Advent: Day 1

Today is Sunday, December 1st... However, as my blog is on American time, I'm actually a day early (I would convert to an Australian calendar, however I really don't know how to do anything but publish posts at the moment and every attempt to do something more 'fancy' just doesn't work).

On the 29th, I started the Novena for the Immaculate Conception. It makes sense to me that Advent is a time to focus on Mary as much as Jesus (I mean the final month of my pregnancies, I wanted the focus to be on me-I somehow doubt that Mary is that selfish though). This year I'm trying to Advent properly (for the first time in my life) and I am a little concerned that I may be trying to incorporate too many traditions in to the next 24 days, so the two Novenas I am doing (Immaculate Conception and Christmas) will be done without children. Children will, however, be included in the following activities/ traditions...

The Advent book box: I have wrapped one book to read every night with a Jesse tree ornament attached. (The book has some connection to the Jesse tree ornament). These will be unwrapped after dinner every evening.

The season of Advent

 For the first time ever, I'm actually entering the season of Advent with the correct frame of mind. Usually, I spend Advent buying presents, preparing food, buying presents, planning what clothes my kids will wear to various events, buying presents, setting up decorations and finally wrapping all the presents. It is an exhausting time of the year, almost soul sapping. Going from shop to shop, mall to mall, struggling to find a car park, then being blinded by fluorescent lights, overwhelmed by the ott Christmas displays, annoyed by the so called Christmas music and waiting in huge queues (with extremely impatient mini humans in the trolley) because, apparently, people need to receive the entire contents of a shop to be satisfied. As you can imagine, I was pretty excited to learn that, for all these years, I've being doing Advent wrong!

The Liturgical calendar divides the year into seasons and, surprise surprise, Advent is not the season to be shopping! Advent is a time to prepare and make room for the Lord. In a physical sense, Advent is the perfect time for 'Spring' cleaning... Decluttering in a physical sense can affect our spiritual side. My sisters won't like reading this, but Advent is a time to clean house- including dreaded jobs like windows, curtains, gutters, walls etc. Sorting through clothes and household goods to donate excess to charity is also a worthwhile Advent pursuit.

In a spiritual sense, Advent is a great time to identify and then try to rid oneself of sinful compulsions. How do you identify these? By self reflection, examination of conscience, prayer, talking with a spiritual director and reading holy books. How do you rid yourself of sinful compulsions? Through confession, prayer and fasting. So, in a round about way, I have come to the point I was trying to make in the beginning... Advent is a time to work on our interior life, to try to perfect ourselves so we are prepared for the coming of Our Lord.

God Bless :)

There's always work to be done...

My husband and I do pretty well in the division of jobs department. Well, it works for us. But, there are always jobs that fall by the wayside, and some just seem too hard. Our back driveway was one such job (so excited to be using past tense, I know it gives away the ending, but it don't care). My Nono is probably one of the hardest working people I know, so when he comes over, he always gives me strong suggestions of jobs that I or my husband should have done... Clearing the rubbish from the back driveway was always at the top of the list.

Well, finally, after about 4 years, I am pleased to announce that Sam and I got out there, on a lovely Saturday morning and got our hands dirty! We toiled for hours, under the glare of the hot sun... Who am I kidding? My mum was here so she knows the truth... We had a lovely friend come over with a digger who helped us out :) He toiled for hours under the hot sun (we did try to help, but the digger is kind of a one man show). Then, I didn't even make lunch- my husband served us a treat of hamburgers and chips. Check out the pics below :)

Bedtime part two

So, those who have already read Bedtime Part one, you are aware that our three sweeties have all been put to bed by a reasonable hour...

For the first 45 minutes there is the constant stream of questions, requests etc, anything to attempt to get our attention. Alex comes out regularly just to 'check' on us. Then there is quiet. Sam is playing some game on his phone, I am setting up my blog (very excited)! In our experience, silence is usually not a good thing- advice for those who are yet to be parents- however Sam is tired, it is Friday after all, and I am much too occupied doing something that interests me to be bothered what the kids are up to. What is the worst that can happen? (Never ask that question)

At about 8pm or so, we hear the back door open, a few minutes later, I can see Alex has circumnavigated the house and is now jumping on the trampoline in the front yard. I am engrossed in what I'm doing so I choose to ignore him, let him think that he has tricked us, until I see Anna running out the gate... Once again, daddy to the rescue (I'm not usually this lazy, I promise) Sam puts the kids back to bed. About 10 minutes later we hear a bang from within the garage. Houdini Alex is at it again and has broken a box. He gets put back to bed again...

At about 9:30, we check on Alex (he is in our room at the moment), Anna is there with him, playing. Get back to bed! But wait, Anna can't, because she has gone and collected herself another bowl of pasta and spilt it on her bed... Well at least now her bed matches the rest of her room- a total mess! (Before she went to bed, her room was clean, I really am telling the truth!) 

Bedtime part one

Okay, bed time... Who else has trouble with bed time? You would think that by the third kid, bed time would be a breeze (well, the third kid is now pretty good) but the other two!?! Let me give you a run down of a typical night, tonight maybe...

5:30 Dinner (tuna mornay- the kids actually ate quite a bit, I consider that a win, unfortunately parents only get one 'win' every evening)

5:50 Bath (all three kids are thrown in the bath, Benj doesn't last long because he keeps trying to stand up- big no-no for those who haven't bathed babies before)

6:20 Tell Alex and Anna that they have to get out of the bath

6:25 Get out of the bath Alex and Anna...

6:30 Now!

6:35 Alex and Anna finally get out of the bath (there were threats that managed to convince them that listening might be a good option) however, Anna is having a tantrum because she has no towel- daddy to the rescue as mum is feeding Benj.

6:50 All three kids dressed so now we are decorating the Christmas tree... Good, it's done now BED!

7:10 Alex and Anna are in bed, we have said our prayers, Benj is in his cot... Easy you say? Well, now the fun begins... Continue in part two

Welcome

Hi there! So excited to be starting my own blog. My name is Bec, and I am a blog addict. I read blogs from other Catholic mothers daily- sometimes it is what gets me out of bed in the morning. (Not really, I blame my kids for that- I could easily read blogs while I'm still in bed). Anyways, I kinda feel like the people who write these blogs that I am addicted to reading are actually my best friends, even though I've never met them. So, I have decided that I too will start a blog, so that others can become my imaginary friends :)

So, a bit about me... I am just, only just, shy of 30 years old and have been married to my lovely husband Sam for close to 5 1/2 years. We have three children, Alexander 4 years, Annabelle 2 years and Benjamin 9 months. I always thought that I was born to be a mother... then I had kids :/ Now, I struggle through the highs and lows of marriage and motherhood in a somewhat chaotic way. I am a bit of a perfectionist in theory, however reality seldom reflects the idealistic vision I have. I am completely manic, I overanalyse absolutely everything and I always try to do too much. However, then I come crashing down and spend a day on the couch with a jar of Nutella and Pride and Prejudice playing on the tv, while my children amuse themselves.

As much as I would like to be perfect, have a perfect house and perfectly behaved children who actually listen and don't spend every conceivable moment trying to come up with a new and brilliant way of sending me crazy... but, that's just not me. I am totally flawed, discovering new imperfections daily, however, myself, and my journey as a wife and mother is and always will be a work in progress, and I'm okay with that too :)

If you are still reading, I hope that you enjoy my posts in the future. They will be an honest and reflective view of my journey.