Advent 2

Evenings in our little apartment, with its one large space for kitchen, dining area and living room, are frequently cozy and pleasant (well, if no one is melting down, fighting, torturing the cat, etc). 

We got a bench, so you will frequently find both kids sitting like this and playing at something while dinner is being made (ok, most often, while Jon is making dinner). 

In other news, Miles recently made some breakthroughs in reading. With his teacher's encouragement, he's started reading some very short-word, simple books. They're extremely basic, but he's extremely proud! And yesterday, this happened: 

One of my small triumphs this year has been to actually follow through on nightly advent readings. Each year we make a wreath at church, each year I hopefully place it on or near the table, and each year... well, it literally and figuratively falls apart.

The construction on our 2013 wreath is improved. And something about this apartment has made it easier to actually round everyone up and sit them down before dinner and have a moment to remember that we are in waiting.

Each night we open another door on our secular Father Christmas advent calendar, light the candle(s), read from the lectionary for the day, the kids do their little sticker-based advent activity and then we sing:

First verse last week, second this week.

For all the struggle it is for them to sit still through the reading, they look forward to it each night. At the cry of "Advent time!" they often come running, shouting "Advent!!" It's made the dinnertime roundup easier, actually. 

I look forward to it too. I  need the daily reminders from the lectionary that the word of God will not go back to him empty, but will accomplish its purpose. We are hoping for so much more than a rest from work and an end to the shopping, after all. 

Oh. Also, we put up our little baby tree this weekend. I love my family for being so content with what we have. So far, anyway.

"Helping us unpack" (Popping bubble wrap and spreading general disarray, but who's counting?)

She was so please to discover she had ornaments of her own to put up! Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa Grunert!

"It never was such a bad little tree! All it needed was a little love."

Our Netflix fireplace. 

Our nativity characters have good company in our books. Also, I recommend wooden sets for homes with tinies!

Advent is for adults, they say, and Christmas for children. I'm not sure how true that is, but I'm grateful for the pace of Advent, and for the hope of it.
Lately I've been loving the words to the carol, "People, look east!" by Eleanor Farjeon. Here's a short portion, though all five verses are lovely:

People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.

Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in course the flower may flourish.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the rose, is on the way.