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Play dates

One of the best things about stay-at-home-mommyhood? The play date.

Sure, most of your conversations are spliced with, "Don't touch that!" "No" or "Please take that out of your mouth," but at least you're around other adults.

I feel a camaraderie at play dates. Other moms are going through it, too. How nice to see other people's kids crying, running and generally going nuts! It's not just me!

Plus, they're super entertaining. I love seeing the imaginations of children at play. Take this photo for instance:

SA made about 50 different uses for this cat's toy. This particular shot is her Western-themed lasso. I love the one foot planted in front of the other so she can be stable while she's whirling that thing around. She ended up naming this toy the "cat distracter," as we found out the next time she came over, b/c her first question was, "Where's the cat distracter?"

And here's brother showing off for the ladies- I think Caitlyn likes his song and dance.

And...nanny extraordinaire: the kids adore her!

You've hit play date gold when the kids entertain each other for 15 minutes or more. It's funny that when those moments actually happen, we don't really know what to do. Should we still talk in broken conversation? This seems too good to be true- surely they're up to no good. Better go check.

I guess you get the "they play by themselves" effect when you have multiple kids...but I'm not convinced that's they way to go yet. Zoe's a teething monster right now (picture to come) and I could not possibly handle throwing another one into the mix. A friend asked me if we were "trying" again- I almost fainted. or died. Either way, it made me want to enjoy the 1 for a while before we have anymore chaos.

Play date chaos will do just fine for now!

CHRIST is RISEN!

View from the balcony as Father reads the Gospel. The church becomes completely dark and Father comes out with the Paschal candle singing, "Come take light from the Light which is never overtaken by the night. Come glorify the Christ risen from the dead" and we all light our candles from the one candle. This photo has been enhanced to show the people (which I think turned out beautifully!) but the only light in the church at this time is candle light.

Fr. N sensing the icons and the people with cries of, "Christ is Risen!" in six or seven different languages. This being Fr.'s first as a priest, he actually kept calling out "Alethos Anesti!" (which is the Greek response of the people, "Indeed He is Risen!") So, in this picture, you can see Fr. D in the background laughing because the new priest is still saying the people's response, instead of the priest's cry of, "Christ is Risen!" This comic relief just added to the jubilant celebration that is PASCHA!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aba9l2zlkfE&feature=related

Lent's last temptation

Zoe's sitting in her high chair, fat and happy this morning, while I'm standing over my red Kitchen Aid mixer. The batter is looking great- light a fluffy with the distinct smell of butter and chocolate. I scrape down the bowl and then use my finger (washed, of course) to scrape the remaining batter from spoonula to bowl. As I have done a million times before, I bring my finger close to my mouth, ready to get what's due every cook- a taste-test. Before I get to taste the gooey yummyness that is "Chocolate Butter Cake" I stop.

Alas, it is only Holy Saturday. We have yet to break the fast with jubilant cries of "Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!" We have Lamented (last night) and this morning in Liturgy we will get a glimpse, as did the myrrh-bearing women, of Christ's Resurrection. But it is only a morning glimpse.

I must wait for for this victory celebration for a few more hours. And what difficult hours they can be! The ingredients used for baking and cooking all of the wonderful foods that we have denied ourselves all of these weeks- eggs, cream, cheese and butter- are strewn on the counter. A cake bakes in the oven while hard-boiled eggs become devilish. And if your family is one who traditionally roasts a lamb for your Pascha basket, "woe is you" during these hours before the Feast! The smells, oh the smells.

This preparation is Lent's last, and possibly greatest, temptation!

For tonight:

CHRIST IS RISEN!

CHRISTOS ANESTI!

"In a grave they laid the...

...oh my life and my Christ."

That is the first verse from a hymn of the Lamentations of Holy Friday.

I cannot describe the beauty and sadness of Holy Friday. It is a bright sadness, as Fr. Thomas Hopko describes Great Lent in his book, "The Lenten Spring."

If words come to me tonight during the service, I will post again. For now, please listen to this selection of hymns from the service tonight: (I don't know how to embed the video in this blog, so just click the links)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeP70fSe3Io&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wrYdIRxM8E

Holy Thursday

There is a tradition on Holy Thursday of dying eggs red. We receive Eucharist on Holy Thursday, and the red eggs represent the blood of Jesus that was shed for the world. So, this morning (which is actually Holy Friday, but I do what I can!) Zoe and I dyed eggs red.

