The O Antiphons

I decide to give this another try.  I really want to try to capture the things we do from year to year, to look back and see some growth in myself and my children.  Since we had Jude this past June I have just felt overwhelmed.  My mom told me she stopped at the 3rd child because she couldn't keep up anymore, and now I GET it.  I couldn't fathom how it was so hard until I had him, and now I can't remember what sleep felt like.  I know, I know -- the whining already Bonnie?  I'm not, honestly -- it's just that I'm going on 6 months of not sleeping through the night (or more than 5 hours at a time on a good night), and I'm just exhausted.  I love having these 3 kids to mold, to work for and with, but I failed to realize how much MORE it was.  So, the blog again.  I need to see myself grow from month to month; to remember it's going to get easier, better.  Especially if we want any hope of having a 4th someday :).

We are trying something new this Advent.  The O Antiphons.  Sydney and I made a lovely little O Antiphon house at the advice of my friend Andrea.  Tonight we start with "O Wisdom" and we are all really excited.  We are also doing our Jesse tree again this year using this book, but as always I edit as I go since the old man is quite grumpy.

I'm trying really hard, despite my exhaustion, to create some meaningful traditions for our family.  I love the holidays -- the liturgical holidays that the Church sets up.  I love that there is an order there, that the Church in Her wisdom walks us through the Bible year after year in the readings, in the Traditions.  I've been thinking about the purpose of my homeschool a lot over the past few months while feeding the baby, and I've come to the decision that Auntie Leila has it right -- order and wonder.

I love that the church sets this up for all of us - the order of the liturgical year, of building towards the Resurrection of Christ, and leaves us to wonder about the mysteries behind it all.  Mary, The Immaculate Conception -- I read a fascinating book about this by Maximilian Kolbe the other day on why she took that name to St. Bernadette; The Trinity; the "rescue plan."  I hope I can instill in my children a love for the Catholic church and the Traditions, for their faith.  It's hard in the society we live in, but maybe that's what every generation has said?