Birthday party!

Valentine's Day weekend, we went up to celebrate J's sister's birthday. We are so grateful to have been on this coast and able to get there for this one! :)

The plan for the party was a drop-in stinky cheese party; while there were many delicious treats and snacks, the star character was the cheese. because we live near a Trader Joe's, we had volunteers to pick some up and were commissioned to bring a pile of it.



As that cheese sat in our refrigerator in the days leading up to the party, we kept thinking something was rotten in there. Even the kids started asking what had gone bad in the refrigerator. I could from the next room when J opened the fridge, because of the malodorousness wafting out. What I am trying to say is that it was STINKY.

Somehow, though, when that cheese joined its friends at the party, it wasn't stinky in there. The party was in the 'Kill, a separate building from their home. There were yummy drinks and yummy food and fun conversation. They are remodeling the building, and changing it from former retail space to something fabulous. There are couches, a pool table and an arcade….and room to dance.

When J's sister put on Wombles' Song, he broke open the dance floor and then everyone joined in. There was even some breakdancing involved.



After the party and cleanup, we all went outside to celebrate that it was still -13 degrees outside…before it dropped still further (that is NOT counting wind chill!). Someone may have even gone out into the snow barefoot.

The weekend was more than a birthday party; it was also Camp Covington 2015. J's parents provided sweatshirts for everyone, designed and created by Grandma and Rosie. It is great to all be able to hang out together!



Part of the fun is taking group photos. With fourteen faces to capture, the timing can make for some funny. For example, in this first shot, everyone is on board. It's a great photo…except for Wombles. (He probably deserves to have it framed somewhere, as a punishment).

When we took the "silly" series, Nutmeg did not get the memo:

While were traveling, Nutmeg always started using the local "Thank you" and "You're welcome" one country behind where we actually were. So it was "ευχαριστώ" in Rome, "Grazie" in Spain and "Gracias" in Scotland. I chuckled when looking over the family photos to see that the same pattern held true with her faces. Although she had been sweet and smiling during silly face time, she made up for it during Victorian:

That's my kid!

What a great weekend! Thanks to everyone!

Ash Wednesday/Lent 2015 Playlist

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Many years, our preparations for Lent are somewhat involved. J plans the family liturgy. I put together a playlist. The purple/gray fabric is pulled out to cover the table, and a thin, matching ribbon is the sole ornament on the wrath on the door. various parts of the house are modified to match the season and keep us mindful as we follow into the desert--with the assurance of Easter on the other side.

With our restricted packing and shipping to New Jersey for this year, we had to choose carefully what came. The Advent wreath and purple made the cut; lenten decorations did not. Even now as I think about scrambling to acquire something I am mindful of the fact that we won't be able to take it back with us: we have the same amount of space allotted on the return (although we may ship a few more things, that must be factored in to the price of everything we add). Limitations, limitations.

At home I have often used bare branches in table arrangements during this season. Instead, we can look out the windows and see all of the bare branches one could wish for. The ground has been colorless and covered with snow for nearly four weeks. I expect that spring will come right in time, and provide the glorious Easter without. And may the spirit of God provide for a glorious Easter within.

I will be back to white and gold next year.

Here is my playlist for Lent this year. Less conventional than the 2012 variety…much like this season of our lives.




Collect for Lent, Week One:

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan; 

Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; 

and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; 

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 

one God, now and for ever. 

Amen.

The Week In Review

It's been a quiet week here in Lake Wobegon (not my hometown).

No digging out of snowdrifts or falling through ice; no surprise organ concerts or snow days.

Instead we had a full week of routine. Splendid. Our homeschool adventure is starting to jam again after a slow and difficult return from the holidays.

Perhaps some of the most exciting news was that Wombles went from this smile:

To this one:

Tuesday night, he pulled out a front tooth; the next morning he came into our room with his tooth fairy money, special colored water (a feather from her wing falls into the glass and you can her color, don't you know), and asking us to please pull out his other very loose front tooth. I couldn't, but J popped it right out. Triumph!! (also the way Wombles talks now just does me in. I love it.)

Thursday night I drove for the third week in a row to Philadelphia, where I am taking a CCEF course. Usually when I get home (it's late), J and I sit by the fire and catch up for the first time that day. This week he had to Skype into a meeting that was happening back on the West coast--but he nevertheless had a fire going for me, and a glass of wine awaiting. 

What a warm welcome!

Friday included wrapping up school for the week and heading--as we do on Fridays--to the Princeton Library. It is a marvelous place of windows and airiness and a third floor that is entirely for kids. We are getting spoiled, but I am glad that the littles are getting to enjoy a great library the way that Pixie did when we lived in South Bend and Wheaton. We also get the treat of going during the school day, and so having the whole floor nearly to ourselves. How we will miss it when we go home!

"Our" window seat, at the end of the 700's 

Saturday brought Valentine's Day, of course. For years J has taken Pixie to lunch on V-Day. This year they even found a local Thai restaurant, which is always Pixie's pick back home. Last year he added breakfast with Nutmeg to the day's agenda. It makes for a busy day for our resident Prince Charming...

