Temperature Tantrum

I live in the Atlanta suburbs. Normally, it is cold now...well cold to Atlantans which is 40 and 50 degrees. It is 75@!#*@!DEGREES outside! I am p*ssed! This kind of weather saps me of all my energy and makes me want to hide in a freezer. It's hot and I'm hot...under the collar! I need to move to Alaska...that is all there is to it!

Immaculate Mary and Our Lady of Guadalupe Crowning

So many cool things happened earlier , when it was still Dec. 8th. We went to Mass twice, once in the morning for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Fr. Mike gave an awesome homily about Our Lady. It made some connections for me regarding Mary that I had not completely made in my mind. The one that most jumped out at me was that the reason Mary was preserved from Original Sin was so she could be "truly free to make the right choice" when Gabriel told her that she would conceive a son. I always thought that since she was without sin (more because she would be the New Ark of the Covenant, this time holding God's word in Flesh) she could only make one choice, the right choice, the choice to say, "Yes" to God. But the way Fr. Mike put it, it was more that being free from sin allowed her the freedom to say yes or no, without external sway. He said that Original Sin (which Adam and Eve committed while without sin...so it was a truly free choice) has put us in a perpetual state of gravitating toward choose the selfish way, the easiest path, the quick lie etc... And that we actually have to think about choosing good...that it doesn't just come naturally. As I sat there listening to Fr. Mike I thought of what I wrote about in a recent post on "true freedom" and it only comes from abiding so completely in God that we are free to do the right thing...even when it's selfless and possibly involves suffering. There were once the two created without sin who chose to sin. And everafter threw mankind violently onto the wrong path away from God. Then there were the two created without sin (the first given that gift by the One she would give to the world) and they chose not to sin. And everafter lovingly guided mankind back to the right path toward God. What symmetry, what SENSE IT ALL MAKES! I was just blown away.

Then later we went to the Vigil Mass (to fulfill our Sunday obligation) and got treated to the Crowning of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We have a large Hispanic community in our parish. One of those parishioners moved her Catholic bookstore into one of the parish's upstairs unused offices. She is Hispanic as well. I can't remember if she is from Mexico or somewhere else in Latin America. Anyway, she felt led to have a crowing of the beautiful statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe that our parish acquired about 1 year ago. She remembered reading about how the original statue in Mexico was crowned with a crown which was made using gold filigree which was made by melting together gold that had been donated by the faithful of the region. So, she wanted to do that. However, she didn't know how she would go about asking, or getting Monsignor's approval to ask, the parishioners to donate gold items. So, one day in her shop she was thinking about it and in walked a woman (a woman I know, who is a homeschooler, and taught me how to make cord and beaded Rosaries) with a gold necklace (I think it was) with pearls and said, "God said to give this to you." How cool is that? That was the first piece of gold given for the crown. After that people found out what was going on and Msgr. gave the go ahead to tell people what this lady was trying to make happen so that she could receieve donations. Fast forward to today... the gold had been collected, God put a designer for the crown in this sweet woman's path, she found the right devout Catholic man to make it in Mexico (which is where Guadalupana first appeared) and it had arrived to be placed on the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe today at the first Vigil Mass which is the Family Mass (when the kids' choir always sings). There is so much symbolism in the crown, just as there is in the painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe (click on the title of this post to read about that). Here is a picture of the crown.

All in all it was a pretty cool day. We got to have Jesus TWICE in one day. And that was good for Robert and I because Ben was not having a good day between the Masses (which is a whole 'nother post!) but, thanks be to God, Ben was good at the two Masses. We got to hear a fabulous homily on the Immaculate Conception and then we got to witness the Crowning of Our Lady. It makes be think about what a Catholic woman, I know, from Africa once said at a Christ Renews His Parish retreat, "God is good all the time and all the time God is good.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mystical Rose, make intercession for the Holy Church, protect the Sovereign Pontiff, help all those who invoke thee in their necessities, and since thou art the ever Virgin Mary, and Mother of the True God, obtain for us from thy most holy Son the grace of keeping our faith, of sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life, of burning charity, and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen.
One Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father...in gratitude for the Miraculous Portrait as a continuing miracle and testimony.

