Weekend Links! - Christmas, New Year's, and more!

"Why Busy Parents Should Always Go to Midnight Mass":

Now that I got that first, pious reason out of the way, I have to admit the real reason: it really is the most convenient. Think about it: Christmas eve and Christmas day are already packed with activities, the kids are already buggy, and my husband and I are already up late doing last-minute preparations, and already nobody gets much sleep. As long as it's the craziest 48 hours of the year anyway, might as well go whole hog and add a van trip into town in the middle of the night. I'll tell you what's difficult: finding time the evening before, when we're supposed to be wrapping presents, or the morning of, when everyone's hopped up on chocolate and candy canes and doesn't want to be torn away from their new toys. We've tried the vigil Mass and Christmas morning Mass, and they are not a walk in the park!

"Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: A Review of Rosaria Butterfield’s Book":

So often, especially concerning sex, Christians talk as if we are asking people to nip a little here, tuck a little there. But to follow Christ is to die. To be fair, Christ gives us back a new life, an eternal life that can’t be compared to what we lost. But having borne two children in the last six years, I can tell you, birth is messy, and painful, and the best sound you can hope to hear in your newborn is a loud, terrified cry. New birth in Christ is no less terrifying and miraculous.

"Clutter Interrupted’s New Year’s Goals"  - I love reading about New Year's resolutions, and this is a particular fun and thorough post on the subject. (And there's a podcast to go with!)

"The Herod in Each of Us":

We see Him as a threat to all things that could bring happiness. Tiny Baby. Gentleness incarnate. And we rage. And we struggle. And yes, we kill. We destroy peace. We destroy joy. We slaughter childlike faith. All because we think we know better. We are so afraid of relinquishing our own wills, that we miss the one thing that will give us genuine peace. 

"Word of the Day: twelve":

One of the sad losses as Western man moved from liturgical time to secular time has been the festal season. We have shopping periods, with no special beginning or end, stretching farther and farther out away from Christmas Day or Easter, losing all connection to the feast, and bringing in their wake not festivity but weariness and ennui.

the more it stays the same

When you want to go shopping with newborn twins, every bit of preparation - every get-your-shoes-on, make-sure-I-have-the-list, does-everyone-have-a-coat bit - is timed so that you can nurse them right before you walk out the door. That way, maybe, they'll make it without needing to be nursed again before you get home.

When you want to go shopping with two-year-old twins, every bit of preparation - every get-your-shoes-on, make-sure-I-have-the-list, does-everyone-have-a-coat bit - is timed so that you can have them go potty right before you walk out the door. So that maybe they'll make it home from the store with dry pants.

It's not that you have to stop paying exquisite attention to your timing. It's that what you're trying to time correctly changes.

Peace of Christ to you,

Jessica Snell

cheap diapers

Always a good thing, right? Just wanted to point those of you who haven't heard towards AmazonMom. It's a new program from Amazon where you can get diapers, disposable training pants, and wipes very cheaply. AND delivered to your door. And by cheaply, I mean those big boxes of diapers (size 4, 140 ct., for example - Sam's Club size boxes) for $25. That's an amazing price.

Anyway, I just used this to get cheap training pants for the twins, and I thought I'd pass it along. Hope it helps someone else!

Peace of Christ to you,

Jessica Snell

oh dear

so far, I've avoided giving the kids baths when my husband isn't home. After all, what do you do with twin babies while you have two toddlesr in the tub?

I think I might have to figure that out.

See, my idea was that Bess and Gamgee could play with water on the porch, with buckets and cups and dishtubs and all good things.

My idea was NOT that they'd get into the sandbox with the water.

Silly me.

