Scenes from Christmas Day :: Battle for the Bouncer
Well apparently Snuggles was not quite ready to pass it down to his new little sister… He was not very happy when I placed her in it, and as soon as I took Rose back out of the chair, he immediately climbed in and tried buckling himself.
I think he was reminiscing about his days of being able to “Move it Move it.” 😉
Well, the timer is about to go off, for the crown cake the girls and I have baking in the oven, so it is time for me to go… Hopefully I will be back later to finish posting our Christmas Pictures.
Scenes from Christmas Day :: Baby’s 1st Christmas
Scenes from Christmas Day :: Christmas Brunch
Scenes from Christmas Day :: Around Our Home
Comparing Baby Pictures
There has been a bit of a debate over who Rose looks the most like, of her siblings… Hubby & I see the most resemblance between her and her oldest brother (Captain) and sister (Twinkle Toes). Most everyone else seems to think she looks just like Chiquita… What do you think?
My Daybook ~ January 4th (and 5th!)
Outside my window… the boys are playing hockey on the back patio with their Dad and their new hockey sticks
I am hearing… the hockey puck bouncing off the walls of the house. Nice!
I am thankful for… the little postcard that arrived in the mail, from a Chiropractor I saw a couple years ago, offering a free “Birthday Adjustment!” YAY!!! What perfect timing! I have an appointment scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
I am praying… that Rose’s little heart really is all better and that an appointment with the echo-cardiologist opens up locally on January 19th so that we don’t have to drive so very far on February 2nd.
From the kitchen… 1/2 caff coffee and almond biscotti… I really need to eat something substantial and healthy.
From the learning rooms… I thought about starting back to school today, but when I woke up this morning (Monday), at 10am after a very sleepless night, I came to the realization that I am just not ready yet. Maybe next week.
Living the Liturgical Year at Home… we will celebrate the 12th day of Christmas, the traditional feast of the Epiphany and also known as “Little Christmas” on the 6th. I’m sure I will need to keep it much simpler than last year, but I do have a neat new Pampered Chef pan I’d love to try out and this would be the perfect opportunity!
I am creating… a Netflix Queue since we recently signed back up for their 1 DVD at a time plan. Do any of you have any great movies to suggest? I am also very curious about the Roku SD Player
I am wearing… ugh! NOTHING fits! Maternity clothes are NO WHERE NEAR as cute without that nice firm round baby tummy to fill them out, and I am a LONG WAY from fitting back into my regular clothing once again… I have my work cut out for me, that’s for sure!
I am going… to need to be the tooth fairy again tonight (Monday night)! Twinkle Toes just lost that other top tooth!! I have a little klutz book
Pondering these words… from the beautiful Novena for Homeschooling Mothers which Angela has been posting:
“Most gracious God, You have charged me with the sobering task of educating these children with which You have blessed our family. In Baptism, You have made them Your own, and now You have entrusted them to me, that I may rear them in supernatural love toward You and educate and train them in all of the knowledge required to form them into the Godly adults that you created them to become. This task so far exceeds the abilities of Your humble servant but in confidence I turn to You, O God, trusting in your almighty power and the inexhaustible graces that you make available to me. Help me to form these children to each one’s greatest potential in both intellect and virtue. Give me a greater portion of each of the fruits and gifts of Your Holy Spirit that I may perfectly execute my duties as their teacher. Grant that these children may ever look upon their divine sonship as the highest good that they possess on earth and may they at last die in full possession of it. Amen.”
I am hoping… that I have a chance to sort through, and post, some of our Christmas Day pictures soon. My sister has been asking to see them for awhile… Here’s one JoAnn:
Noticing that… I have a zillion emails to answer. I am so sorry to all of you that are waiting to hear from me… With Hubby home these past few weeks, and the kids watching some movies on Netflix, I’ve had to share the computer. Plus, I haven’t been “multi-tasking” while nursing this time around, so most all my old “computer time” is now spent nursing. I’ll start working on catching up once I have all the Christmas Cards out! 😉
Around the house… it still looks like Christmas and I love it!
One of my favorite things… my family!
A few plans for the rest of the week:
- Meet with an architect about drawing plans for a dining room & living room addition/kitchen remodel! Yay!!!
- Have my back adjusted at the Chiropractor.