~Peace~

Recent Family Pictures

Here are a smattering of recent photos. First is a photo of Andrew when he medaled at the November tournament (he's the tall one in the middle). He got 5th place out of over 100 High School Fencers...he was actually 1st place in pools and took 5th in direct eliminations). Way to go Capitain! He is so happy and we are so proud of him. Then there are pics of the coffee I roast at home (sooooo good); and what everyone said, on Thanksgiving, was the best pecan pie they EVER had! (I will post the recipe later) . A BEAUTIFUL open faced apple tart that was so good when fresh out of the oven and a sog-fest Thanksgiving day...(drat!!). My brother, Jonathan hugging Autumn and then with Toonces on his head. Then there are the kids picking out the real tree for downstairs. (It is up now and lit but undecorated.) The lighting of the town square. The shots with me looking good are the family Christmas photo and me and Robert after the parish Christmas party. (Normally, I'm a frightful sight of exhaustion, geeky glasses and unbrushed hair.) Then there are the cookies I baked today: Chocolate Chip, Sugar (recipe in previous post) and English Jam Tarts (not pictured but oh sooo delish!...I will post the recipe for those too!)

Last, but certainly not least, are pictures of Ben sleeping in front of the the tree, Andy laughing at YouTube, and Autumn making paperchains... all of which were taken at midnight!

~Peace~

Peace & Hostility Cookies (with recipe)

There will never be peace in the Middle East until there is peace in the backseat (of my car, between my 2 youngest kids, Ben and Autumn). I mean, REALLY, if children from the same loving family can't seem to stop being so hostile, blaming, yelling, arguing, and fighting is there any hope for the Jews and Muslims? They are from different faiths, which rose from the same family, and they've had a beef with each other about who is God's favorite for centuries?

I used to be Protestant (a vehemently anti-Catholic one at that). So, I can understand being indoctrinated from childhood into believing the worst about a belief system and those that adhere to it; which in my case was Catholicism. Admittedly, I was never encouraged to strap a bomb to myself and take out the local parish in the name of John Calvin. So, I guess that is where I part company with the over-the-top hostility circulating among some in the Middle East.

So, back to Ben and Autumn. As a Catholic mom, I really, really try to help them understand that they are hurting themselves, their family, the Church, and God by being so mean to each other...and over such petty stuff. I eschew corporal punishment, so I try to make consequences meaningful. But half the time the "meaning of their meanness" still doesn't get through their heads. Even though it is true that "I am the Mom", I really don't like to wield that power like a dictator. I try to engage my kids and help them to see what is going on. I try to encourage mutual respect for each other and focus on how God wants us all to treat each other. It is amazing to me, though, how sin breaks in. The "Me" in each one of them becomes all important and nothing else exists. The total selfishness and complete lack of empathy or understanding toward the other, and me, can be stunning. And hey, I know I am not the most peaceful chick walking the planet. I have the so-called Irish Temper (and the Scots have it too, of which I am also descended.) Apparently, the other 1/3 of me, the English (staid, keep a stiff upper lip) part has been completely squashed by the other two more fiery temperaments of my heritage, and rarely sees the light of day. (My poor husband.) However, God is really working on me and aspect of my personality. Having a hot temper isn't always a bad thing. It is the way one uses it that makes it bad. I think there is a difference between managing conflict positively and plain old open hostility. Both stem from a passionate personality. So, I am trying to take my passionate little kids and help them turn it into something good. For example, I am "on Fire" for the Catholic Church. I passionately defend her teachings...even the unpopular ones. Being unafraid to speak up and doing it with gusto makes people pay attention, but I can't do it angrily or I will lose my credibility to those I am trying to reach. However, the only attention I have been getting lately is that of the public watching me wrangle my two little warring countries (I mean kids)...not the attention I am quite wanting for them OR me.