Four Under Four Made Easier

On the homemaking part of homemaking through the church year, I thought I'd share a list of things that makes being a stay-at-home mom to four children under four years old easier. Some of these I picked up from smarter people, but I don't remember who all to credit. I don't have a ton of experience mothering this many littles - only 2 /12 months so far! - but I thought some of the things we do might be things other people would find helpful. These range from little, simple things that make life easier to deep, simple things that are indispensable. So, here's the list:

1. Clothes pajamas. This one I see to remember comes from Amy of Amy's Humble Musings. The idea is that you dress your children at night in what you want them to wear tomorrow. This is easier in warmer weather when they're just going to be wearing nice soft shorts and tees, or just onsies. So you have to change diapers in the morning, but not whole outfits. Honest, this is a wonderful, wonderful thing when you have four to get dressed and fed upon waking (not to count yourself!).

2. Slings/mei-tei's/other baby carriers. At least the one (or two) in the carrier is going to be happy. And don't just put the babies in them. Toddlers and preschoolers like being on mommy's back or hip too. I walked towards my husband's workplace to meet him on his way home this week, with the twins snuggled in the back of the double stroller, my son in the front and my oldest girl on my hip, sitting in a sling. It was a great time to talk to her, because she had my ear all to herself.

3. Baby swing. Mine's called a "Magical Mobile Swing." And it is. Magical. If putting Anna in it for five minutes means I can get the older ones down for their nap without listening to a baby scream while I do it, well, who am I to deny us that golden silence? (Honestly, I always feel a little strange about using a machine to calm a baby, but if it helps her fall asleep when she's really sleepy and just can't get there in this heat, or if it calms her down the five minutes it takes for me to get something necessary done before I can give her my full attention, well, it's a kindness, and not neglect. I'm sure baby swings can be misused, but used well, they're a blessing not just for mom, but for baby too.)

4. Menu planning. This means that I can make dinner a few minutes here, a few minutes there - even doing chopping a day ahead of time, if that's where I find time to do it. Because I know what we're having for the next couple of weeks, I don't have to do the prep all at once, but can fit it in to those odd spaces where I'm not nursing. (You nurse a LOT when you've two newborns instead of one.)

5. Audiobooks. Especially the Bible. I listen to the Alexander Scourby version (highly recommended if you're okay with King James; Scourby's a British radio actor who reads it beautifully, and you can get it on MP3 cd from Amazon for less than $20). I listen to it in the dark at night while I nurse the babies. It's such a good time, sitting there, feeding my twins and listening to the Word of God. Peaceful and good.

6. Pre-filling sippy cups. This is for the older ones. But I put sippy cups full of milk in the fridge at night and my oldest loves getting them out all by herself for her and her brother, and if I'm a little late getting breakfast on the table, the milk holds them over till our first meal of the day.

7. My husband. As Dr. Laura says, "Choose wisely, treat kindly." I recommend having done the first and continuing to do the second. If I was to write all of the wonderful things my husband has done during the twin pregnancy and this twin newborn period, Blogger would kick me off for using up all their disk space. But honestly, this time in our life has kicked so much of the pettiness out of our relationship. We just don't have the energy to get self-righteously annoyed at each other anymore (something I was much more prone to than he ever was anyway). Our fights now go something like this:

"I'm sorry, that was a nasty look I gave you."
"Yeah, it was. But I kinda deserved it. I just didn't want to do what you asked."
"Yeah, I understand. I mean, I really understand. I wouldn't've wanted to do it either."
"I know. Believe me, I know."
"So we both acted badly there."
"Yep. Sorry."
"Me too."
"Okay."

I mean, can you get more low-key about realizing you're sinful and owe each other repentance and forgiveness? It's great. Twin-exhaustion's being good for our spiritual walks. We're just too tired to persist in snottiness. It's easier to be kind, and I'm hoping the habit sticks after we start getting more sleep.
You know, a year from now.

8. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends. Seriously, don't just say "yes" when someone asks if you want help. Schedule when they're going to come over. And then seek out help on top of that. To quote Bujold, "I want three volunteers: you, you and you."
I used to hate to ask for help. I still hate it. I do it anyway. Why? Because I need it. I'm still not convinced that human mothers were meant to have litters, and that means, should God bless you with a litter, that you're going to need more than just you to take care of it. (No, babies are not puppies, but there are striking similarites! Chiefly: noise, mess and cuteness.)

