Three Thought Thursday: Episode 48

1. Usually I have my Thursday post up first thing Thursday morning. But usually I don't have the kind of week I've had. Or the kind of morning I've had. Ugh! It's been a mess. Let's just begin by saying that Mark has been on call for the whole week. And most days, we've seen him for no more than 30 minutes. So in other words, when he's on call, I'm on call. 'Round the clock. Mark has been on call a few other weeks so far in his brief career, but those times have seemed to run more smoothly. This time, it's been a case of if-it-can-go-wrong-it-will-go-wrong. Simple things like letting Kolbe help me run the vacuum cleaner turn in to events that end with the whole house smelling like electrical fire and a trip to the vacuum cleaner replacement parts store. Vacuums and Christmas tree skirts don't mix well. And right now I'm typing away on our laptop while sitting on a couch that, despite the hours worth of scrubbing, still smells like vomit. Why? Because kind little motherly me decided to give her sweet little Rudy a bite of her English muffin. And he just happened to decided to swallow it at the very same moment he decided to start a coughing fit. Gobs of previously eaten yogurt, banana, and milk later, the electrical fire scent has been replaced by something far more intestinal. Really. I'm half tempted to get the car seats out of the car (you know, since they have the safer five point harness instead of just the lap belt that their kitchen booster seats have), install them on our kitchen chairs, strap the kids in and sit and stare at each other until the week is over. Surely that will keep anything else catastrophic from happening, right? This should be grounds for getting take out or going out to eat for the rest of the week since obviously turning on my stove would be a major risk.

2. Another event from our fabulous week deserved a paragraph all of it's own. And a picture.

Who ever said that mascara couldn't be fashionable when used to write in Chinese all over one's face!?! Certainly not Rudy. Yes, my lovely child decided to do this just minutes before loading the car up to leave for mass. I was frantically trying to finish putting my make-up on when I went to throw a cotton ball in the bathroom trash can. Finding it full, I rushed it to the kitchen trash can to empty it. Of course, this caused the kitchen trash can to fill up so I'd tied off that bag, threw it in the big can in the backyard, put a new bag in and.....
Returned to the bathroom to find this little face. Kolbe cheering all the while. Some thanks I get for not putting things off. But thank God I had a full bottle of eye make-up remover on stand-by. The worst part was the large clump that was up in hair. You can't really see it in this picture. Even with all the scrubbing the front chunk of his 'do was definitely darker than normal.

3. On a positive note, it's so exciting to see the boys, Kolbe especially, get in to Christmas this year. This past Sunday began the first week of advent. Back on the day before Thanksgiving when I got all the other Christmas decorations set up, I got out our advent wreath and set it up too. At mass on Sunday I showed Kolbe the church's advent wreath and he was so excited to make the connection to the one we have at home. Even though, with Mark away at work, we've been having pathetic meals like grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner, I've still been lighting the advent wreath each night and singing "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" to the boys before eating. Literally within just a few nights they're both already singing along--Rudy mainly humming and Kolbe usually one or two words behind me. Despite all the fascination with Santa Claus, snowmen, and such, it makes me so happy to see that Kolbe really understands this year that the reason we are celebrating Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ. I asked him at dinner last night:
"Kolbe, what is Christmas?"
He replied, "Jesus' birthday!"
"That's right!" I said.
"Mama, Christmas is Jesus' birthday but then we still get presents too."
"Well, yes, we do exchange gifts with each other to celebrate Jesus' birthday, but we need to give gifts to Jesus too. Like being a good boy for Mama. I think Jesus would like that very much."
(after some hesitation) "No, I think he would like to ride my new scooter instead."

At least we're somewhat on the right track! I'm bound and determined to have one of my Christmas crafty works-in-progress finished today. Hopefully I'll have some pictures up tomorrow!