The Anti-St. Nicholas

No theological significance to this post, just family life in all it's craziness.

The kids found "money candy" from St. Nicholas in their shoes yesterday morning.  Other St. Nicholas Day traditions in our house include giving away as many toys as the kids are old (that's 19 toys combined!), and reading about the dear bishop.

Ours were deutchmarks, from Aldis

There was some drama about how many silver and gold coins each received; some ate some before breakfast; some ended up with more than others once the candy migrated downstairs.  We had to leave at 8am to make it to Sunday School Christmas program practice, so instead of figuring out who got how many, I said, "We'll figure it out when we get home!"

Later husband went with his dad and brother to see Interstellar.  We came home to this all over the table.

"DAD!"

Stage 2: anger

Stage 5: emo acceptance

My second-born was HORRIFIED, and made some of these faces and cried and screamed a lot.

Stage 4: depression

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that, although each foil was carefully peeled, not every crumb of chocolate was eaten, and there were claw marks (!) on some of the wrappers.

We have a Christmas dog we got in December 2012.  He is, as my husband says, the gift that keeps on costing.  He is very handsome, but very clever (or stupid....perhaps dumb like a fox?), and usually does one round of damage while we're gone (trash, if we forget to take it out before we leave, stuffed animal, pillow, bag of flour.  He can open doors, cupboards, gates, screens...).  We forgot to read this description of the "Boxadore" when we blissfully went to pick ours up.  Nothing could go wrong with a free Craigslist ad, right!?*

 The Lab Boxer mix tends to produce a dog that is intelligent and very good with kids. If there is a personality drawback, it is the fact the dog tends to have an absolute ton of energy. If you don't have very active kids or a family member who will take the dog for a run each day, you may end up with a pup that destroys things in the house because they have so much pent up energy. 

I'm a sucker for handsome men and dogs

So, back to St. Nicholas.  Did you know the Scandinavian, Slavic and German countries have sort of an anti-St. Nicholas who punishes bad children? He goes by many different names, and can look quite frightening!  I believe he is in the "trickster" tradition of Puck or Loki, but can be quite sinister. So we're thinking of renaming Little Bear, our anti-St. Nicholas, our bad Christmas dog**

                  Black Pete (or Swarte Piet), Santa's mischievous little helper

                  Krampus, the original coal-gifter (and sometimes terrifying child-eater)

                     Or maybe Arius, the original Anti-St. Nick!

For more less-than-perfect Church Year in the home reading, see Rebecca Sicree's classic article on the gift-giving Lizard Man, Bethlehem Baboons, and Advent Air Bazookas! 

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* concerned dog lovers: He's 80 lbs and just had some mild indigestion; he's fine (and more importantly, my carpet is fine)

 **everyone else, wondering why we still have this monster: Who else are we going to mock, ridicule, deride, and snuggle on the couch with?  He is the ultimate family court fool, and he seems to keep a good sense of humor about it.  Plus, he keeps bad guys away and is a good mouser.

Church Year in Verse

I found this wonderful little book today, The Christian Year: Thoughts in Verse for the Sundays and Holydays Throughout the Year by John Keble.

Although an English major and someone somewhat familiar with the Oxford Movement, I had never come across this book.

Here is his poem on catechizing small children

HT: Gottesdienst

Valentine's Day (February 14)

An idea for Valentine's Day:
Write up lists of what you love about each family member.  Give all the lists to said family members.

I decided to do this on a whim (and after Emily inspired me).  I forgot to get anything (anything!) for my husband today, so I sent him this list via email.  I used to journal once a month or so about what the kids are up to, but I haven't in a year.  So now Google will save a list each February 14 of my kid updates.  And I can look up the lists whenever I'm feeling grumpy or resentful.

When the kids are older, they can participate.  Nothing like telling folks you love how much you appreciate them!

I love M----- 

for his scratchy beard

for going to Logli's late at night to get peanut-butter M&Ms (or Reese's Pieces.  OR BOTH)

for forgetting Valentine's Day, just like me (we're made for each other)

for working 21-hour days sometimes

for making spinach balls

for building bacon-houses and elaborate church-castles and towers out of DUPLO

for reading more than I do, and telling me all about what he's read

for being so contrarian

I love C-----

for helping me every day with the babies

for being such an interesting, earnest little conversationalist

for being  OC about what we're supposed to be doing or forgot to do 

for reminding me to pray every time we hear a siren

for using her hands for emphasis when she's explaining something to me

for loving to read and being read to (5 chapters of Little House on the Prairie yesterday...)

for being my girly-girl

I love G------- 

for his energy and abundant enthusiasm

for putting together 100-piece puzzles

for narrating his life as if it were a story ("and then he stomped down the hall.  What was behind the door...? A great big spider.  He killed the spider and went on his way.")

for his beautiful Pauling smile

for his intense unblinking stillness when listening to something he likes 

for his impatience and frustration in wanting to get the good part or point of anything

for wanting to wear foot-jammies all the time

I love R------ 

for his low voice and gruff way of talking

for being my snuggliest, kissiest kid yet

for pushing himself right into the middle of anything (combination of wiggling and bullying)

for his lower lip

for his sometimes green, sometimes brown eyes

for being so sturdy, like the bulldog on his jammies

for being so good-natured, laid back, and jolly

I love M--- 

for sleeping 12+ hours a day

for arching her back so only her head and tip of her toes are on the ground

for tolerating (and sometimes returning) her siblings' clumsy affection

for laughing socially (earliest I've ever seen)

for crying pretty much only when she's lonely (not much chance of that here...)

for loving mirrors

for singing baby songs to her mama