Week in Review: Adventy Things, a Book Review and An Almost Embarrasing Gift

Happy Feast of Saint Nicholas!!

The kids got their special St. Nick chocolates in their stockings and a new pair of (non-matching) pajamas or robes.

The Advent Calendars have been big hits!  Declan received this one and Brendan received this one and Xander received this one and my candle one is almost too good, as I am still burning the candle from the first night - it just won't quit!  At this rate, I'll have enough candles to get me through the whole winter, whatta deal.  

Building their sets each evening

Funny story, I had originally bought Declan this Lego Advent Calendar, not realizing it was "for girls" according to him.  I guess it's Lego Friends and not just Lego.  Declan picked out a new calendar and I said I would return the Lego Friends one.  Declan then had a bright idea that he should give it to his teacher because she loves to watch the show.  I was like, great go get wrapping paper, then I thought that it was a little strange that his teacher would watch a kid's cartoon, so I asked a few more questions until I finally got the answer:

"Yes, she told us her favorite show ever is Friends".

Aha.  Friends makes much more sense.

Brendan came with me to return the embarrassingly accidental almost-gift the poor 5th grade teacher was about to get.

Say goodbye to your little friends

I've been reading the book Super Habits by Dr. Andrew Abela and for someone like me who doesn't read many self-improvement books (I prefer to escape through books and not give myself more to do) this has been a good one.  I read a chapter or two at a time and get little nuggets of wisdom that I think about for a few days.  What he wrote about the habit of leisure blew my mind and had me struggling to come up with something I honestly do with the primary purpose of pleasure.  JP took this book to an adoration hour and the person who was supposed to cover the hour after him didn't show, so he was able to read the whole thing in two hours and came home saying it was really good.   It's full of relatable examples and interesting stories.  I think this book would be a great gift for a young adult or someone who wants to have a more fulfilling/organized/structured life that's not written in an over-your-head way. 

Eamon needed to bring in a "baby photo" for the yearbook and I found myself going waaaaaay down memory lane and remembering just how adorable he was.  Eamon's first few years get a little lost in the shuffle of my memory as he was the third boy with a baby sister born a year later.  Four kids under the age of four was no joke (!!) and when I look back on pictures it's like I can see his cute and joyful and funny little personality anew.

Those eyes

Not anymore :)

Andrew leaves this beautiful Austrian campus (and these friends who have been such blessings to him) next week.  I know he'll miss his semester there but I can't wait to snuggle his face off.

Tonight I'm off to have dinner and see For King + Country's: A Drummer Boy Christmas at the movie theater with Maggie and my friend and her daughter.  I have zero expectations, so I won't be disappointed!  Then tomorrow I'm headed to a Women's Advent Retreat on the Cape with two friends, and we're going to hear from Sr. Jaime Mitchell, Allison Gingras and Marie Miller, whose song 6'2 is one of my favorites:

Isn't that how we all pray for what we want?  So relatable.

Oh speaking of praying...did you know that the St. Andrew Novena is on the Hallow app?  So easy to press play and not have to count 15 times on your fingers (I mean we only have ten!).

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, snuggle your loved ones tight.