Wintry weather in Texas normally means ice. So we make the most of it. With all of our sledding-type apparati at the grandparent’s in Colorado, we have to improvise a bit. 3′ vertical drop on a sheet of ice, we can rip it up! No board, no problem. Just grab a cookie sheet. P.S. Mom, I think you were right that I do need new cookie sheets for Christmas. Read more
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen. Years ago one Advent I uttered this prayer in earnest for the first time. Its words flooded my heart with meaning during... Read more
Good Morning Readers! Last week was a wild one around here. Sick kids, a husband recovering from knee surgery, a car accident with an uninsured driver, and a sick babysitter –all worked together to cause utter chaos! My 4 year old daughter had pneumonia, but she is doing much, much better this week. And my poor husband had to have his knee drained (which I hear is extremely painful), and then he was rear-ended on the highway the next day... Read more
We don’t usually post on weekends, but I just read about the Pope’s request that we pray to end world hunger. I thought I should help spread the word. Read more here: On December 10th, Pope Francis is setting off a global wave of prayer to end hunger Read more
Each year I have tried to shift the focus away from Santa Claus to the real Wonderworker, Saint Nicholas. It is 16 degrees outside on my porch right now and I just plopped clementines, golden coins, and chocolate SAINT NICOLASes into four little rain boots. This website is beautiful and full of resources and ideas for young and old alike to enjoy this historical feast day in the first week of Advent. I think Saint Nicholas is also an important... Read more
This coming Sunday, my daughters and I are attending an elegant mother-daughter Christmas cookie exchange. But when it comes to cookies, my repertoire is pretty limited. (Chocolate chip–because really, is there need for anything more?!) The girls are hoping to spend some time on Saturday baking Christmas cookies, and we would be very grateful for your suggestions on Christmas cookie recipes that are fun to make, and not too complicated!, as well as tasty and pretty. My little ladies thank... Read more
While out of town for the First Sunday of Advent Mass, we heard the priest give a simple, yet profound homily. Advent, he said, is not just about preparing to celebrate the coming of Christ on Christmas 2000 years ago, it is about preparing for His second coming as well. This struck me as such a powerful way to approach the season. If we get caught up in preparations the ostensibly are about preparing for Christmas, but are not preparing... Read more
Here at Building Cathedrals, we have had several posts dealing with book suggestions for various ages of children, and I am writing today to ask for advice on books for a 4th-grade boy. One issue that we have encountered recently is that our 4th grader has become borderline obsessed with two particular series of books (do I even need to name them? ahem, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson), and is finding all other books unappealing by comparison. He has read... Read more
Happy Advent! We are happily embracing the second day of the season, but honestly are still “recuperating” from a house full of loved ones from last week (and a broken dishwasher and garbage disposal. Oy.) I don’t know about everyone else, but we cooked for crowd on Thanksgiving and still have plenty of left-over’s to “use up” or “repurpose”…not that this is a hardship, let’s be honest! I love using it all in creative ways, so when my husband heard... Read more
Do YOU have something that you are wishing for this Christmas? Recently, my husband, T, gave me a stellar gift and the other Builders have asked to hear more about it. As I mentioned last week in my Thoughts for Thursday post, T bought us a Roomba iRobot vacuum in October. The Roomba iRobot is a robotic floor vacuum that comes in several different models and costs anywhere from $300 to $700. Let me give you a bit of background... Read more
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