A Midwinter's Midsummer

Sunday night, we completed the grande finale of a co-op my friend and I have been doing with our kids this fall.

She worked on math and geography with the boys, and I did a little introduction to Shakespeare with the 'big' girls. For our production, we decided to try "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

Well, with only 4 players (myself included), it was a bit challenging to cover all the parts, even with a modified script. Each of us were at least 2 characters. Our costumer (one of the girls), was very clever, so with a quick switcheroo 'backstage' (behind some boxes covered with sheets in our basement), we were able to go from magical fairy to mere mortal in only a few seconds.

Younger siblings were surprisingly cooperative, and parents and a grandparent filled out the audience at our makeshift stage in the basement. There are definitely benefits to having a plethera of unopened boxes in an unfinished basement.

I am kicking myself for forgetting to take pictures and video. The girls did a great job of memorizing all their lines and really becoming engaged in the whole project. They're already lobbying to take on "Romeo and Juliet" for their next performance.

Add this to my list of reasons to love homeschooling.

Baby Boy!

It took me a while to figure out how to lift pictures from my sister-in-law's blog, but we are thrilled to introduce our new nephew Luke!!! He is now one week old. Above is his big brother Sam (in the cool boots), and below is the new little guy... I can't wait to snuggle those sweet baby cheeks. Congratulations, Phil and Sara!!

Happy New Year!

Oh dear. Is it too early for cabin fever?

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We received a scratch and sniff card from the gas company today (interesting). The idea is to teach children (and adults, too, I suppose) the scent of a gas leak and promote safety. Great idea, right? Well, combine that with a very observant, cautious, and slightly paranoid 5-year-old, and what do you get? Three gas detections within an hour and one alarmed little guy demanding I call to report the leak. I suspect a family member. Sorry to be gross.

May Your Christmas Be Merry and Bright

We are practicing our carols and preparing for 4 days of fun family visits. May the light of the Christ Child shine upon you and yours during this blessed season.

Today's Conversations

Miss 3-year-old looks up at me with messy brown curls and big brown eyes:
"Mommy, my baby made poopy in her big girl underpants. Is that so bad?"

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I was reminiscing with the kids about my trips to the zoo with Lucy when she was a toddler. I would bundle her up in the stroller and pack a thermos of hot chocolate. We would go in the dead of winter and have a great time. Lucy's comment:
"See, the benefit of being the oldest, in spite of all the pain..."

Ramping Down

What often happens after a period of intense busy-ness? Somebody gets sick. It seems we can hold it together through whatever we have going on, but as soon as we're able to crash, somebody does. This time, it seems to be me. I hope I"m the only one. One other child has a bit of a cough, but seems to be fine, generally speaking. It's just a cold, but it's enough to keep me on the couch drinking tea as much as possible today.

It's a good day for it, though. Fresh snow and high winds outside make huddling near the fireplace the most appealing activity, anyway.

Over the weekend, we had Lucy's final Nutcracker performance. Her little sister was able to attend, much to her delight. I was hesitant about her ability to behave appropriately through the entire show, but she did great!! My sister and I had taken her children and my boys to a matinee performance the previous weekend.

We also had Ignace's First Confession, a 4H Christmas play/party, dinner out for Eustace's birthday, and the usual Sunday morning routine of CCD and Mass. This was also the end of about 2.5 weeks of non-stop Nutcracker rehearsals and performances. It is great fun and good experience, but at the end, we're all ready for a break. Once again, I must credit my parents for helping us get to all scheduled events.

Now, to re-focus on Advent...

Reality Check

The house is not going to be finished by Christmas. However, I spent a couple hours there yesterday with our builder going over a bunch of things, and I got to see many of the paint colors on the walls. I love how they look (Stacy and Mom, if you're reading, thank you very much). The subcontractors are working very hard every day. It is just going to take a little longer than I had hoped.