After 37 years of being anti-Catholicism and 18 years of being an Evangelical Protestant, God brought me all the way home to His Church...the Catholic Church. I believed in Him for so long and was always looking for him and he guided me where I needed to go...but certainly not in my time...always His time. So, too, I hope and pray that He will bring peace to the Jews and Muslims by bringing them to his Son, who IS peace. So it is with God's help, I will continue to encourage my children to live together in peace, instead of battling against each other in anger. I fear, however, that it's going to take a lot longer than I thought. I shouldn't complain, though, because God's been patiently waiting for us to get our acts together for thousands of years!

In closing, I want to share a couple of pictures. I was baking today when all Hell broke loose between my little Israel and Palestine. First there are the Peace cookies: Beautiful, sweet, with a perfect texture, and giving off a delightful aroma ...the perfect sugar cookie...which I made while I blissfully baked through the afternoon. Then, there are the Hostility cookies: Ugly, burnt at the edges with a hardened center (the kids were yelling and I forgot about them until I could smell them...not good!). Makes me think of the real things: Peace is beautiful, blissful and a peaceful person perfumes the air with the love of God. Hostility makes one spiritually ugly, hard-hearted, and leaves those around them feeling burned.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

1 cup butter

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups AP flour

1 tsp Cream of Tartar

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp salt

a good grating of fresh Nutmeg

Sugar for dusting

Oven to 400F

Beat butter til pale and fluffy

add vanilla, mix well

add eggs beat well

Combine all dry ingredients

(don't leave out the nutmeg it makes the cookie)

then add to wet ingredients and mix well.

Drop on greased cookie sheets a couple of inches apart and bake until they match the first picture above (about 6-8 minutes). Lay on a rack and sprinkle with sugar while they are still hot, so that it will stick. When cool enough devour with a cold glass of milk. Totally Awesome!

Peace!

Flight of the Conchords- Business Time

This is for all us couples who have been married a LONG time!
(But just two minutes! Far too short!) These guys are just hilarious!

Monty Python-Holy Hand Grenade

5 is RIGHT OUT!

My Patron Saint shoulda been this guy...

St. Expeditus...the Patron Saint of Procrastinators! How Awesome!!!
Apparently, he is wearing water tight boots, in the pic, because he is always prepared. My motto has always been the Mark Twain quote, "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow." I even have it printed on a t-shirt.

Here is a perfect example. I mentioned to the kids, earlier, that it was the Feast of St. Nicholas (when it still was, of course!). But, did I remember to have them put out their shoes Wednesday night? No! Did I do any cool craft thing with them or read them a book about him? Noooooo! But, in my pathetic defense, I did make some red and green paperchains with Autumn at around 11:30pm (the kid never sleeps) so that was Christmas themed? Yes, but St. Nick themed Maybe...ish...NOT....okay fine... I am pathetic. I even have 5 huge mounds of laundry in my bedroom to be folded and put away. I HATE putting it all away. Washing, drying and even folding is fine. And I am a neat freak. A procrastinating neat freak? How IS that possible? Anyway, I gotta start asking for a little intercession from good ole St. Expeditus...because I could sure use his help.

Good nite! (Though I am even procrastinating going to bed, which will only make me procrastinate waking up. Oh well, at least I DID roast some coffee tonite, so we will have that to look forward to.)

~Peace~

REAL Freedom

Yesterday was my Familia meeting. Familia is an apostolate of Regnum Christi. (Though you don't have to be a member of RC to be in Familia.) RC is very time consuming so I just stick with Familia. Anyway, the meetings are set up to read and study the Gospel, the Catechism, &Papal Encyclicals. We come up with resolutions to help us in our spiritual lives and we pray for each other.

