the true. the good. the beautiful. week 3.

“That his creatures should share

in his truth, goodness, and beauty --

this is the glory for which God created them.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 319

On cultivating truth, goodness, and beauty in our home
one week at a time.

The True: Feeding the Intellect
Saint Nicholas

Tomorrow is the feast of St. Nicholas. Every year the kids get some great chocolate coins and a new book. I found four great books this year on the real Saint Nicholas, including a board book for The Baby. I was so excited! Unfortunately, not one of the books was delivered on time for tomorrow. (I'm guessing they will arrive tomorrow afternoon! Ugh!) So I had to run to Barnes and Noble this evening for Plan B -- four different non-St. Nicholas books. Again, ugh! These books are all good stories, but really I was quite upset about not getting the first set. See, this year is a special year for Miss Rose and Miss Sunshine. This is the year we tell them the truth about Saint Nicholas and allow them to share in the joy of being Santa Claus for their younger brother and sister (hopefully). I remember the year my mom told me ... I was in third grade ... I cried. hard. I am a little apprehensive about how it will go with the girls tomorrow. I have a feeling Miss Rose is going to respond as I did. And I have a feeling Miss Sunshine is going to say, "I thought so." I'm not quite sure how to approach the whole thing. Truthfully, I was hoping one of the books that was supposed to arrive would help me out. Say a little prayer for us, please. And, if you have any helpful hints .... We got a babysitter for the two younger ones and we plan on taking the girls out for a talk and a special treat after dinner tomorrow night.

(As a side, I have mixed feelings about the whole Santa Claus thing. Sometimes I wish we wouldn't have made it such a big deal. But I wasn't where I am now nine years ago when we starting celebrating Christmas with our own children.)

The Good: Forming the Will
Serving our Parish Community

This Sunday was our family's first time serving as hospitality ministers at our parish. It is a great way for the kids to get involved. They passed out hymnals before Mass to people entering the church and they collected hymnals after Mass and handed out the weekly bulletin. There were many opportunities for good lessons: lessons in serving, lessons in greeting people -- "Good morning!" before Mass and "Have a good day!" after -- lessons in making eye contact and having conversations with strangers. And the kids loved being involved (and having special name tags to wear!). The girls also stayed after morning Mass on Friday to help clean the church -- another great lesson in service to our parish community.

The Beautiful: Inspiring the Affections

A Christmas Concert and Opera

This afternoon we attended Christmas at Mary -- the University of Mary's annual Christmas concert. The concert included performances by the concert choir and a brass ensemble, and a performance of Gian-Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors. Amahl and the Night Visitors is an opera in one act. It is about an impoverished woman and her crippled son, Amahl, at whose home the three kings stop to rest on their journey following the star to find the Christ Child.

(Link up in the comments if you'd like to share what you're doing to bring the true, the good, and the beautiful to your home.)

Wordless Wednesday - Black Friday Fun

three kids on lily pads

yes, that's me, chasing Miss Sunshine

Baby's first time on a water slide

she loves her "button" -- and it's usually inaccessible because of a onesie

the true. the good. the beautiful. week 2.

“That his creatures should share

in his truth, goodness, and beauty --
this is the glory for which God created them.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 319

As I noted last week, lately I have felt an increasing need to be more intentional about cultivating truth, goodness, and beauty in our home. To that end, I want to share with you what we are doing to bring that about, in the hopes that you might share with me the same.

The True: Feeding the Intellect
It is Advent (!)

It is becoming alarming to me how difficult it is to teach my children the difference between Advent and Christmas. Since the beginning of November, the malls have been decorated. Christmas music is playing. Christmas commercials are running. Cards and gifts are arriving. We are invited to Christmas parties. Come the 26th of December, the decorations will come down, the music will stop, discarded trees will be thrown to the curb. But the season of Christmas will just be beginning! I have been pounding it into the kids' heads that, despite what they see and hear all around them (except in church), IT IS NOT CHRISTMASTIME!!! IT IS ADVENT! A season of preparation. A season of waiting. A season of expectation.