Breakfast Date

Lunch Date

In the afternoon, we went in the afternoon to Pixie's last swim meet of the year. I am so proud of Pixie for sticking with it this whole season. 

Usually I might get a dinner date out of the holiday, but this year we packed up and headed north to J's sister's house in order to celebrate her birthday with her on Sunday!

Given that there was a triple threat of winter weather (snow, high winds and deep cold) we had a few concerns about driving North but ultimately decided that Saturday would be better than going Sunday morning. And going we were. No way we were going to miss it! (Unless we drove off into a snow bank on the way…but I tried to not dwell on that idea too much).

On the drive, we tuned into A Prairie Home Companion. We have won Pixie, at least, over to our ways on that one. But Lo! and behold…no Garrison Keillor hosting. When we recovered from the shock, we enjoyed it very much over the course of two states and three stations. 

Otherwise, the drive was a little dicey. The salt on the road crusted on the windshield, and the wiper fluid system froze so that we couldn't clean the windshield off very well. at all.

One of our stops with J wiping down the windshield. 

Interstate 87 north of Albany. We were following snow plows.

They had a lot of snow to plow.

When we finally turned off of the interstate onto a country highway, there was enough snow on the road that I was reminded of our honeymoon.(we went to New Hampshire in December and drove on roads very much like this. In a two-seater convertible ice skate, into Quebec to get some great French food. Only, I think those roads maybe weren't always paved.) 

We made it to our destination; it took six hours instead of four but there was a warm welcome awaiting us there. 

Sunday was Joy's fabulous birthday party; but that will deserve a post of its own!

An Hour on Tuesday

Last week, with the advent of  the-blizzard-that-wasn't, we had a snow day. It was quasi-epic. That's a story for another day.

In contrast, on Tuesday we drove down the road to Sunset Park for an outing before lunch. Sunset Park is really a nature preserve that has a walking trail through it (Eagle-Scout-built!). It's a nice quarter-mile tromp through wild woods. It's compact enough that the kids can run free and out of sight safely, and large enough that they feel free and like explorers. It's perfect for us.

We went Tuesday to see what it was like in the snow: we hadn't been since fall. I would like to say that I did hesitate before pulling into the tiny parking area. I want to assert that I didn't blindly pull into an unplowed area. I made a judgment call that the snow wasn't that deep and we would be fine.

I was wrong.

I had not even put the van in park before I figured that out, as the front wheels went downhill into deep, icy slush. The snow had drifted, making it all look level and shallow. It wasn't. Oops.

Trying to draw wisdom from my South-Georgia high school experiences of "mud bogging" I tried to keep the van moving, and to not let the wheels dig to far in at any one spot. Finally, though, I put it in park and texted J, hoping for some trick besides "dig it out." Even though I knew he was at a lecture on civil liberties and would likely have his phone off (he did).

While we waited for a possible return text (and for the van to stop making that funny, overheated smell) we all unloaded and headed into the woods. It was magical! Deer prints galore, tiny and impossibly deep. I held Nutmeg's hand as she slid around, not weighing enough to crunch through most of the icy crust on top of the snow. We clambered under fallen trees and around icy slush.

By the time we caught up with the big kids, they were in a field created by Winter: part of the park we've never been in before. While it's usually neck-high and impassable with grasses and brambles, those were all were weighed down beneath the snow. We trekked so far we came up to the neighborhood that backs up to the back of the woods!



And then they found their own little skating rink. Monday it rained all day, and then froze hard. Eleven degrees hard. It was so fun to slide around (and not have to worry about falling through the ice).

As we continued exploring, we checked out the creek. It was not frozen over, but roaring between its banks. There was an inlet that had frozen over, though. Wombles and Bud tested it out. And then, as the protests were leaving my mouth, Bud tried to cross it.

Crash.

Through the ice he went, but quick on his feet and close to the edge he waded out to the other side. Soaked to the thighs and coated with mud.

That doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was a balmy 22 degrees and with the van stuck I had no idea whether we could get anywhere (and get dry) anytime soon. I had foreseen a possible walk back home--but not with wet pants and feet.



We hustled back to the van, where the boys continued their digging-out efforts until I shooed them into the vehicle (they had started enthusiastically as soon as we had originally unloaded). After we all buckled in I prayed. And found myself tiptoeing around the actual need of the present, i.e. getting the van out. As I was praying aloud I realized that I was trying to protect God from what the kids would think if I asked for us to get out and it didn't happen. I wrapped up,  hopefully and more faithful way and then cranked the van. Movement!

Incremental, many-point turning. I stopped once and dug us out again, and then was finally able to maneuver us to a position where we could regain the road. I could not believe it. The kids were all cheering, and trying to work out what percentage was their effort and what percentage was God's working a miracle on their behalf. (Seriously).

We had a nice little chat about 1 Corinthians 4:7 and "What do you have that you have not received?" and I think everyone got it. In age appropriate ways, of course.

We got home and dry and ready for lunch. RIght at an hour, but lots of fun! And much better memories than staying home in the yard. I will, however, be carrying a snow shovel in the back of the van on any future snow excursions...