Our Catechism lesson (taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church) was on Man's (& Woman's) Freedom. This section of the catechism is so beautiful, awe-inspiring, and pertinent to unschooling that I just have to write some of it out for all of you to read.

CCC 1730: God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and control his own actions. "God willed that man should be 'left in the hand of his own counsel,' so that he might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to Him."

CCC 1731: Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude.

CCC1732: As long as freedom has not bound itself definitively to its ultimate good which is God, there is the possibility of choosing between good and evil, and thus of growing in perfection or of failing and sinning. This freedom characterizes properly human acts. It is the basis of praise or blame, merit or reproach.

CCC1733: The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to the "slavery of sin."

CCC1734: Freedom makes man responsible for his acts to the extent that they are voluntary. Progress in virtue, knowledge of the good, and ascesis enhance the mastery of the will over its acts.

CCC1738: Freedom is exercised in relationships between human beings. Every human person, created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect. The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of common good and public order.

So, there you have it. Straight out of the mouth of the Catholic Church. A definition of freedom different from what the modern culture would believe. Little do they know, however, that in their seeming freedom to do whatever they want whenever they want they are really slaves to their own sins...especially the sin of selfishness which usually ends up infringing on the freedom of others. Abortion would be a perfect example.

My hope for us all is that we may truly be free and find that freedom in Christ who said, "The TRUTH will set you free."

~Peace~

Happy Feast of Saint Nicholas!

Very cool website. Of course, me being the "day late, dollar short" kinda gal...I totally forgot to have the kids put out their shoes last night to get candy from this wonderful saint. I know...bad Catholic mommy.

Peace

Please go to this blog NOW...

...and watch the short film. I promise all of you unschoolers out there that this wiil make you happy!

Peace,

Christmas is Coming, Christmas is Coming

I haven't downloaded all the recent pictures lately, which include the real tree we got Friday night. However, a couple of days ago, when the house was clean and beautiful (unlike right now...ugh!) I snapped some shots of how Christmas is shaping up around here. Later I am going to post as much as I can remember of our Priest's Advent homily yesterday. It was sooooo good.

Below are pics of the front yard, coming into the house, the foyer, living room from 2 angles, staircase, dining room and the last one is the view from my bed. We gotta have a tree in the bedroom. Nothing like going to sleep to twinkly lights. Oh, and unlike some of your lucky bloggers out there, we don't have snow. However, it is 41 degress and windy...and I'll take it! :-)

Heading to the Parish Christmas Party

We have never been able to go this party (which is just for adults..woo hoo!)because my husband's work party was always the same night. So, I am really looking forward to this. I actually found something nice to wear, in my closet (that fits!),because it is a dressy affair. I am very much the jeans and sweater girl this time of year.
We also got our tree yesterday. I lit it today. It is so tall, and fat, and beautiful. I will add a pic when I take one. Well, I am off to see very good friends at my wonderful parish and I will get to look and act like a grown up...HOW COOL!
........................time elapsed 4ish hours.................................
Okay, we had fun. Dinner was good. That is what happens when a few of the Knights of Columbus are actual chefs. The band was decent. We both had a chance to chat with a bunch of friends and have our Priest's amazing Irish Coffee. (And yes, he is Irish.) The band played old standards and some Christmas classics. It was fun to see various friends dancing. Some couples we know can really "cut a rug". I won't dance with Robert. There is too much of an 80's New Wave 'clubgirl' in me. I slow danced with Robert at our wedding...that was it. I know it's weird, but I can't do it...I can't. It is so embarassing to me. I didn't slow dance or go out dancing with guys when I was younger. The way I think of dancing is a bunch of friends kind of dancing in the same vicinity of each other but still dancing on their own at the same time. Maybe in 20 years, when I am in my early 60's I'll do it?