We do everything we can to make Advent a distinct season in our home. We put a tree up on the first Sunday of Advent, but it is decorated with pink and purple lights and ribbon. We add our Jesse tree ornaments, one or two a day, after reading the appropriate Scripture story. On Christmas Eve, we take the Advent decorations off and put on multi-colored lights and Christmas ornaments. It is a lot of work, yes, but it makes the two seasons very distinct. In like manner, I refrain from putting out other Christmas decorations until Christmas Eve. We decorate with snowmen and snowflakes and, on December 6, add our stockings and Saint Nicholas decorations, but the red and green "Merry Christmas" stuff doesn't come out until the end. And it stays out until Epiphany. Our stable is out, but Mary, Joseph, and Jesus remain out of sight. There is no star on our tree. We try and keep Christmas music to a minimum. Then during the Christmas season, we play our Christmas music. We stretch out our gift giving -- the children receive a gift on each of the twelve days of Christmas. They always get a new pair of pajamas and an ornament and a magazine subscription. Sometimes the gift is one for all four of them, like a game or a movie.

We are trying to teach the children the truth that Christmas is the season starting Christmas Day and lasting until the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord.

The Good: Forming the Will
Sacrifices and Good Deeds

During Advent, we have a tradition of lining a manger with a piece of hay to represent each sacrifice offered, each good deed done, to prepare a place for the Baby Jesus on Christmas Day. I am always pleasantly surprised by how the children get into this tradition. Just today, they were exceptionally good at Mass, even reminding each other quietly to fold their hands or keep their rears off the pew when kneeling. They cleaned their room together and offered to clear one another's dishes. They volunteered to be last instead of first. And our manger already has a nice thin layer of hay.

The Beautiful: Inspiring the Affections
A Real Tree

Despite the fact we were unable to cut down our own tree this year, we were still able to pick out a live one from a nearby nursery. There is nothing like the fragrance of a real evergreen in our home!

(Link up in the comments if you'd like to join me.)

The Definition of Excited

Look what I got in the mail! (Click to enlarge.)


The instructions were to purchase one of these. But with the Black Friday deals on Amazon, I had enough left over to get one of these, too!

I have been without a mixer for three holiday seasons (!) -- I have had to borrow one for baking day. I haven't made oatmeal raisin cookies (one of our favorites) since I burnt the last mixer out. I swore (not really) after borrowing a neighbor's KitchenAid, that I wouldn't buy another mixer until I could afford a KitchenAid myself. I can't wait to get baking. And we already have a fajita and margarita party planned for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Thanks, Mom and Dad!

And Happy Black Friday! (Note: Almost all of my Christmas shopping is done in my jammies at the computer, and I LOVE it!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I had a junior high teacher who offered extra credit to anyone who would stand up and sing the below song in front of the Thanksgiving crowd before the big meal. It's become a family tradition!

(Sung to the tune of Frere Jacques)

Turkey dinner, turkey dinner,
Gather 'round, gather 'round.
Who will get the drumstick --
Yummy, yummy drumstick?
All sit down. All sit down.

Chestnut stuffing, cornmeal muffins,
pudding pie -- one mile high!
All of us were thinner,
'Til we came to dinner,
Me, oh my! Me, oh my!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! May your day be filled with good company, good eats, and good rest.

And may we all remember, today and always, to give thanks to Our Heavenly Father for the many blessings he has bestowed on us in Christ.

I'm Ready

The turkey is thawing.

The new stuffing recipe is assembled and in the crock pot, ready to go.

The potatoes are peeled and in a pot on the stove.

The back-up gravy packets are bought and secretly stored (just in case ...).

The sweet potato casserole is made and in the fridge, under the green bean casserole.

The cranberry slush is whipped and in the freezer.

The apple pie is on the counter cooling.

The pumpkin pie is in the oven baking.

The kitchen is cleaned up.

I'm grabbing a glass of wine and heading to bed.

Boy (regarding sweet potato casserole): Are you making that for dinner tonight?
Me: No, it's for Thanksgiving tomorrow.
Boy: No ... be serious, Mom.
Me: I am being serious -- it's for tomorrow.
Boy: Seriously? Mom ... I can't wait that long.
Me: Really?
Boy: Really.
Boy (after devouring large spoonful of mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar and butter that his generous mother handed over in response to his desperate longing (and dimples!)): This is even better than usual!

And so the feasting begins.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Remember to take time to give thanks to the Giver of all that is good.

Wordless Wednesday - Jack Frost Morning