Radiant beams from Thy holy face

This morning I decided to add a little structure to the drawing space on the coffee table and suggested Harper might want to practice writing her name. She agreed enthusiastically. So, I said, help me spell it out. She writes an 'L' facing the wrong way. Then she starts on the 'I'. But we're going to write your name, I reminded her. Yes, she sighed patiently, I'm spelling Lightning. I tried to convince her that Harper was much easier to write AND that it contained absolutely no sneaky silent letters. But she insisted. So I wrote both names down and took Hudson for a diaper change and when we got back in the room, this is what she had accomplished:

Harper had been scratched through, Lightning had been underlined in red, and a happy little balloon man was celebrating. No actual letters had been practiced.

We went to the Museum of Natural Science on Wednesday. The butterfly atrium really is wonderful. Here are the girls marveling. Abby is showing amazing gentleness and restraint for a 2 year old. Hudson was off splashing in a puddle. Izzy and Harper had worn their brightest dresses in hopes that many butterflies would alight upon them. Today I dug through bins and washed some tiny baby clothes so that Helena will have something to wear if she decides to come early. Harper spent lots of time choosing things for her puppy to wear. Hudson spends lots of time doing this:

Boy loves his thumb and his blanket. They used to be confined to the crib but he's been needing additional solace, apparently. Perhaps he's figuring it all out.

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel

Is, of course, technically not a Christmas carol. But I saw a billboard for, I am NOT making this up, "Chanukah on Ice" yesterday and I figured the saturation must be complete. So I was actually already in bed because I am utterly exhausted from a day that involved an embarrassing amount of me on the couch while the kids watched PBS and DVDs, but even in my weariness, sleep eludes. Then I remembered the day had been blog-free. Better to be productive than lying in bed all achy and wild eyed. I'll fill out Mr. B's little Christmas questionnaire. Which for you might not be any better than insomnia. Here we go:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping, even though I am terrible at it and can never manage to cut the correct amount of paper.
2. Real tree or Artificial? I like real but we have a small artificial one. Our first tree as a married couple, as I mentioned in another post. Growing up we had some real years and some artificial.
3. When do you put up the tree? This year it was purchased and assembled before Thanksgiving, I think.
4. When do you take the tree down? We'll probably leave it up for awhile. Maybe until the baby comes.
5. Do you like eggnog? You know, I do. If I don't think too much about the egg part. I pretend it's runny pudding.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? This one is hard. I have very idyllic memories of Christmas mornings in front of the fireplace, but I can't really remember specific gifts. I had these two dolls I loved named Mandy and Jenny, but they might have been birthday gifts. I got a wooden doll house one year that I loved buying furniture for.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My mom, probably, because she deserves everything and wants nothing
8. Easiest person to buy for? the husband. A variety of things please him. But we really don't do gifts for each other.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. It's these little clay figurines that I think came from Peru. They came into the marriage with the husband.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, but this year is in doubt.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I just in general don't like getting presents so this is a weird question for me. I am always touched when people try, it's just awkward for me.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Hm. I can't think of one so I'll steal Jamie's answer--"Little Women"
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? too late, every single year. Because the whole thing is unpleasant.
14. Have you ever re-gifted a Christmas present? No
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peppermint bark, cookies,
16. Lights on the tree? Yes, white, simple.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Once in Royal David's City, Hark the Herald Angels Sing (because it's the first Christmas carol Harper learned to sing) and Angels We Have Heard on High (because Hudson just learned to sing the Gloria's this week and it is unspeakably cute)
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? home, then maybe a little travel
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Dasher and Dancer and Comet and Blitzen, Rudolph, Prancer, Cupid?, Donner?

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We have a bow-ish kind of thing

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? presents
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I have some painted eggs that I got when I lived in Hungary that I think are really pretty
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I like the sweet potato thing my mom makes that is covered in pecans and brown sugar.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A free afternoon one Saturday each month to go see a movie or read a book or take a walk sans my little people. I'd also love a weekend away with the husband, but chances are slim that will happen before, oh, 2024.