What I really did tho, was to prove to my friends, my husband, and myself that I can put on make-up, dress-up, and look really nice. I only have to do it once or twice a year. So there...world...I did it. Now I am happily typing away in my sweats...YEAH! Now I off to read Anne Bronte's Agnes Grey. So far it is really good. I forgot how much I love the books by the Bronte sisters. Below is a link to the Bronte Society.

http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/Bronte.html

Goodnite and God Bless

Extroverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Perceptive...and I haven't changed since I first took this in High School.

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends. You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules. Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives. You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller! In love, you are quite the charmer. And you are definitely willing to risk your heart. You often don't follow through with your flirting or professed feelings. And you do break a lot of hearts. At work, you are driven but not a workaholic. You just always seem to enjoy what you do. You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist. How you see yourself: compassionate, unselfish, and understanding When other people don't get you, they see you as: gushy, emotional, and unfocused

What's Your Personality Type?

Being judged for being an Unschooler

(Above is a picture of a fabulous book, Homeschooling With Gentleness; A Catholic Discovers Unschooling by Suzie Andres. I encourage all those skeptical of unschooling to at least read it through before making any more rash judgements. Click the pic and it should take you to Amazon.)

A couple of days ago I was installing the Mass readings widget on my blog. You can get it by going to http://www.catholiccontent.com/. While I was there I noticed I could put a widget in that would let people search CatholicBlogs. Not knowing how one gets added to CatholicBlogs, I searched myself...hey,Catholic is the first word in my title. Well, what should come up but a woman's blog (who shall remain nameless coz I don't want her to get any mean comments) who wrote, "I know unschooling is wrong." Admittedly, she went on to to list a bunch other things that she, as a Catholic homeschooler, thought were wrong. Then, she went on to say that she still shouldn't judge someone's devotedness to Catholicism based on what she thinks is wrong because, unless it is morally wrong, it's just her opinion.

What is everybody's problem with unschooling? Geesh! It drives me crazy. Where in the bible does it say, "Thou shalt make thy children sit at a desk and practiceth language arts, math, science, and history"...huh? Argh! (yes, I made a pirate sound...it ticks me off that much!) I know people who are very school-at-home homeschoolers. Secretly, I am slightly envious. But the envy is a misdirected kind. I am utterly stunned they can get their kids to actually do the work they put in front of them without balking. Heck, if I were a homeschooled kid today I wouldn't want to do, much less be truly interested in, half of what I was 'supposed' to do.

Why do so many people (religions and not religious) get education confused with discipleship and parenting. I am not, as I have said before, and unparent. There are unschoolers out there who's learning philosophy extends to how they parent. I am not into it. God has told me that I do need to train my kids. Not in a psychotic "Pearl" way (remember those authors? shudder), but in a "we're the parents and you're the kids" kind of way. I am not ashamed to say that I was here first, and yes, that does naturally extend to me more life-experience-wisdom if you will. Do I think that I can't learn from my kids? No! They teach me stuff all the time. I just don't believe they are my equals as some of the more secular unschoolers do. On the flip side, however, dh and I don't rule this house with an "iron-fist-50's-style-Nun-smacking-you-with-a-ruler" authoritarian style either.

We have expectations for our kids' behavior and "we" mostly have to model it, coz let's face it, the whole "Do as I say and not as I do" parenting style just ain't gonna cut it in the long run. Yet, when we have to take a more hands-on on approach and basically lay down the law, we always try to do it in a way that is loving and non-condescending. Now, I personally, fail woefully at this because I have the temper of a petulant 5 year old at times. So, I end up having to apologize to my kids sometimes. But that is good for me and them. Then they see that I am not perfect just because I am the mom, and they see that I know I need to ask forgiveness because I really need forgiveness. We all do.

The problem I have with the more structured and authoritarian style homeschoolers is that just because it's the parents job to set the rules and guide their children's behavior doesn't mean they have to do the same with the way their kids learn. If the most important commandments Jesus gave to us (which sum up the 10) were from Matthew 22 vs36-39....

