~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
And just like that, we're in the middle of the first week of Advent.
I made my wreath during the football game on Sunday, with a little help from Pippo in the collecting and sorting of the greenery. I thanked Rosie of Last Year (as she knew I would) for buying several extra sets Advent candles when they were wicked on sale at JoAnn's. Saving a few dollars was nice, but mostly it's just wonderful to know I don't have to strap the kids into the carseats to run around town looking for them. I already have the candles.
On Monday, we put up two of our nativity sets — our very special one on the mantlepiece (Baby Jesus is tucked away until Christmas) and Pippo's wooden one on his shelf, where he can reach it. And Habou sent us an Advent calendar, so I didn't even have to worry about finding one of those!
We light a candle, we sing, we open a door. We look at the Holy Family and talk about the Wise Men.
So far, that's it. (Do you hear that, Pinterest? That's all we've done so far!) Little by little, we'll keep clearing out the clutter of the year and making room in our home for the Baby Jesus as we do the same in our hearts.
Making space, little by little.
But still, we have to talk a little bit about Thanksgiving. We had two of Pippo's uncles up from the University of Dallas, along with two of their friends. They (we!) ate a lot of food. They built crazy Lego towers with Pippo and chased him around the house. We taught them to play Dominion and they played into the wee hours of the morning (making us feel old). It was a good weekend.
Waiting to be turned into apple pie and applesauce. |
I've been thinking for a while about barstools to go at this counter, since we decided against putting a table in the eat-in area off the kitchen. Pippo's little table is there, along with a shelf with his things and a comfy chair for a grownup, but I thought that it would be nice for people to be able to perch here more comfortably for a quick meal or to keep me company while I cook.
But gosh, pretty bar stools are expensive! And don't show up on craigslist, at least around here. Finally, in the pre-Thanksgiving crunch, I came to a decision. We were going to have four extra adults in the house, and I was planning on spending hours in the kitchen. I wanted people to talk to me! So we decided to just go ahead and pick up two of the plain, sturdy, inexpensive ones from Target, and already they're serving the room so well, just as I hoped they would.
And the blonde wood that looks a little lame and unfinished in the store aisles actually reads as warm and intentional with the wood and stone colors in my kitchen. Lucky me!
Pippo was my little helper through all the Thanksgiving prep. Here he's helping me cut up apples to make applesauce (which was requested by one of our guests). I tried my best to explain that you only put the pieces that you didn't bite into the pot, but I can't promise that he internalized that particular message.
The day after Thanksgiving, we brought our guests to the funny little mountain resort town near us. We were planning on a little more exploring, but forgot that college students are on a later schedule than babies, and take much longer to get moving in the morning than we do. But we showed them around, climbed some rocks, skipped some stones, and pointed them in the right direction for more while we went home for naptime.
(These photos aren't particularly funny, but they're what I've got…)
He's not very good at smiling for photos, but he's very willing to jump for me.
{real}
These are just about the only photos I took on Thanksgiving itself.
I commandeered Pippo's little table after I ran out of counter space and needed room to stage my side dishes. Goodness, was I glad I had bought those disposable pans — I had to bend their sides up so I could cook the brussels sprouts and the stuffing at the same time in my 3/4-size oven!
I knew better than to worry about a centerpiece — we have just enough room on our table for the plates and the food, if we serve the turkey and the stuffing from the sideboard.
There was so much food — I felt like I had cooked for days, and still ran out of “ahead of time” and had to bake my pies after dinner! What a failure! I mean, it was all delicious, don't get me wrong (if I do say so myself). But I hadn't fully thought everything through, especially with timing things in my little oven and prepping all the other things that we needed to eat with four extra adults in celebration mode. Oh well. Next time.
Renee says
Huh?! I went to the University of Dallas (ages ago, I guess). Small world.
Jen says
I love having Advent to get our homes and our hearts ready for Jesus – a little at a time!
Baking pies after dinner isn't a failure at all! It's a brilliant scheme that allows some of the massive Thanksgiving dinner to settle before having dessert.
