Living Seasonally
November feels like one of those months of waiting. Waiting for Advent, waiting to legitimately begin to listen to Christmas music. The days are cold and short and before you know it November is over and you can’t believe Advent is already here! Sure there’s Thanksgiving, a holiday I’m beginning to feel more sentiment for, but really one that just makes me miss home. Autumn is such a wonderful season and one day when I have more time to sit and reflect on the goodness of all that surrounds me, I’ll savor November more.
Giving Thanks
1. Warm clothes to wear on cold days.
2. Gingerbread cookies.
3. Goodie boxes in the mail.
4. The color, smell and sound of Fall.
5. Nap time!
6. Candles on dark, cold nights
7. Babies in white
Thinking Deeply
Most of what’s been occupying my mind recently has to do with Advent and Christmas. These are the years we establish traditions and teach lessons that my children will hopefully remember all their lives. How will we observe Advent when all around us are celebrating Christmas? How will we make the season of Christmas, which lasts 12 days, a special time of celebration?
Turning Pages
Just finished, A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard
Currrently reading, He Remembers The Barren by Katie Schuermann
Just started, Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
Establishing Rhythm
We’ve finally adjusted to the end of Daylight Saving Time that is sent from Sauron the dark lord of Mordor himself and getting back to a 6 am wake up time instead of 5 am. I certainly feel the pressure to try to accomplish too much in my day. Time for exercise, prayer, playing, cooking, reading, thinking, cleaning, organizing and planning don’t come easily or at all most days. I can’t have it all, I’m still trying to learn that lesson.
Cultivating Simplicity
Rhythm calms and secures children, grounding them in the earth of family so they can branch out and grow. The implication of rhythms is that there is an author behind how we do things as a family. Parental authority is strengthened by rhythms; an authority is established that is gentle and understandable. “This is what we do” also says, “There is order here, and safety.”
– Kim John Payne, Simplicity Parenting
Creating Beauty
I’ve started making a new scarf for Lily, pink, her favorite color of course. It will be like this one HERE which has been handed down to Gerhardt. I’ll make one for Clara soon too. I’m glad it’s such an easy project since actually knitting her one would take more time than I’m willing to give right now.
Nurturing Hearts
This month we read about David and his father Jesse in our story Bible. With Advent coming those are two names the girls may hear from time to time so I wanted to plant those little seeds. We are also learning hymns. We try to sing one or two a month until they are very familiar. There are several in our hymnal (LSB) that are good for children; Have No Fear Little Flock and Father Welcomes All His Children have been easy to learn.
Nurturing Minds
Going to the library has been a good outing for me and Lily. We’ve come home with some fun books. I’m happy she likes being read to.
Nurturing Senses
Lighting candles during our evening meal has become a nice tradition. I only do this during this season when we loose a little more of our day to the night. The girls love it and we all feel a little more fancy.
Nurturing Hands
On Friday nights I make pizza. Lily had started being very picky about eating it so I’ve started letting her help me make it. That did the trick, the last two weeks she eats her pizza happily! Ugg, she’s getting so big.
Nurturing Bodies
I’ve manged to get out to walk a few times this month. I guess I average about twice a week, not great. I take 1-3 babies with me at a time. It’s not easy and not my preference since it would be nice to be alone but it’s good for all of us. And it won’t last, the days are getting colder and soon snow and ice will cover our path and slow my already weak resolve.
Tending the Earth
Our neighbor has tilled his garden anticipating Spring. We don’t hear the mowers anymore like we do all summer. The trees have dropped all their leaves and we wait for the dark days of Winter. I noticed we still have toys to pick up in the backyard before we lose them to the snow.
Capturing Time
This week I cut Lily’s hair! Mama I know you were a much stronger woman to wrangle with me for so many years of long hair. I have not the patience. The tangles were getting to be too much of a hassle so after mentioning to Lily for several weeks that I would be trimming her hair soon I finally did it. She had to get used to the idea and seemed excited about it the other day, so chop chop.
I’ve never done this before, the instructional videos I watched make this seem a LOT easier than it really is and the whole time I kept thinking “I’ve made a huge mistake.” Though I still keep finding long spots to snip, I guess it doesn’t look that bad.
My Daybook has been inspired by Evlogia.
Your daybook is absolutely lovely.
Thank you Katherine! It was a great exercise in reflection, thank you for the inspiration and thanks for stopping by, Iove reading your blog!