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"
And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'
This is the great and foremost commandment.
The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' "

...then how on earth does one extrapolate from that that unschooling is morally wrong or that schooling-at-home is morally right? Because if someone calls unschooling wrong that is tantamount to calling it a sin. How on earth could it be that my kids learning what they want to learn when they are ready to learn it possibly be a sin? A sin would be me not talking to them about their Catholic faith and why it is important and true, not helping them to see what it means to be Catholic, and even worse not taking them to Mass and nor allowing them to avail themselves of the Sacraments.

As a member of the fabulous apostolate FAMILIA, of which I am in my 4th and final year, we have studied the encyclicals of Pope John Paul II. He wrote so wonderfully and eloquently about the family being the domestic church and how real love is a sincere gift of the self and about the inherent dignity of each human person. Well, if my and dh's family is our domestic church, if we love our kids, and want them to grow up strong in the Faith, we have to respect our kids for who God made them and how He made them. They are as much a part of the Body of Christ as dh and I are...but we are not all meant to be 'eyes' and as such shouldn't all be trained or taught to be' just eyes'. God wants me to see my children (and really everyone) as the unique individuals they are. God is not a cookie-cutter God, so why should I expect myself or my kids to be stamped from the same mold as everyone else?

As a Catholic, all I have to do is look to the different charisms of the different Orders through history: Carmelites, Dominicans, Jesuits, Franciscans, Benedictines, Legionaries etc... All so different, but never the less, completely devoted to Christ and His Church.

I am giving a sincere gift of myself by staying home and letting my kids learn the way they learn best. Yet, as we all know sometimes days are good, sometimes bad, but the way we handle it...if we turn toward or away from God...that's is what my kids will learn without me saying a word. And the only thing God wants me to teach them is "To love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, and mind." And I am doing that. Plus, don't forget what St. Francis of Assisi said:

"Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words."

Gal Pals part 2

This is Autumn with our next door neighbor, Minaz, and a couple of American Girl dolls. Minaz's family moved next door last Spring. You can imagine Autumn's elation at having a little girl next door her exact age to play with. They get along just wonderfully. Minaz's parents both work. But today, since Minaz's mom works halfday on Wednesdays (she is a Family Practitioner), Autumn will get to see Minaz early. Of course, this makes Autumn very happy.

Kitties catchin' a breeze

I just love this picture, I took a few days ago, of my pride of little lions at the window. I love my kitties. From bottom to top is Baby Kitten (she is neither), Toonces & Milo.

John MacLane and Jack Bauer 2008

How I wish this was the real 2008 ticket! If only these 2 fictionalcharacters were real, they are who I would want for President/ Vice President. We wouldn't need a fence for illegal immigrants,or have to fear terrorists (wink-wink). They'd take care of everthing. Including ending the war in Iraq with their own bare hands.

Advent is upon us

Which means that here in our household we have completed 90% of our interior and exterior Christmas decorating. Above are Ben and Autumn on the deck playing with light sabers on Thanksgiving. It was cold, rainy and fabulous. I did just notice that Ben has a picture of Jesus on his shirt while he is ponting a light saber at Autumn's neck....nice touch, huh? Next to them are the faux Christmas trees upstairs. The one in the foreground is in the hallway and the background one is in my bedroom. In our house we can't have too many Christmas trees. The only one we decorate, tho, is the real one. The rest we just have lights on. I'd light my cats if I could! :-)Below is a sampling of our ever growing collection of Rankin/Bass 1960's Television Christmas Specials. Robert and I are completely hooked on these TV specials from our youth. So far, we have figures from Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, and The Year Without A Santa Claus (how many of you can sing the Heat Miser song?)

