We’re Ready!
I’m looking forward to getting to church this morning. Chuck said the tilted Advent wreath made him ‘nervous,’ but I tried to reassure him that he was there when it was being installed and he should know that it is solid. It will only be there for 4 weeks, so I guess we can deal with it. Life is especially difficult for those of us with OCD, but I wasn’t going to complain to the Art and Environment committee that the tilted wreath might make a percentage of the congregation very jumpy.

I applaud the gumption of the child who asked if sitting in at least fifty pews and handling at least 100 missalettes counted as a year of church. I think he bought the explanation that a weekly obligation can’t be fulfilled in one morning any more than we can take a vitamin supplement in mass quantities instead of daily. It runs counter to the purpose. It sure won’t help - and it could really hurt. But it was a nice try. Indicative of a catechetical lapse on my part, but a nice try. I worry when they aren’t thinking creatively.

We don’t have a personal Advent wreath. There was a workshop at church yesterday, but I was at work and it was a little pricey. Some years I have made my own wreath, with varying results. We’re all still a little traumatized by the time one of the candles tipped over and just about turned the natural not-so-greens into a ball of flame.

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to find one of those beautiful German Advent calendars - the ones with the angels, snowflakes, glitter, etc. The kind we had in our public school classrooms back in the ‘60’s. The chocolate Advent calendars bring out the absolute worst in the children - even if I buy one for everyone. There have been moral lapses of family members poaching on someone else’s calendar just for a small morsel of chocolate. This does not make for the type of Advent I wish for my family.

I did spring for the Playmobil Advent calendar. (This year’s edition even has a creche on the background scene - no PC twaddle here.) The boys still enjoy setting up scenarios with their Playmobils, so I don’t mind combining Advent and more Playmobils. When I bought the first one four years ago, I was under the impression that it worked just like a chocolate Advent calendar and all you had to do was pop open a numbered door to get your toy. Ha!. There a 24 boxes to be assembled, toys to be assembled, and then the boxes are mounted on a back board. This year I was ready and allowed myself an hour locked in my room to assemble the thing.

It’s time to find the Playmobil nativity scene. It’s a great investment for any parent who believes that ‘acting out’ stories (or I guess you could call it a sort of narration, as Charlotte Mason would) helps to reinforce learning. Will write later on why a pig gets snuck into the scene and promptly yanked out. Old Smith family tradition.........