I am enjoying the first signs of spring here. We have had such good weather that I can happily walk into my living room at the end of the day and wonder why there is no little mess – no toys on the ground, no crumbs on the floor, no books off the shelf. The kids play outside most of the day until dinner.

We have quite the rabble of kids in our cul-de-sac. So many that Ethan (the eldest of them all) was able to organize a lightsaber tournament (some of the young ones haven’t seen Star Wars but they were happy to be given saber lessons from Ethan the week before).

Sometimes they all just go round and round the cul-de-sac on their bikes. It actually reminded me of circling crows that I have begun to reference the gang as a ‘murder’ of children, looking as they do like a murder of crows.

Or sometimes I have started to call them “The Garbage Pail Kids: Next Gen”. They like to hang out in front of our house next to (or on!) our great lawn ornaments – compost and garbage bins.

I have so enjoyed the clean house that I forgot about spring mud. I will have to accept dusty floors with dead grass everywhere as well.

I had to laugh while reading The Tale of Tom Kitten to Ysabeau before bed last night. Earlier in the day she had come in with very mucky hands claiming to be Tom Kitten. In the story, Tabitha (Tom’s mum) is so mad that she “smacks them” (him and his siblings) for their messy appearance, lies to her guests and tells them the kids “have the measles” and leaves them in bed. Oh Beatrix!

But don’t worry. The kids have the last laugh. “Somehow there were very extraordinary noises over-head, which disturbed the dignity and repose of the tea party”. 

My kids all know how to cause a great ruckus (see hole in my pysanky egg – obviously poked) ….

….have a very proper tea party…

…and clean up nicely!

Xav and Ysabeau are becoming good friends. Xav has learned how to walk, and even lets himself be cuddled sometimes.

Catholic feast celebrations (why not!) continue in the house. Our German part-time nanny Elise reminded us that “Name Days” are still very popular in Europe and pointed out that Ysabeau’s was coming up. Her middle name is Bernadette and she shares that with Bernadette of Lourdes.

If you are going to feast then feast! I used up all the Rice Crispies and marshmallows I could find to come up with this pinterest success. The healing waters of the Lourdes grotto were a big hit and a little painted peg doll of Bernadette.

A friend put us on to a great game  called Rhino Hero. Ian and I laugh that, really, a couple of friends were sitting around one day (Ian imagines after one too many drinks) trying to figure out how to make money off of building towers with a deck of cards. Presto. The simplest ideas are always the best!

Some fun twists in this game make it a real winner with everyone. Recommendation: remove destroying toddlers from the mix.

Ethan loves his Tron t-shirt because he thinks it’s “majestical” – which I agree works for the image on it.

He also reminds me daily to chill out. He asked if they could paint the other day and I was enjoying the clean house too much and said “No. Its too messy.”

His calm retort: “The world is a messy place, Marlon”.

Indeed it is. So I let them colour with washable markers on the window instead.

 

The time is coming soon when I will be home again full-time with these rabble-rousers. I am very much looking forward to it but like so many parents at home will struggle living without (or with very little) of those motivators that are often more readily available in the workplace or in society outside the home.

Affirmations. Confirmations. Approvals. Praise.

I recently read a great article on how so many of us, including myself, are worried about missing the “big things” that we need to do in life.

So what if we do?

The recommendation (although given from a religious worldview also must appeal to those who are secular) is so true:

Look rather to be “big-souled” in a  a life of stable commitments that make the ordinary radical.

The author explains in a story like this. While this is a Catholic story, it must appeal to many people:

In order to sink down roots and transform the deep structures of culture, grace needs stable saints [fallible people who try hard] who remain quietly faithful in their little corner of creation, willing to face the limitless irritations of remaining in one place long so grace can thoroughly soak its surroundings. In an age of cultural A.D.D., we need saints [imperfect people] who attend long with love unto tedium, knowing that beneath the tedium lies the Tremendum [the mysterious and awe-inspiring].

I knew a priest in New Jersey who was very gifted and highly respected. He seemed to have all the makings of an ecclesiastical climber. One Spring his bishop transferred him from the chancery [Bishop’s office] to a small rural parish that needed a lot of help. He told me that after the announcement was made, one of his brother priests called him and said, “Wonder what you did wrong?” This priest said to me, “I know he was joking. But the truth is my first thought was, ‘I wonder what I did right.’ It’s why became a priest, to have my bones buried in a parish cemetary, not in a chancery.”

mmmm…. to “attend long with love unto tedium”. What do you think about that?