9. Perspective. One of my mottos this past few months has been, "As long as by this time next year it IS next year, then I will be okay." In other words, as long as the 24 hours in each day keep ticking away at the pace they always have, I'll survive. If I can count on having one more day done when I get to the end of the day, well, then I can keep going. The idea that time might slow down is the real nightmare scenario, but as I learned during my 40 day hospital stay, everything does eventually come to an end. This is a great comfort during some very hard days. It won't last forever. And there is heaven at the end.

10. Prayer. Pray always, pray without ceasing. You cannot parent without God's parenting of you. Ask for his help, beg for his help, and when your prayers that they will JUST SLEEP aren't answered, pray for his help to take care of them and love them anyway. Thank him that they're here. Thank him for giving you food and shelter and family. Ask him to keep providing for you. Tell him you can't do it without him. Ask him to do it with you. Praise him for his inestimable love in the redemption of the world through our Lord Jesus Christ. Sing hymns to him through the day. Call him "Father" as you lay down to sleep at night. Mother of twins, of one, of more, of none, God alone can sustain you through this life.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

the kind of help God gives

At least, the kind of help He gave me.

One day (not last week, I don't think, but the week before - and yes, this is the first chance I've had to write about it) recently, I was sitting on the couch, feeding one baby with one arm and hand and holding the other in the other arm, which was hard enough by itself, when I heard my toddlers begin to go after each other in the other room. My hands were, literally, full. I was taking care of two of my children, barely, and was unable to go and take care of the other two.

So I prayed, un-eloquently, something along the lines of, "God, help!"

And somehow, I don't remember exactly how, within a minute, my two older children had come and joined me on the couch and were paging through a picture book for me so that I could read it to them.

I was still holding a baby in one arm, and holding and feeding the second baby in the other (which hurt) and I was using my eyes to read and my mouth to speak and it was very all-consuming, but I was taking care of the needs of all four of my children at the same time.

Which hadn't even seemed possible a minute before, when Bess and Gamgee were in theo ther room fighting.

So, I thought afterward, sometime when I had space to think again, that is the sort of help God is going to give me. I had been wanting to pray that he would make it less work, somehow. But that's not it, quite. Instead, he just stepped in and made it possible. I couldn't walk into the other room and get my toddlers while still attending to the needs of the babies, but God brought them over to me. He really did. I have no other explanation for them being in their room, fighting, and then in the next minute sitting next to me on the couch, helping me to read them a book. He heard my prayer and stepped in beside me when I was by myself and didn't have enough hands. He led my two oldest over to me, bringing them to where I could help them. He helped me.

So I feel like I know a bit better how to pray to him now. I need to pray not that he would take away the work (the hard work, the good work) that he's put in front of me, but just that he would help me to do it. To ask him to do it with me. Or maybe, rather, to let me do it with him. And he's shown me now that he will. "God, help!" is a prayer I now know that he answers. I just wanted to share the way that God has been kind to me, to praise him publicly for it. He indeed "gently leads those with young".

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

buy Touchstone

Commercial enough? I have had a link to this magazine on my sidebar for a long time, and have been a reader of it even longer, but I have a special reason for recommending it this month: I have the honor to have a short article in this month's edition. So even though our twins' arrival is keeping me from posting very often these days, you can still read a bit about homemaking through the church year. The article is actually the sum of what I've learned since I began trying to practice the church year as a wife and mother.

But buy the magazine for more than that; check it out because it is a consistantly excellent monthly collection of essays and more. And it has writers from all three of the great divisions of Christianity, and they never pretend that our differences don't exist but instead acknowledge them while at the same time working to think well about how what we all believe (summarized in the Nicene creed) influences - no, rather, dictates - how we ought to live.


