{SQT} The Holiday Hustle, My Sincere Gratitude, and a New Family Mission

I keep meaning to sit down and tickle the ivories letters on this keyboard to fill everyone in with what's been happening here, but I've been too distracted by what's been happening. Here is a quick glimpse of life in our very own fast lane!

--- 1 ---

I am still getting used to having a child in school. Yes, it is only preschool. Yes, it is only two days. Yes, it is only half days. No, I'm still not on the ball. Things I forget on a regular basis: take notes and reminders out of her folder, let her pick out an outfit for the day on the night before, put her homework (yes, they have "homework") in her bag before the morning, recycle the "change of outfit" in her bag (I think she has had the same clothes in there since the cooler weather hit). I'm hoping next semester I might get into a school mom routine. We are a people of hope, right? Right?

--- 2 ---

In case you somehow missed this
cuteness on Facebook or Instagram.

Also new this year, Christmas concerts and school parties. I can handle the parties - the teacher has made signup super easy online. The Christmas concert details sent me over the edge. I am trying very hard not to be "that mom," but I fear a note to our principal may still escape my outbox. Why? The concert started at 6, which is okay, but the kids had to be there at 5:30. Why, you still ask, might this be a problem? Oh, I don't know. I may be one of those parents who works until 5:00. The Hubs may be the one with a second job and working that night. I understand that it is hard to balance convenience on the start time with convenience on the end time. Still it seems like perhaps it is a burden to expect parents to take time off work when there is a concert to be had. Also, it is a little bit crazy to have the preschoolers perform the first song and then go to their class to wait out the rest of the concert so they can perform during the LAST song. We are talking 3 & 4 year olds. It was a beautiful evening, but all too insane for my taste. There is some room for nixing a bit of the chaos. I fear that email is escaping...

--- 3 ---

Next on the "new to me" list: teacher gifts. Yes, I have seen everyone's posts about them for eons. It just didn't dawn on me that YESTERDAY was our last day of school. Because Christmas is NEXT week. There is no school, of course, because those lovely teachers deserve to bask in the restful peace of the season have to catch up on their personal to-do lists after they've dealt with newbie unprepared parents like me. I then realized that her first day back falls on the actual feast of the Epiphany (not the "hey let's just do it on the closest Sunday because no one will come" feast day). It seems like God has smiled on my unpreparedness with His perfect timing. Or something like that.

--- 4 ---

In my effort to not get caught up in the hustle of the season, it seems I may have been taking it too easy. My apologies to Amazon and UPS. Our final gifts were just ordered. I will be wrapping it up into the wee hours of Christmas Eve Eve methinks.

--- 5 ---

Our Christmas cards have also not been sent. This one is quite intentional. I prefer to send them the week of Christmas so they arrive during the Christmas season. So, if you usually get a card from us and haven't yet, rest easy. You have not been snubbed! At least not as of now.

--- 6 ---

Lest I forget, I wanted to thank all of you who have supported my new wee shop over the past few months. Thank you especially to those who featured the shop (Jenna at Call Her Happy, I'm lookin' at you!) or allowed me to publicize it via their virtual space (this one's for you, Simcha!). Thank you, grazie, and all that jazz!! We were totaling up the sales and closing up for the year, and it was humbling to say the least. The shop was something I started on a bit of a whim to give it a go, and you have all helped to confirm that it should maybe be less of a whim and made more of a focus of my time...and so I shall in the coming year. I'll be experimenting with some new projects and products, so stay tuned!

{SIDENOTE: I also have to say I so appreciate the way Simcha features Catholic art and artists. I think there can be a tendency, especially in Bloggyland, to get bogged down with the written and spoken word when it comes to evangelizing, and we forget that beauty and art can often draw the soul to seek its Creator. So thank you, again.}

--- 7 ---

This is a handwritten presentation of
the first letter of John done by a freshman
student of my husband's for extra credit,
inspired by the St. John's Bible.

The Hubs and I are also working on a new project to start in the new year. As I was praying on a recent short retreat, his love of Scripture and my desire to "do more" came together in a new family mission. I know you will be waiting with bated breath (thank you Cate for the background and spell check!), but it will involve a weekly feature on Scripture including study (him) and prayer (me) as well as uniting "rescued" Bibles with new owners. Prayers for us as we begin this little mission in addition to our family rosary offering would be appreciated. It is daunting to take on more, but when the Spirit tugs, you let Him drag you, right? 


Wishing you all a most peaceful conclusion to Advent and the greatest joy in the Christmas season. An early Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Blessings,
Rakhi

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Seven Quick Takes: Anticipating Advent

It wouldn't be a post-Thanksgiving quick takes without a little eye candy from the big day! We are blessed to be able to partake in the festivities with the Hubs' family. This allows us to bask in the doublemint gum of blessings - I don't have to cook, and we get to relish the leftovers for days to come. Mmmm....

Unfortunately, part of leaving the "office" job for a "service" job is that I don't get many paid holidays. So, I'll be back at work today and setting this post to automatically post while I'm away. No whammys, no whammys, no whammys....

--- 1 ---

Said eye-candy. No crazy family photos like Jen's this year...yet.