God rest ye..

Merry and Kathy and Brenda and Laura and Wendy and Priscilla. These are the lovely, wise ladies in my Bible study group. Last night they not only provided me with a wonderful evening of scintillating conversation around a beautifully set table replete with delicious food, but those rapscallions actually turned a secret Santa exchange into an excuse to shower me with diapers and other gifts for our coming child. It was all very sneaky and hilarious. They had me convinced that I had missed the email about the secret Santa business and while I was in the bathroom contemplating how much of a heel I was going to feel like as they all exchanged their scented candles and giant Toblerones, they waited with their cameras and their enormous bounty of diapers for me to emerge. It was like an extremely generous pack of paparazzi. It was splendid. I feel blessed beyond measure to know each of them.

Who mourn in lonely exile here

Clearly I've moved on from titles to lyrics. Sorry Mrs. Littlefield. We met a British family yesterday who are in Houston for a few weeks to visit some of the churches who support their work with Mission Aviation Fellowship in Uganda. There's nothing like a conversation about the turmoil in Africa to make you thankful for the stability (political and otherwise) that we have here. And Uganda is actually one of the more stable African countries, comparatively speaking. The mother, Emma, told me that many Ugandans were amazed at how peaceful the American presidential election was. They were astonished that John McCain graciously accepted defeat and the country just moved on. In most African elections there is significant bloodshed before, during, and after elections, and there is rarely anything remotely resembling legitimacy when it comes to outcomes. How debilitating that must feel to be caught in that futility. If only there were easy solutions and not just the same seemingly intractable problems. Why don't we all get right on that.

I'm about to make some peppermint brownies and ginger cookies for a Christmas gathering with my Bible study ladies tonight. Absolutely no lonely exile when I'm with that group. Though we've had a fair amount of mourning.

to ransom captive Israel

Well, I went and ruined my perfect attendance at the December Blog Challenge. It is really hard to blog every day. On our way to church we pass a new strip mall and most of the upper floor is taken up with a Krav Maga studio. Do you know what that means? It's the specialized form of self defense utilized by the Israeli army. And, apparently, the next new exercise craze. So put away your gentle pilates and your yoga mat and get ready to beat up on somebody. I find it kind of intriguing. Perhaps when I am no longer great with child I'll go try it out. I was in Israel for a couple of weeks back in the late 90's and I have to say that those Israeli soldiers did make me feel oddly safe. Though it could've been more about the AK-47 they had casually flung across their backs than any mastery of Krav Maga they possessed. It was odd seeing these 18 year old boys and girls in their Abercrombie and Fitch (or whatever the hip, Middle Eastern equivalent was) just waiting in line at the kosher McDonalds with this enormous weapon at the ready. I had my first falafel in Israel. And pita and hummus. Plus, you know, walked in the footsteps of Jesus and stuff. I wonder what Jesus would think about Krav Maga.

What Child is This

We were out for a little walk and Harper walked over to some stairs, sat on the bottom one, and attempted a forlorn expression.
me: What are you doing, Harper?
she: I'm not Harper. I'm another little girl just sitting on the steps waiting for my Mommy to get home from work.
Ah, yes. That green, green grass on the other side of the fence.

When I went to get Hudson up from his nap this afternoon he was all smiley and he proclaimed, with exuberance, "PUPPIES!" then, "DADDY!" which about sums up the two joys of his life these days.

Do you think it's unrealistic of me to think that the kids will use the play kitchen they are getting for Christmas to actually begin preparing their own food?

Waltz of the Sugarplum Fairy

I couldn't think of another Christmas song about food. I just brought home and indulged in some Haagen Dazs Limited Edition Peppermint Bark ice cream. Oh, my. We already had peppermint Bluebell in the freezer but this is far, far superior. Although I'm now chilled. Would it be wrong to have hot chocolate after ice cream?