Speaking of the church year, Easter is coming up, and our oldest daughter is scheduled to be baptized at the Easter vigil service. Does anyone have any tips on how to prepare a toddler for baptism? I mean prepare in a practical sense; obviously you want to have been teaching her to love the Lord and explaining to her what baptism means, etc. But did anyone practice the service with her child or do any of you have a "learned it the hard way" story about your young baptismal candidate getting stage fright (so to speak) during the service or freaking out about getting wet? Our girl is excited about getting baptised, and I think she understands it as well as a three year old can, but I'd like to do what I can to help it all to go well. I'd be grateful for any tips from moms who've done this before.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Donkey Ears

Today for Advent, Bess decided that she wanted to be the donkey who carried Mary to Bethlehem. So we got out the blue and pink construction paper, and made her and Gamgee each a fine set of donkey ears, attached to a headband (think something like a paper crown, only with big donkey ears instead of golden spikes). Bess was delighted and insisted on being called "Donkey" all afternoon; Gamgee left his on for a few minutes and then insisted on sitting down and tearing them apart with great intent and joy.

So, while my daughter was pretending to be Mary's donkey, we got to talk about how the holy family traveled to Bethlehem and how Jesus was born there and how He was born because He loves us and it was another good day of looking more in depth at part of the Christmas story. I think we've really caught onto something good with this Nativity role-playing thing.

Except that sometimes Bess came come out with things like this: "Mommy? I'm the donkey and I'm gonna take Mary and baby Jesus and his foster-father Joseph and carry them on my back over to the playground so they can go on the pink slides. Okay?"

I just don't remember that part from the gospels . . . but the thought of her wanting, in her donkey-role, to do something kind for Jesus and his family, is touching. May her desire to please Him grow as she grows. Amen.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

today's Advent activity: pretending to be Mary

I didn't plan today's Advent activity.

I did plan day one: on Sunday I wrapped Christmas presents with my twenty-month-old son, letting him play with one of his stocking stuffers in lieu of the scissors. I got it all done, and I'm glad I did it so early because I was horribly sore by the end of the night! I think that sitting on the floor leaning over for a couple of hours straight taping packages closed is not something very pregnant women out to do. But I'm only going to get more pregnant, so I'm glad I did it now.

On day two, we just got out a few Christmas books and read them; well, one Christmas book and an Advent book. Pretty low-key, but that was nice after day one.

Day three now . . . day three was my three-year-old's idea. Bess wanted to be Mary, and was draping her blankets around her head "to look a little bit like Mary". I was the one who thought of securing her blanket to her head with a nice, stretchy headband, and our activity for day three of Advent was born. She drafted her little brother to play Joseph, though as he wouldn't tolerate the headgear his role mostly consisted of being told by his older sister, "You're Joseph, okay?"

But you know what? Playing Mary turned out to be a GREAT Advent game. Every time she told me that she was Mary, I asked her something about the Christmas story. Who was Mary? What did she say when the angel told her what God wanted her to do? And we talked about how Mary said she'd do what God wanted her to do, and how we ought to say, "Yes, Lord!" when God wanted us to do something. And how Joseph obeyed an angel's orders too.

One of Bess' own questions was, "Why is it good to play Mary during Advent?" Well, I hadn't thought of an answer to that one, because up until today, I hadn't even considered "playing Mary" an Advent game. But here's what I came up with: "Because playing Mary gives us a chance to talk about the Christmas story, and the Christmas story reminds us of how much God loves us. He loved us so much He sent His Son to save us from our sins."

So, if you're looking for a good Advent game to play with your kids, and they're in the middle of that hyper-imaginative stage, when they're always being fairies or bus drivers or doctors, trying playing Mary for awhile instead.

Or, if you like, try what we've planned for tomorrow: playing sheep. (You know, the ones that were watched in flocks by night?) I can't wait to hear what conversations come out of that one.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

to the other blogging moms:

thank you. Truly.

Last night, I was browsing links from Et Tu, Jen?'s weekly links post. I don't remember where exactly I found it, but somewhere between Radical Catholic Mom and The Wine Dark Sea, I came across the idea, the reminder really, that when it comes to our children, serving their immediate needs (real needs) is pretty much always what God would have us be doing. If they need water, then getting up and getting them water is serving Jesus, and he'd probably rather have us doing that than doing any other great devotional work.