Yesterday we finished the last of everything...except for the final touch which is the real tree that we will get this Saturday. We will probably decorate the tree on Sunday, the first day of Advent. Which reminds me that I need to get a new Advent wreath, my old one is so bent it won't hold the candles properly. So, why do I get all this done early? Because I can then enjoy the Advent season ( or time leading up to Christ's birth) relatively stress free. As a family we can focus on making Christmas cookies, find special gifts for those we love, singing along to Christmas songs on the stereo, reading Christmas story books, watching beloved Christmas movies (and the shows mentioned above). And all the time we are doing those things the house looks beautiful, festive, cozy and even smells like Christmas thanks to Yankee Candle and their awesome Mistletoe candle. None of us have to worry that on top of all the fun family stuff we want to do, we still need to decorate the house. So, it is nice to have most everything done by now. The stores may decorate early because of consumerism. We do it because we LOVE Christmas and everything it means....most of all...that God gave us Himself in the person of his Son. We can't think of a better thing to celebrate around here.
Below are Andrew and Robert putting up the giant inflatable Santa and Christmas Tree and to the right of that is Robert and Autumn during what they call their "Daddy and Tumnal Time" at the Mall waiting to see Santa. (Tumnal is Autumn's nickname...it's a long story). They even have a Daddy and Tumnal Time song. It's adorable. Below them is Toonces in the Christmas garland.


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Seven facts about me (aren't you sooo curious?)

I have been tagged by Wendy.

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you. http://wendyfairfull.typepad.com/wmf/
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself
4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

Here are my 7 things.

1) My favorite weather in the world is a cold, snowy, overcast day. Snow is rare here in Atlanta. I love cold, wind, rain and generally any weather that would make you think you were on the moors, in England, with Jane Eyre (my favorite book). As I write this it is about 50F outside, foggy, raining and AWESOME!!!

2) I have met the B-52's, Echo & The Bunnymen, Flesh For Lulu, The Fixx , some members of the cast of Happy Days ,the comedian Carrot Top, and Don Johnson when I was an Extra in 2 episodes of Miami Vice.

3) I nursed all of my kids until they were 5 years old. ( I must have been pumping out heroin!)
And speaking of breastfeeding, I was a post-partum doula and WIC volunteer Breastfeeding Peer Counselor too. (Yeah, I'm a former La Leche Leaguer.)

4) I was a model (not a famous one, in the 80's) and on one of my shoots I worked with Michael Michelle (the beautiful bi-racial actress who was recently on the show House. She was the doctor who worked for the CIA) . We and 2 other models were in NYC being photographed by the photographer who shot the Cosmopolitan covers.

5) When I was in highschool and early college (which I dropped out of) , I was a New Wave queen. I had a purple chin length bob haircut. I wore black leather mini skirts, low-healed red leather pumps and usually some "new romantic aka Duran Duran style" shirt. My favorite groups at the time were The Police, Smiths, Cure, New Order, Duran Duran, U2. I spent all my free time going to New Wave dance clubs.

6) My mom's family (the Herricks) had their geneology done in the 1950's and I am descended from Robert de Pierrepont ( who fought alongside Willam Hastings in the Battle of Hastings of 1066), Sir Robert Herrick, Cavalier poet from the 1500's and the Rev. Jonathan Edwards (through his wife Sarah Pierpont), the great Fire and Brimstone preacher from the period known as the Great Awakening. In fact, my little brother's name is Jonathan Edwards Moore.

7) I am originally from Southampton, NY. The oldest English settlement in New York state. My mother's family, the Herricks, arrived there in 1653. I was baptised in the First Presbyterian Church of Southampton, NY which was the first Presbyterian church built in the United States. There are several streets in Southampton named after our family.

Now, who am I gonna tag.

First my Hunny at http://www.therosses.net/templar/
Then my friend Sara at http://thosethatwonder.blogspot.com/
Leonie at http://livingwithoutschool.blogspot.com/
Pisces Grrl at http://piscesgrrrl.blogspot.com/
Laurie at http://seaglasshearts.blogspot.com/
Marie at http://lift-up-your-hearts.blogspot.com/
and Madeline at http://barn-raising.blogspot.com/

Have fun...gotta run.

Last one, I promise...my mini obesession with BlogThings is over (for now).

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?