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Here in our corner of Canada’s North we have a celebration each late winter called “Burning Away the Winter Blues”. Walkers join at dusk to walk along the water’s edge, pray for some glimpse of open water (this year we have had an early spring, and so plenty of it), and head toward a bonfire where they throw in an effigy aptly named Old Man Winter. The effigy’s have become more diverse and creative. This year it was a Woolly Mammoth made out of newspaper. Ysabeau called it a Wiggly Mammoth as it was carried by three or four puppeteers due to its size – and it certainly gave it the effect of looking quite “wiggly”.

Ethan was sick, and Xavier was asleep at home with Grandma, so we only had Ysabeau and Elise (our wonderful part-time nanny from Germany) with us. Ysabeau fell asleep for the walk only to wake up precisely at the moment when the effigy was being thrown into the fire! To say the least, she was a little disoriented.

Our newspaper had a a little write up in which one of the organizers highlighted the pagan elements she sees in this northern tradition we have. As a Catholic, I too can appreciate the truths of our human story found in many celebrations. As C.S. Lewis wrote (a devout Christian who might have become a Catholic) in an address to the Socratic Club at Oxford where he taught:

The Divine light, we are told, ‘lighteneth every man.’ We should, therefore, expect to find in the imagination of great Pagan teachers and myth makers some glimpse of that theme which we believe to be the very plot of the whole cosmic story—the theme of incarnation, death, and rebirth.”

So we followed this little celebration with one that holds immense importance for me. Easter!

I love a finely set table! Easter provides an opportunity for plenty of tablecloth and extra plates. Our friends had us over on Holy Thursday for example of what a Seder meal might be like. It was lovely.

What you see, of course, was not the whole meal (there was lamb, fish and more) but these aperitifs were symbolic of the passover; bitter herbs symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of the slavery the Jews endured in Ancient Egypt, a hard-boiled egg symbolizing the sacrifice made, and Charoset which is a pebbly paste of apple and nuts that represents the mortar used by Hebrew slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt.

We had 11 kids around 3 different tables. This only makes sense as the Seder meal, in Jewish homes, still has a focus on children. The presentation of these foods on the plate is meant to arouse their senses and curiosity – “Why is this night different from all other nights”.

There is an “intrinsic kinship” between Judaism and Christianity and this has been beautifully captured in this relatively new reflection out of the Vatican entitled: The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

We also had a lovely Easter meal at our house with family.

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Zumba practice ( I am teaching bout twice a week now) is a family affair. You can see brother and sister in action here, and the baby as well.

We have these great Usborne Lift the Flap books (another recommendation from my friend Claire). Ysabeau is both fascinated and horrified by the Usborne Body Book.She doesn’t quite get the concept yet of what is on the inside. Holding the book she asks:

“What am I even doing here in this life?”

“Um, well….” [she caught me off guard with that one]

“Do I have blood vessels”

“Yes, you are a human being” [I was trying to keep it simple here)

“No I’m not. Jacob _____ isn’t human?” [a kid she knows from daycare who came across as more superhero than human]

“Oh yes he is.”

I love the train (or rather the “jump-on/jump-off bus”) of thought. But also equally glad I don’t have to sort this stuff out for myself on a daily basis. It must be exhausting.

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Continuing with Ethan’s growing interest in Saints (not easily distinguished from superheros at this point), he created a saint hotel (very cute). I love the Rules (I think that should read “no fighting”), and the list of guests.

I also appreciate the no dogs or cats – not a big fan of animal hair. But he loves them so I was a bit surprised by that one. Maybe he is aware that this is just a general rule in most hotels.

In our closet puppet theatre the kids asked for some Saint Hotel entertainment. I’m glad to see Pope Francis, Princess Somebody and Strawberry Shortcake in attendance. Good company.

Selfie?

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Easter is obviously a wonderful season for celebrations in the church. Here are some scenes from Holy Thursday. Tradition sees the Bishop wash the feet of parishioners in imitation of Jesus at the Last Supper.

Once of my favorite times during the Easter Triduum is when the priest processes out of the church with the Eucharist into the special side chapel where people keep vigil through the night.

It’s all very ceremonial but also deeply meaningful. The only time our little parish gets a bit of good ol’ incense as well. If you wanna be a church, smell like a church.

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Overall, this week I am finding it hard to keep my thoughts straight, my lists short and my floors clean (that is a constant struggle), my goals unattained. It feels frantic everywhere, and mostly inside my head.

I saved a quote from my favourite blog and it is helping me this week. This wise woman wrote about those (all of us at some point, like me) who run everywhere to try and create some sense of order, or maybe even excitement, all the while missing contentment by a long shot. This is how she suggests we find it:

Not running out the door! Not by being frantic! Not by trying to escape from home…They miss the most rewarding and fulfilling aspect of the family, which is the actual, somewhat mundane, activity of raising persons entrusted to your care: Love that is striving to build something lasting together, each person overcoming his own selfishness — controlling it, in fact — for the sake of the others.

This post is a link up with Like Mother, Like Daughter.