Anyway, I was glad to have that at the forefront of my mind, because just as my husband and I were getting ready for bed, my three year old woke up, projectile vomiting and with a fever of about 103. Bedtime was delayed by a good hour as we cleaned her up, tried to get her to drink and take some Tylenol, held her head as she threw up again, tried more water and Tylenol, held her head as she threw up again, changed her again, rinsed more laundry, dug out the electrolyte drink and moved her bed into our room so we could keep an ear out for her during the night.

Through all of this I was nursing my own headache and longing to be asleep. But I still managed to be soothing and present with my daughter. I don't think I could have done that as well if I hadn't had in my head the encouraging thought that this was obviously exactly what Jesus would have me doing right then. I'm so glad I read those blog entries; they came at the perfect time, right before I really needed them, and I didn't even know it.

This morning, Bess still has a fever, but she's been able to keep down crackers and water and Tylenol, and her fever's a much less scary 100.5. Please pray for her and for us, though, for healing and that it doesn't spread through the rest of our family.

But I just wanted to say: it was cool to see how God gave me the reminder I needed right before I needed it. I am amazed, as always, at how the Holy Spirit works through his people. And tickled to see that that includes us momma bloggers. :)

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

p.s. the other big reason last night was so much better than it could have been? I wasn't alone. Adam was there, holding and comforting and cleaning right along side me. Thank God, also, for husbands. Amen and amen.

cutting teeth

Yesterday was miserable. I usually love Mondays; they are the best stay-at-home day of the week. The day that I get the most housework done, and somehow also spend the most purposeful time with my kids. The day I'm full of energy, feeling restored after the weekend, blessed after Sunday's mass, well-loved from hours of time with my husband.

But yesterday, Monday, was miserable. My son screamed all day, and it took me all day to figure out why. For a long time I thought it was his temper tantrums coming back, the temper tantrums that we'd carefully taken time to train him out of, and that he'd mostly dropped in response to our training. "No throwing fits," we'd say sternly, and then make him sit still on the corner of the loveseat until he was done fussing. In fact, one of the last times he threw one, I merely looked at him, and he toddled himself over to the loveseat, heaved himself up and then sat there looking at me, lower lip quivering.

But it wasn't temper, it was teeth. One tooth, actually. His first canine, that was not there in the morning, but was broken through the gum by the time dinner was over. By the end of the day it was clear that it wasn't pique, it was pain. I came close to crying myself as I watched him during dinner. When a bite of food touched the tender part of his gum, he'd squint his eyes closed and crinkle up his face, tears silently streaming down his cheeks. It reminded me of the helpless pain of a woman in labor. I just am going to be in pain; I can't do anything to stop it. Oh, I hurt, I hurt. And what he wanted was to be held. Everytime he squinted up his face in pain, he also reached out his arms to be held, and once in my arms, he clung like a limpet until it stopped hurting.

When we figured it out, of course, we gave him Tylenol. And it helped some, and sleep held more, and the tooth actually breaking through the gum helped most.

The old song says it best: "What cannot be cured, love/Must be endured, love." But how I hate it. How I hate this brokeness, this world that makes us learn that truth at the tender age of one, before it can be explained. Shakespeare claimed that no philosopher can endure a toothache patiently. But do you know who can? My Gamgee, at the end of a whole day of toothache. Silently and with tears streaming down his face. I am glad that I was there all day, to hold him.

Oh Lord Jesus, come back soon.

Not Again

So, I was going to sit down and write a real blog entry. I had the kids all settled at the kitchen table, playing with ooey-gooey magic mud and Fischer-Price zoo animals. That buys you, you know, hours.

And last time I tried that, I stupidly left the box of cornstarch within their reach, and we ended up with a cornstarch explosion.

So this time, I settled them at the table with magic mud, and kept the cornstarch up on the counter. That is, until I went to refresh the magic mud. And then, absent-mindedly, left both water and cornstarch on the table within their reach.

And, a few minutes later, heard toddler giggles. I turn around: snowstorm.

So, forgive me, but I'm giving up on the idea of a real blog entry in order to clean up the cornstarch. :D

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Apostle's Creed for Toddlers?