1) The boy doesn't sit still long enough for pictures! 2) That salad was my contribution. Nothing else.

--- 2 ---

Speaking of family photos, did I vent about the great horror known as in-store photo studios? No? Well, let me fill you in! I vented on Facebook already, so if you caught the first act there, please continue to Take 3. On Sunday, we went to go get our family photos taken, because why not go on Sunday when the family is already dressed up? Apparently, although our session was scheduled for 12:20, perfectly nestled between brunch and naptime, the studio was running "a half hour" late. I ask why we didn't receive a call to tell us that, and get a response of "well, you know how it is with kids -sometimes we get it right away, sometimes we don't." Yeah, I know. Which is why I'd schedule more time. And call the next client if I were running late.

Ok, since we are "in-store" we can finish our shopping first, though the plan was to take the shots and then let the Hubs walk the kids around shopping while I picked out the poses. Fail #1. We return from finishing our shopping on time to be ushered into the studio, only to be ushered back out because we weren't who they thought we were, and well, that family was there now. Really? Ok, I agree being told it's just a couple shots....or maybe 4 backgrounds and a billion poses later. We are now at an hour after our appointment time. Let me tell you how two toddlers like that one. Fail #2. Their excuse? It's Sunday. Really? It seems if you know that day is hectic, you'd have more than one photographer and one cashier. Fail #3.

We are in the studio all of 10 minutes. Maybe 15 at most. Let me tell you, this photographer doesn't know how to work with toddlers. There is their initial fail. Why pull out your toys in the last 2 minutes of the session? I'm guessing you would have had their attention for all your sessions if you would just start with that. At this point I am past my boiling point, and while we try a few different poses, their suggestion that we try a few with "just the kids" sends me over the edge and I book out. You are telling me that you can't keep my kids' attention while I am holding them, but you want me to let them loose and then give that a shot?

I believe the Hubs' response was "we are NEVER doing that again, even if someone paid us $1000 each!" True dat, Hubs, true dat.

--- 3 ---

While we are so blessed to be with the Hubs' side of the family, my mom lives all the way out in Oregon, and given the greedy-fang-pricing of the airlines, there are years that she cannot afford to make it out here for the holidays. Since she was just out here for Li'l G's birthday, this would be one of those years. Not only could she not make it for Thanksgiving, but it looks like Christmas is a no-go based on the price gouging of airline fares as well. We did happen to send a little care-package her way complete with Charlie Brown Holiday CD, Pumpkin Cheesecake cookies and a Solar Powered Dancing Turkey, because, well, that's how the pilgrims would have done it, right?

--- 4 ---

Speaking of difficult holidays, I am always reminded that while we celebrate our blessings, there are so many who either cannot recognize theirs or are in the midst of their own pain and suffering, making rejoicing so difficult. I've been there myself. My dad died shortly after the new year almost seventeen years ago now, so those first few holidays are hard. For some reason, this year I was acutely aware of all those who were struggling with their first holiday post-loss. Maybe it's the number of people who have shared their grief, or maybe now that I am blogging more I am more aware of the sorrows and struggles of others. Either way, I pray that all those who are struggling remember that even in the midst of life's storms, there can be some peace throughout, and always, joy awaits us. Please join us in praying for all those struggling through these next months - they say this is the hardest season for those grieving and those with depression. Let's storm heaven, huh?

--- 5 ---

I'm ready for Advent now! Bring.it.on!

Our Advent Calendar mantle...just needs candy and a few other touches to finish!

--- 6 ---

While I have to work today, it will be a quiet day with no ladies at home. I'm thankful that the Iowa vs. Nebraska game will be on network television. I can have that on in the background while I get some things tackled...like preparing for Advent at work. Let's go Hawks!

--- 7 ---

I have to admit that we are completely disengaged from any Black Friday shopping this year. The fact that we might need to go out to get milk (and really get milk, not use that as code for shopping like some people...Nichole, cough cough) even gives me the shakes. We are so disengaged, I haven't even been looking online. I suppose it helps if we knew what we were looking for, but we haven't even been focused on thinking about Christmas gifts yet. We are talking about simplifying, so that is a good thing. What are your goals for Christmas this year? Do you have any gifting rules to keep it all in balance?

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Trick or Treat then...Saint Swap!

Let's face it. Parents of young children really only trick or treat to get some candy for themselves. There, I said it. You know it's true. I don't know a single parent who is letting their one year old devour a bucket of candy.

As they get a little older, say three, for example, the dilemma hits. How much candy is ok? Do I really want her to have her whole bucket? (Heck no.) Do I really want to be that mom who still doesn't let her have any of her treats? (Probably not.) How do I steal her candy from her when she knows now that she has a whole bucket full?!?

Then I saw this on Facebook: The Switch Witch -

While it is rather genius, the Hubs and I were both a little reticent to use a witch to steal candy from our children. And that is how the Saint Swap was born. It isn't so much us stealing their candy as it is them offering up their sweet things to get something even sweeter from a saint. The details are still sketchy, but here is how it goes:

Now we just need to pick a few saints who are leaving the kids some blessings (and figure out what those blessings will be!)...

Happy All Hallows' Eve to one and all!

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