- Celebrate Epiphany
- Finish mailing Christmas and Thank you Cards
- Enjoy these last few days of having Hubby off work
- Snuggle with the baby and try to sleep when she sleeps — which hasn’t been happening very often!
A Picture thought I am sharing:
On the Solemnity Feast of Mary the Mother of God…
by Mary Joslin
by Tomie DePaola
Handmade Treasures
For the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus…
to my children!
The Churching of Women
There is a tradition associated with baptism and childbirth which is part of the traditional ritual, but has fallen out of practice, at least here in our diocese, that is called the “Churching of Women”.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia:
A blessing given by the Church to mothers after recovery from childbirth. Only a Catholic woman who has given birth to a child in legitimate wedlock, provided she has not allowed the child to be baptized outside the Catholic Church, is entitled to it. It is not a precept, but a pious and praiseworthy custom (Rituale Romanum), dating from the early Christian ages, for a mother to present herself in the Church as soon as she is able to leave her house (St. Charles Borromeo, First Council of Milan), to render thanks to God for her happy delivery, and to obtain by means of the priestly blessing the graces necessary to bring up her child in a Christian manner. The prayers indicate that this blessing is intended solely for the benefit of the mother, and hence it is not necessary that she should bring the child with her; nevertheless, in many places the pious and edifying custom prevails of specially dedicating the child to God. For, as the Mother of Christ carried her Child to the Temple to offer Him to the Eternal Father, so a Christian mother is anxious to present her offspring to God and obtain for it the blessing of the Church. This blessing, in the ordinary form, without change or omission, is to be given to the mother, even if her child was stillborn, or has died without baptism (Cong. Sac. Rit., 19 May, 1896).
The churching of women is not a strictly parochial function, yet the Congregation of Sacred Rites (21 November, 1893) decided that a parish priest, if asked to give it, must do so, and if another priest is asked to perform the rite, he may do so in any church or public oratory, provided the superior of said church or oratory be notified. It must be imparted in a church or in a place in which Mass is celebrated, as the very name “churching” is intended to suggest a pilgrimage of thanksgiving to the church, and as the rubrics indicate in the expressions: “desires to come to the church”, “he conducts her into the church”, she kneels before the altar”, etc. Hence the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore (No. 246) prohibits the practice of churching in places in which Mass is not celebrated.
It is such a beautiful custom and I am so thankful that I was able to receive it once again after Rose’s baptism this past Monday!
The woman will make arrangements with her priest (ideally, the priest should know the women of his parish and make the offer to her). At the appointed time, she will kneel in the Narthex, holding a lighted candle. The priest, wearing a white stole, will bless her with holy water, and say:
V. Our help is in the Name of the Lord.
R. Who made Heaven and Earth.
ANT. She shall receive.
Psalm 23 1
The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and all they that dwell therein. For He hath founded it upon the seas; and hath prepared it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in His holy place? The innocent in hands and clean of heart, who hath not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Savior. This is the generation of them that seek Him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of glory shall enter in. Who is this King of glory? the Lord Who is strong and mighty: the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of glory shall enter in. Who is this King of glory? the Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.
Glory be to the Father.
ANT. She shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God her Savior: for this is the generation of them that seek the Lord.
The priest places the end of his stole in the woman’s hand and leads her into the church while saying:
Enter into the temple of God, adore the Son of the blessed Virgin Mary, who gave you fruitfullness of offspring.
Outside the sanctuary, the mother kneels before the Altar and prays, thanking God for her child.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. (Now the Our Father is said silently)
V. And lead us not into temptation.
R. But deliver us from evil.
V. Save your handmaid, Lord.
R. Who hopes in Thee, my God.
V. Send her help, Lord, from the sanctuary.
R. And defend her out of Sion.
V. Let not the enemy prevail against her.
R. Nor the son of iniquity approach to hurt her.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come to Thee.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
V. Let us pray.
Almighty, everlasting God, through the delivery of the blessed Virgin Mary, Thou hast turned into joy the pains of the faithful in childbirth; look mercifully upon this Thy handmaid, coming in gladness to Thy temple to offer up her thanks: and grant that after this life, by the merits and intercession of the same blessed Mary, she may merit to arrive, together with her offspring, at the joys of everlasting happiness. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
The priest sprinkles the mother with holy water in the shape of a Cross.
in which case it is more like a shower! 😉
The peace and blessing of God almighty, the Father + and the Son and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain forever.
R. Amen.
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