my heart on Christmas by working to get rid of anger and impatience; and of course, I need to remember to pray.

I am reading...I have started reading Frequent Confession: Its Place in the Spiritual Life by Benedict Baur and Guiding Your Catholic Preschooler by Kathy Pierce & Lori Rowland. I went to do some Christmas shopping at our local Catholic bookstore this weekend and ended up buying these two books for myself.

I am hoping...for a simple Christmas. I am thinking about making clam chowder this year instead of our usual feast with Turkey and the fixings. I don't know if this will make things simpler or not. I have never made clam chowder before. The meal would probably include bread and some other sides like a salad and a dessert. We usually have our get together on Christmas Eve.

I am hearing...the hum of my compter and the refrigerator running.

Around the house...I bought a wooden drying wrack for drying laundry inside. It added a good amount of drying space. I recently wrote a post about how my dryer needed repair and how excited I was ( perhaps inordinately so) about the prospect of hanging laundry to air dry inside. I guess I have had visions of a clothesline in my back yard for some time, but I never thought about air drying laundry inside in the winter. It's really not that hard.

One of my favorite things...is getting enough exercise which usually means going out for a walk at least four or five days a week.

A few plans for the rest of the week: -making cookies, finishing shopping, plan Christmas Eve menu, continue family Advent devotions, practice my bass and play Christmas duets with my son.

Here is picture I am sharing...

Snowy trees in our front yard

Seven Quick Takes Vol. 6

1. I am looking for a sewing machine. The only sewing machine I have ever used was my mother's White M77 series. This was made in the late 1940s and was made of cast iron. Oh how I wish I had it now. My sister got rid of it when she had moved out of my mother's house after she died but I had no place for it back then and it probably didn't hold as much interest for me then as it does now. I have been looking on ebay. There are lots of old sewing machines to be found there. These old machines are so heavy that many people will not send them out but require them to be picked up locally. I'm going to keep researching and see what I can find.

2. I have not sewed since high school (or was it Jr. High?). My mother taught me how to sew because it was something that I was interested in learning how to do. I would like to pick it up again and when I see something in the store that is simple yet expensive I can say, "I'll make one myself." Some things I have in mind to start off with are: an apron, a cloth, stuffed ball for a baby, baby and kid clothes. That should be enough for starters.

3. I think some of these simple things can be made easily enough with hand sewing too. I have a little pillow that I haven't finished yet. This project was out of a sewing book for kids that I checked out at the library to help teach my son how to sew. He finished his pillow.

4. I am pretty much done with the crocheted scarf that I am making for my sister for Christmas. I need to weave in the ends from where I started a new skein of yarn and figure out how to finish.

5. I have been hurrying my 14 year old son to bed so I will have the living area of the house all to myself. Everyone else is in bed and sleeping. Ahhhh peace.

6. My husband wants a saw and miter for Christmas. He is interested in learning wood working. I think he will be good at this as this is something that requires a lot of precision and attention to detail. He is a detail oriented person.

7. We are at the end of the second week of Advent and it is time to make a few cookies. This is what I may be doing for the rest of the evening. But first I am going to go to Conversion Diary and read other people's quick takes.

Dryer Isn't Working and That's O.K.

Yesterday for the feast of the Immaculate Conception I made Blueberry Muffins from this receipe at Catholic Cuisine. They were very good and rather decadent with the crumble on top even though I made the muffins with half whole wheat flour. I may leave the crumble off next time and see how that works for a somewhat healthier version as they seemed plenty sweet enough. I know--I'm no fun.

We had a busy day after mass and muffins. I went shopping for boots for the kids and bought some pants for my husband. I wanted to get this done before it got snowing too hard.

In the evening I found that my dryer wasn't working. When the towels didn't get dry the first time I thought my husband forgot to turn on the dryer; when they didn't get done the second time I knew something was up. The dryer was spinning but there was no heat.

At first I was a little bit distraught by this as I had a fair amount of laundry, but then I rememered a post I read by Heather at A Quiet Place of Rest where she talked about hanging up her laundry inside because the weather was overcast that day and how this also helpped with the dry air inside. So... I have been doing laundry and hanging things up to dry whereever I can find a place to hang them. I hung diapers last night and I couldn't believe how quickly they dried. It is the dry air I am sure. I love the fact that we are getting by (for now) without our dryer.

This seems like such a small thing to get excited about; but my excitement may be due in large part that doing without a dryer (even temporarily) can be counted as one of the many small steps that are leading us to live a more homemade, do-it-yourself, thrifty kind of life. I may try to find a place to hang a clothesline and try to do this on a more permanent basis. We'll see.

On another note...
Here are pictures my husband took of our back yard this morning. Yes, it snowed, and I think many people will have similar pictures on their blogs today.

Simple Woman Day Book

For today December 7, The Feast of St. Ambrose



Outside my window...There is a dusting of snow on the ground with a snow storm expected beginning Tuesday night.



I am thinking...about what to do for an Advent devotion tonight.



I am thankful for...being able to spend time on my blog.



I am wearing...Jeans and a gold sweater with colored flecks. It keeps me warm.



I am remembering...That my son will be home soon.



I am going...to be more patient and loving with the help of God.



I am reading...Bible readings for Advent.



I am hoping...to get out this evening and buy some necessary clothes for the kids (like boots, jeans, long underwear, sweat pants, long sleeves and sweaters) in order to prepare for the coming snow.



On my mind... I want to purchase on-line presents this week and figure out what to do about Christmas cards or whether or not to send Christmas cards. I want to stay calm about this and not worry so Advent can be a time of reflection and peace...



From the learning room...I am procrastinating.



Noticing that...my sons jeans have holes in both knees and are too short.



Pondering these words..."Children are crosses of the most embraceable kind." I got this from Nadja at Patch O' Dirt Farm.



From the kitchen...Trying new recipes from Catholic Cuisine: honey-curry chicken for supper tonight on the feast of St. Ambrose "the honey-tongued saint" and blueberry muffins for tomorrow morning for the feast of the Immaculate Conception. I have never really cooked special meals for saints' days but these recipes are relatively simple.



Around the house...There is a teenager, a toddler, and an infant.



From my picture journal...



For more Day Book's look here.

Some Special New Touches for Advent

We are doing a few new things for Advent this year. We have done the usual Advent Wreath for a few years where we light the candle(s) on the wreath and then read the daily mass readings or another appropriate reading. We have a brass ring with candle holders for the candles and in past years I had put an artificial garland around it with a purple ribbon. This year, however, due to the inspiration derived from reading blogs such as this one , showing off homemade Advent wreaths, my husband went and cut some branches from one of our pine trees outside and used these to put around the brass ring along with pine cones (also collected from my husband outside). I haven't actually attached the pine branches to the ring but it seems to work just fine like that as it is mostly likely to stay in one spot for the whole of Advent. Adding in some purple ribbon or some wire to fix things a little more securely would be simple enough though.

Something else we are doing for Advent is a continuation of a Jesse Tree that ds1 and I have been working on the past few years. We started drawing Jesse Tree Ornaments two years ago and it is our goal to finish them this year. There are different events and persons that may be used that lead up to the birth of Christ for the Jesse Tree but we chose to use this version which starts December 1 as opposed to the very beginning of Advent and includes the O Antiphons beginning December 17. In previous years we taped the ornaments on our fire place mantle but this year we are using a branch that my husband cut when he was trimming the tree in our front yard.
It feels good to be able to do these easy, little homemade things that don't require purchase from a store.