Monday, December 16, 2013

st. lucia, and johnny cash, and...

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(Photos are from last year's celebration, it was Chessa's first time to be Lucia…)


Really. Yes. Somehow these two things are related.

A clever little seasonal calendar is only helpful if you have any idea what day it is.

Fortunately, when one day last week I thought to myself, "Hmm, I wonder when St. Lucia day is?" I started counting back to the last day I was sure of (don't worry it was just a few days back, I'm not that lost..) and oh wow, the very next day was St. Lucia day! At least we didn't miss it!

But I did then kind of forget about it for the rest of the day.

And that's how Chloe ended up spending her evening listening to Johnny Cash and baking our Lucia buns.

And that's how I ended up baking a second batch of Lucia buns the next morning at 4am.

Chloe's batch came out a little crisp (not quite burnt!)
She is a very good baker,
but Johnny Cash.
The girls are really loving him lately. Listening to their favorite songs and trying to write down all the words.

(Anyone else have memories of wearing out tapes (cassettes!) using the rewind button to listen to the same songs over and over again?)

Well, so, Chloe was distracted by song lyrics, and the Lucia buns were... (not burnt…)

The 4am batch turned out just right (lucky, since baking at 4am probably has the potential to go not quite right) though not finished until the sky was losing it's darkness.

And I decided to be Lucia. I had a feeling Chloe wasn't feeling up for an early morning rising (true, she told me later) so I layered on some white clothes, put the crown upon my head…

headed out to get the candle and wake the girls…

oh, and there was Elsa, sitting up wide awake in bed!

and probably Elsa then thought something like...

oh, there is mama, with a crown of candles upon her head!

So I scooped baby up into my arms, somehow lit the candle, and went to wake my big girls...

who thought it was very neat to be awakened by their Lucia mama,

and were even more wide eyed over the transformation of the dark crispy buns into a tray of soft and sweet buns…


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Monday, December 9, 2013

first week of advent

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The Festival of Stones. St. Nicholas came. Three oranges this year!

Maybe next year I will remember to re-post my advent calendar tutorial in time.

(If I wait for good light and unblurry pictures then blog posts will never happen.)

Our advent angel shows us how many days until Christmas, but that still leaves lots of asking... "How many days till St. Nicholas comes." "When is St. Lucia's day?" "When is Three Kings Day?"

So our Winter Festival Days Calendar should help with that...


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Friday, December 6, 2013

this moment ~ one whole year

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Our dear little child of light, our advent baby, our hope and joy and blessing.
One whole wonderful year of life with her.
One blurry photograph, an unfinished falling off birthday crown.
Love from sisters And little handmade gifts of course.
And they dressed you up. (In a dress that doesn't quite fit.) (They kind of do that often...)
A dance with daddy. Lots of smiles and giggles.
You go on little walks around the house with us now. Very wobbly legs.
Super happy girl.
We love you so.


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