Linking with Jen!
1. When I was growing up, my Mom had a term she used to refer to a certain style of house cleaning: The “Blitz.” Roughly translated that means “Clean all the things. Do it quickly. Do it now. Go!” We used this technique whenever she learned that unexpected company was coming over, or whenever she felt like it I suppose.
Yesterday I felt the need to Blitz my house. Just because. As I was cleaning, I was reminded of something I read recently about how, in this day and age, the “art” of homemaking has been lost. I couldn’t help but laugh to (at?) myself a little bit. Because:
^^ That’s all clean, for the record. Guess how many days it took me to get it folded and put away?
There is nothing artful about my homemaking. Maybe sometimes I whip out a little bit of flair in my cooking. But art? I laugh. Though maybe I should cry. Because, well:
2. I have to reverse myself, sort of, on something I wrote in my last 7 Quick Takes post. I said I had found a new awesome thing.
The Knot Genie was supposed to be my savior from the soul-crushing experience that is brushing my three-year-old’s hair. It works okay for Miss. But it cannot handle this:
I have really thick hair myself, so when Lass was still screaming and cringing with the use of this thing, I tried it on myself. It worked okay, but the bristles on it are so pokey, I didn’t like it. And it wasn’t any better than using a regular brush. Waste of money.
The best solution I’ve found to the hair-brushing dilemma is this:
Don’t judge. That comb is over 20 years old. I realize that it is missing far more teeth than it retains, but it still works. Perhaps I should have used the money I spent on that gimmicky brush and bought a new comb? Anyway. Knot Genie is not so awesome. Wide-tooth comb is the best solution I have found. I am resigned to dealing with screaming every time I brush her hair until she is old enough to do it herself.
3. I think the extreme cold of this winter has left people a little crazy around here. Last weekend we had a wonderful warm spell (over 50 degrees one day!). On Tuesday it got cold again. Wednesday it was about 20 degrees. Not too bad, but not balmy by any stretch. I took the girls to gymnastics and saw a dad walking in without a coat on, and his little girl also did not have on a coat. She was shivering and huddled over and jumping around and looked like she was freezing. Because it was 20 degrees.
Then I overheard a mom after her child’s class was over say, “I don’t think you’ll need this coat. It’s really nice out.” 20 degrees!! Everyone must have been experiencing some sort of shared delusional state brought on by too many sub-zero days. They seemed incapable of comprehending that it had, in fact, gotten frigid again and that wearing a coat was probably a good idea.
4. Oddly, I actually don’t really want the snow to melt quite yet. It’s over 40 degrees again today, and it rained a bit, so the snow is melting rapidly. But we have one more thing on our Winter Fun List to finish before the snow is gone!
After tonight (we are going to Super Friend’s for a PJ/movie/pizza night) we will have everything completed except “Build a Snow Fort.” I totally forgot about the snow fort when we were outside doing our snowman last week. I think we’ll have enough snow to get it done this weekend. If not I’ll scoop some up and let them make a small one for their dolls or something.
5. Our first observance of Lent is going well. The girls actually enjoy pulling out a card from our basket with a Fasting or Prayer or Alms Giving activity each day. Tuesday I think was their favorite. They pulled out a card that said “Alms-Giving: Do a chore without being asked.” Both of them immediately began begging to wash the floor.
Works for me!
6. This weekend marks the one-year anniversary of my first venture into church. It’s kind of incredible to think of where I started and then look at where I am now. A year ago, I sat in church and tried to get something out of it, though I didn’t really put forth much effort. I did listen as well as I could with three small children to corral, but that’s about it. I didn’t kneel when everyone else did. I stood up when called for, but I didn’t say any of the things everyone else said (mostly because I didn’t want to, but also because I couldn’t understand them). When we stood to recite the Creed, I said only the first line and nothing else, because I didn’t believe in the rest of it.
Now? Now I participate as fully as I’m able and I truly enjoy going to church. I know (mostly) what to say and when to say it during the mass. I can’t wait for the Easter Vigil.
7. Yes, I’d say now things are a little different.
In case you’re wondering, that’s me^^^ with the Bishop! Last Sunday I participated in the Rite of Election, on the same day that everyone else in the world who is converting to Catholicism went through the same rite. How cool is that?
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