This year, with PASCHA being a week after Western Easter, I got to take advantage of discount Easter candy and treats. I may have gone a little over board in the 75% bin, as you can see by the Paas "dEGGorating kit" above! I tried to tell myself that I was getting this kit of glitter and stickers for our younger godchildren's enjoyment, or even Zoe's (ha!) but the truth is that I love anything crafty- even the juvenile things, and I saw the 75% off kit as cheap and fun entertainment. Next year, our Easters are on the same date so I think Zoe and I will try dying eggs using onion skins.

These festive eggs will make their way into our Pascha basket:

As you can see, I have packed the essentials so far: wine and champagne! The hard boiled, dyed eggs, goat cheese and some scones will make their way into the basket before PASCHA. I pack different things each year, but try to include special things that we have been especially missing through the Great Fast. I also decorate the basket with flowers, and place everything on a white cloth embroidered with crosses (a napkin I inherited from Mom.) This year, I made the bow on top into a cross- and I like the effect- because, as you may have already guessed, EVERYTHING in Orthodoxy has symbolic meaning, giving the faith the richness that we love and discover anew with each season.

I am humbled and thankful for the opportunity to pass along these traditions to a new generation of Orthodox Christians. Because I am so new in the faith (this is my 5th Lent) Zoe and I will be learning our Orthodox traditions together as well as starting our family's.

The most vivid memories I have of my childhood revolve around traditions: our seafood feast on Christmas Eve in Mobile, clipping azalea blossoms to decorate my Lenten coin collection box to take to the Easter service, getting a new bathing suit every year in my Easter basket, choosing a menu of my favorite things for my birthday dinner- the list goes on. I hope and pray that we can enrich our daughters life with family traditions, and in so doing teach her the fullness of Orthodoxy, to praise and worship God and to honor His Saints and His Church.

Palm Sunday

"Like the children with the palms of victory, we cry out to Thee, oh vanquisher of death: Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!"

Yesterday was Palm Sunday- a Feast in the midst of the Great Fast. We enjoyed an amazing potluck at church and nice weather for the "practice parade" (as Father calls it.)

Last year, we started a tradition in our little family of taking a family photo after Palm Sunday Liturgy. (I do LOVE a tradition) Here is a sampling from this year's pics:



The girls having fun (MM with all of her adopted daughters!)

Zoe has been immensely blessed with her godparents. We are so thankful that they are in our lives. We pray that their example will have a great impact on Zoe's life.

The fam being silly.

Zoe LOVES being outside- especially in the wind. She closes her eyes tightly and squeals. That innocence and sense of discovery amaze me every time.

We are now in Holy Week. We had the first of three Bridegroom Matins services last night. I want to share a few of the hymns from the service that are beautiful, moving and thought provoking:

"Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching, again unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless. Beware, therefore oh my soul do not be weighed down with sleep! Lest you be given up to death and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom! But rouse yourself, crying, "Holy! Holy! Holy! art Thou, oh our God! Through the prayers of the Theotokos have mercy on us."

I wish you could hear the music to this hymn. It is haunting and beautiful. Most often in a church service, I don't close my eyes, as I get easily distracted in that state. I try to focus on an icon- the Mother of God, Christ, etc. to focus my prayer and attention on God. However, during the singing of this hymn is one time when I usually do end up closing my eyes in order to let the melody wash over me and to absorb the great importance of the words I am singing.

Another hymn:

"Verily I behold the bridal chamber adorned, oh my Savior. But I possess no garment with which to enter therein...delight Thou in the robe of my soul, oh giver of Life and save me!"

What an incredible picture of God's mercy and love for His people! I may have on my Sunday best, but, spiritually speaking, I am barely covered in rags. The only way I am allowed at the table with God is by his mercy. I pray that God would delight in the robe of my soul, even though it "is all leprous and in ruins."

I hope you have a blessed Holy Week. I look forward to this time of deep cleansing as we prepare for the Greatest Feast of PASCHA!