Since yesterday was Ascension Day, I was pondering how to teach it to my daughter. "He went up! But he'll be back!" was what I came up with. And, of course, after I came up with this brilliant originality, I realized that basically what I'd done was repeated part of the Apostle's Creed.

Which got me thinking: how old does a kid need to be to start learning the Creed? Does anyone out there have any experience with teaching an almost-three-year-old the Creed? Did you simplify the language, or just go with it as is? (I'm inclined to do the latter, because then Bess wouldn't have to relearn it a few years later.)

Anyway, if anyone out there has a story to share, I'm very interested.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

skip the party

I'm planning on throwing birthday parties for my kids. Someday. But I really haven't yet, even though, together, they've had three birthdays so far. Why not? Because they're toddlers, and, frankly, they don't care. We make a cake and give them presents, and the grandparents usually supply cool things like balloons (mylar! we have such smart grandparents 'round here!), but I've never thrown a birthday party for my kids.

and you know, it really works for me. And them too. They get everything they want (cake! presents! cards in the mail! grandparents making a fuss!) and feel special on their day.

Now, I have friends that love throwing parties for their toddlers. And more power to 'em. There's nothing wrong with it. But, if you're like me, and the thought of organizing a big to-do for someone who a) won't care and b) quite possibly will be provoked to tears by all the hoopla, makes you crazy, then I say, just skip it. To my mind, it's a lot of work for very little reward, and I just don't like equations that come out that way.

I imagine that around four or five, Bess and Gamgee will start asking for a party. And once they want it, I'll be glad to do it. We'll have little people running around the house, playing games, eating themselves sick, and going away with favors.  But during these crazy toddler years? Cake and presents with family works for me. :D



peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

things to do with toddlers

One of my favorite things to do with my kids is to stick the dishpans in the sink, fill 'em up, break out the plastic cups and let the kids go to town with waterplay. They will stay at the sink, getting soaking wet, for about an hour. Which is a LONG time for a one and two year old.

Usually, of course, this means an extra change of clothes during the day. But I just discovered that if I let them do their water play right after breakfast, while they're still in their pajamas, I don't have an extra change to do - just the one we'd do anyway in the morning. Yay!


Other fun things Bess and Gamgee think make up a great day are:
-playing with homemade playdough. Usually in concert with playing with their plastic zoo animals. The playdough becomes food and water and who knows what else.
-playing outside. Again, this preferably involves water.
-climbing things. This involves my heartrate going up.
-playing with homemade magic mud. Recipe: cornstarch & water. Suggestion: do not leave the box of cornstarch within reach of the children. Ever seen that Courderoy book where the box of soap suds tips over? Well, that's what it looks like if you leave the cornstarch box within reach.
-reading books. Mostly to Bess. Gamgee thinks books are for throwing.
-pulling everything out of the pantry.


Most of these things, I'm realizing, involve lots of mess. Anyone have some good toddler games that don't involve mess. (snicker) No, really. :D

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

p.s. This just occurred to me: does "courderoy" mean "heart of the king"? And if so, who thought that fabric should be called something so fancy?

catechism of a two-year old

"Hey, Bess, what happens on Easter?"
"We get CHOCOLATE EGGS and JELLYBEANS!!!"
"Um, yes. But what is Easter all about?"
Thoughtfully, remembering her Sunday school lesson: "It's about God's Son."
"Yes! And who is God's Son?"
"Jesus!"
"Yes! And what did Jesus do on Easter?"
Gleefully: "He made CHOCOLATE EGGS and JELLYBEANS!!!!!"

Well, we're getting there. :)


peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

weekend project: mei tai

I have wanted, for quite awhile now, a soft back carrier to put my infant son in during that magical hour after naps but before dinner. You know, the hour when babies MUST be held. Even though it is also the time when dinner MUST be made. A nice carrier that would let my son be held, and with me, but that would keep him out of the way of sharp knives and hot stovetops (something not possible with my otherwise lovely ring sling).