_Rosie says
Jen, I love having time between dinner and dessert. But I wouldn't have minded using that time to relax instead of bake. 🙂
Marcia says
Love of family, lovely children, and good food… if you have them, you have a lot, don't you? I love the jumpin' and baby photos, especially 🙂
Kathy@9peas says
Everything looks wonderful and I think the bar stools look great! Pippo jumping is the best!
Diane says
I have the smallest kitchen on the planet, and when I entertain, often the crockpot and the toaster oven are going in addition to the regular oven. As for baking the pies after dinner – score! Dinner has time to “settle”, and the pie is warm.
Pippo is looking more and more like a young boy than a little boy, if that makes sense. Love the jumping picture – such joy!
_Rosie says
Diane, tell me about it! He looks so big to me lately. It must be his birthday coming up…
Betsy M says
Great pictures Rosie. It all looks beautiful – especially the baby and Pippo.
momco3 says
The Pippo jumping is my favorite. I was all set to thank Rosie of Last Year, too, but I packed the candles away and can't find them. So I am sure I will thank Rosie of Last Year next year, when she will be Rosie of Two Years Ago. (Look at that, you're like a Dickens Ghost!)
_Rosie says
Haha – such a danger! I'm sure wherever you put them made perfect sense at the time!
*kate says
I love the photo of daddy and baby by the fire. I ordered extra candles last year too, in a great sale (we also use tea lights which are a little tougher to find.) And I'll do it again if I find another sale – it does make the first week of Advent so much easier!
Tamara says
I thanked Rosie of last year too! 🙂 Thanks to you I bought a bunch of candles last year- which I didn't remember until I went looking in the Advent box last week. I'm set for two more years! I can see this being a problem the year after that, when I'm wrongly convinced I still have some left… 😉
_Rosie says
Tamara, I was thinking that too, the other day. The solution I came up with is that I just have to buy Advent candles whenever I see them, so I never ever run out. That's rational, right?
Tamara says
Absolutely!! Sounds like a fail-proof plan to me! 🙂
Anastasia says
Rosie I love your posts! Way to go for having a toddler helper 🙂
Mary says
All your pictures are beautiful, but the fireside photo is enchanting and inviting!
Charlotte says
Hey, we had three UD guys here for Thanksgiving too! Boy, was I glad I made extra food (and had an extra smoked turkey on hand). They all had seconds and thirds! And then we sent them home with large boxes of food. They were staying on campus with no food service available. Poor guys! If you guys ever head down here for a visit, I'd love to have you over. Or if Pippo's uncles ever need any help from the local area, just let us know!
_Rosie says
Thanks, Charlotte!
Jamie says
Jamie of this year bought two sets, also. Jamie of next year sends much thanks to Rosie of last year!
Kelly says
Your pictures are lovely. I especially enjoyed the ones of your kitchen helper. Where were you when I was in College?
Natalie says
Did you have any help with cleanup?! I realized this year, when you have sons and no daughters, it's not as likely to have help in the kitchen?! Any ideas on a tactful way to get helpers & not end up alone in there while football is on? 😉
Dixie says
YOU watch football until they have finished all the cleaning up…and then THEY get to watch! I bet the place would get clean really fast!
_Rosie says
I have my mother-in-law to thank for raising young men who are excellent and willing dishwashers. 🙂
Becky says
You aren't a failure! You are learning. 🙂 Plus, you have the extra challenge of constantly switching to new kitchens.
_Leila says
Haha, Rosie, my first Thanksgiving consisted of putting the sweet potato peelings in the disposer. We spent the time after dinner listening to Papa curse the sink…
There's failure and there's FAILURE.
Love the stools! They look really pretty and useful!
_Rosie says
Well, Mama, this was actually my… fourth Thanksgiving? Third, if you don't count the one in the hotel with the rotisserie chicken (which was a great, if quiet Thanksgiving, so I'm going to count it). But it was a very minor fail, I admit, even if I did give up and make the apple pie the day after!
Woman of the House says
I love the pictures of Pippo jumping! His enthusiasm shines through the photos. 🙂
Mary Emily says
My family hosted 3 UD guys, too. My son (a freshman) brought 2 buddies who weren't traveling home for dinner. Send any & all UD kids you know to me in the Philosophy Dept — I'm the admin and I keep candy on hand for students!
Thank you for your beautiful blog.