My wonderful husband thought this was a good idea too, liked the pattern I found here, and also liked the idea of making a carrier that would be adjustable to him. So, I cut and pinned, and he sewed, and several hours and about $10 worth of cotton denim later, we have this:


Isn't that cool? And, let me tell you, incredibly comfy. You can't see it in this picture, but along with the shoulder straps (which are super-wide) there's a waist strap, which makes all the difference in the world in how it feels on. You can put the kid on the front too, and my 2 1/2 year old fits in it also.

So, that's what we did this weekend. Any other fun weekend projects out there?

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

Book Review: What is Easter?

This could go under the "Preparing for Easter" series, because I think pre-ordering this (from store or library, whatever) would be a good thing to do if you've got little ones in the house, but I'll just stick with calling it a book review.

"What is Easter?" is a charming little board book, written by Michelle Medlock Adams and illustrated by Amy Wummer. It's probably a little too advanced for the one-year old crowd (though they might like the pictures), a stretch for the two-year olds (a good stretch) and just about right for someone who's three.

The first half of the book is full of questions. Questions like: "Is Easter about hunting eggs? I do that every year. Does it mean eating chocolate stuff? I ate my bunny's ear."

It answers those questions about halfway through with a definitive: "NO! That's not what Easter means . . ." and proceeds to explain about the crucifixion, the resurrection, and how Jesus came to save us from our sins.

One of the things I like about this book is that it explains the true meaning of the holiday ("holy day") but doesn't denigrate the traditions that have grown up around it. Take this last rhyme for example:

"Okay, now I get it.
The Easter Bunny is okay.
And Easter eggs are fun.
But Easter's not about that stuff ...
It's all about God's son."


Pretty cool, no? I like the reminder that cultural celebrations are okay, as long as they don't obscure the real, religious, true reason for the celebration. Pretty sophisticated concept for a kids' book, but well-presented, and easy enough for a toddler to get.


peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. (See full disclosure on sidebar of my blog.)

free potty training tip

If you notice that your toddler wet her pants, don't just shuck off those wet pants assuming all they are is wet.

And then, once you realize that said pants were more than just wet, don't forget that some of the poop might have fallen down the leg of her pants onto the floor.

And then, don't forget that that poop that fell on the floor without your noticing might have also been crawled through by your infant son.

Ewww, you might say.

Thank you, yes. "Ewww," is exactly right.


peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

the lessons of Christmas

Well, ever since boldly declaring that I was going to write about how we ponder the lessons of Christmas during Ordinary Time, I've had a conversation that goes something like this running around in my head:

"The lessons of Christmas, yes. The lessons of Christmas. Huh. I'm sure there must be some."
"You have to write about them!"
"Yes. Yes, and knowing what they were would help a lot with that."
"C'mon! It's Christmas! You've celebrated it since you were born!"
"Yep."
"Nngh!"

The truth is that what stood out most about Christmas for me this year was the little physical things, and not the great spiritual truths. It was doing something every day for Advent with my daughter that was new and different. So there was lots of playing with Nativity sets, lots of "yes, that's Mary, she's Jesus' mommy" and not a lot of contemplation of Mary being Jesus' mother, that is, of God being born as a human, that is, of the Incarnation.

But Mary thought about it. She pondered it. She treasured it in her heart. And she's the one who had to feed and diaper the Incarnation every few hours! (to borrow Meredith Gould's wonderful phrasing)

How tired she must have been. Because her mothering was real mothering (as Jesus was true man), even though it was mothering the Lord Almighty (as Jesus was true God). Here's a collect from the BCP on the subject:

O God, who didst wonderfully create, and yet more wonderfully restore, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share in the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


So, Lord, may what you truly assumed be truly healed: our humanity. Even my own. Even in the little things, the physical things, that I do with my kids. May I really learn what I teach my children about you. May I understand "Jesus loves me, this I know" with all of my heart and mind and soul and strength. May I ponder your Incarnation, may I treasure the truth of it in my heart. To your glory. Amen.



peace of Christ to you,
Jessica