Dec. 2: Thomas caught climbing a tree quite high and finding a new nest for our collection
Dec. 3: To my Charlotte-area friends: please help support four-year-old Leona Desch in her new cancer diagnosis. We used to attend the same parish until the family moved to a neighboring town.
Dec. 3: To my Charlotte-area friends: Please help support seven-year-old Max Stephen in his new cancer diagnosis. His family belongs to the Catholic homeschooling community in Columbia, SC, and I know that so many of us have friends down there.
Dec. 4: Happy 17th birthday, John!
Chris and I are enjoying watching John's journey into responsible young adulthood. In his junior year, he is taking three high-school courses and one dual-enrollment course, as well as participating in an audition-only theater group, Fraternus, Honor Society (where he is an officer), a pro-life club, an economics club, two church choirs, and a swing dance class. We certainly can't keep up with him, but he does it all with a smile!
Dec. 5: We are currently reading aloud Little House in the Big Woods. After reading how Ma poured each child a gingerbread man-shaped pancake, the boys asked me to do the same this morning. Even with my modern conveniences, I am nowhere near as competent as Ma. Certain boys stood around as “backseat drivers” criticizing roundly until I threw a tantrum, told them I’m a terrible cook and they’re stuck with me, and I left the room. So there is ANOTHER way I’m not as good as Ma Ingalls.
Dec. 5: Three years ago yesterday, we came a hair's breadth away from losing Thomas. I'm always uncomfortable mixing that memory with our firstborn John’s birthday, although they fall on the same day. We thank God, the Levine's medical team, and our whole community for helping us save our boy, who is currently very stable and full of eight-year-old boy energy!
Dec. 5: My 6- and 8-year-olds are trying to convince me that this should be a "very special" dessert night because it is the EVE of St. Nicholas' feast day. Good luck with that, boys!
Dec. 6: Feast of St Nicholas 2023. The boys were so excited last night that it took them an hour of giggling to fall asleep.
Joseph has been doing experiments like a mad scientist since he received a new science kit on St. Nicholas day.
Dec. 6: The younger boys and I had a wholesome, fun time at the Pineville tree lighting ceremony. We ate hot dogs, explored the city library, did crafts, and watched the Dickensian carolers, circus jugglers, and balloon artists. The boys played on the faux snow field and then warmed up by the fire.
Dec. 7: David is cute.
Dec. 7: Christmas gift idea: Our children of all ages have so greatly enjoyed coloring these 11x14 vellum prints of saints. I've used them in my house for coloring quietly while I read aloud stories at the table. There are something like 22 different sets of 16 drawings each, for only $15 per set.
Stocking stuffer idea? Household tip? You decide!
About two months ago, I switched us to using Swedish discloths in an effort to reduce our reliance on paper towels. We were spending probably $20-30 per month on paper towels. These dishcloths do an amazing job! I use one or two dishcloths throughout the whole day, let them dry overnight at my sink (they dry within probably an hour), and each morning I toss yesterday's dirty dishcloths into the dirty hamper, grabbing a fresh one for the day. I spent $15 on a set of 10 and apparently they can last hundreds of washes.
This is one of those tips that is going to make the older generation roll their eyes at my "discovery."
Dec. 8: Mary and Margaret had the opportunity to be flower girls in a friend's wedding on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Dec. 8: What a wonderful option for students who have these interests! Truly amazing: it is a 6-year program at St. Joseph the Worker in which the student graduates with a BA in Catholic Studies as well as having done three years of formal internship in his or her chosen trade, preparing him or her to take the journeyman's exam. While they earn a LIVING!
The most shocking comparison in this article is not that the shopping items cost $20 in 1990, but . . . "Last year, the same grocery list cost $44.40, and this year, it costs a whopping $72.28 in 2023." I can tell you that for at least a year, so many of my female friends and I are exchanging tips about how we are trying to cut grocery costs.
Dec. 9: There is a bustling artisan market from 8:00 to 4:00 at St. Vincent de Paul today, just in time for Christmas shopping! I dropped off my teen to volunteer and got a sneak peak of the parish hall packed wall to wall with artisans’ wares. I will be returning later with all my kids to shop!
Dec. 9: I read the story of little Leo earlier this year (excellent article in comments below), but it's another thing to see these video clips of his smiling self. I reflect how beautiful it is to see parents and community embracing those with disabilities and even life-limiting diagnoses when the history of how the disabled were treated is so utterly horrific and recent. God gave little Leo to this couple and this couple gave up seven years of their own agenda, sold their home, and devoted themselves to giving Leo joy. It's a lovely story.
Dec. 10: Chris and I were delighted to watch the children at church perform in a nativity play last Sunday. The young children were absolutely darling!
Dec. 12: Soaking wet Tilly during Sunday’s storms, ready to call the dog abuse hotline to report us for taking her outside (!) for potty checks . . .
I finally figured out why our dogs were freaking out, barking at my books, and climbing furniture! (See their orange ball on the books.)
I have been raking leaves for weeks.
Dec. 13: Feast of St. Lucy 2023
Yesterday, I was so exhausted and had even laid down for an afternoon nap where I experienced a fierce interior battle about whether to bake homemade cinnamon rolls. My husband was out of town and I’d gotten only four hours of sleep: I had then run errands, filled 28 bags of leaves, done required Christmas planning, and had utterly failed to do any school with the elementary boys. But I remembered the Feast of St. Nicholas only last week when I baked FULL-sugar gingerbread cookies, which promptly made Thomas very sick. He asked me with disappointment and a bit of betrayal, "Why didn't you make low-sugar cookies so I could have some?"
Cue the sword through my heart, stabbing me again every time I remember his little face.
I reminded myself that I got to keep Thomas. Many parents of cancer kids don't get to say the same. Thomas survived the cancer and everything else. So, the least I can do is accommodate family festivities so he can eat without becoming violently ill, RIGHT?
These cinnamon rolls are made with freshly milled flour (all the fat and fiber helps!) and the sweetener is sucanat. I added powdered sugar glaze to one tray, but not the other.
Dec. 14: Congratulations to John for performing in the Eagles' Wings Studio fall recital today! He sang solo "Mrs. Murphy's Chowder" and performed in a skit from the movie "Elf." He has very much enjoyed the first semester of classes and we, his parents, have loved watching him gain in self-composure and stage presence.
When I removed the dogs' sweaters after our 30-degree walk this morning, Tilly dug her sweater out of the bin, smoothed it out on the floor, and took her first nap on it. So, I guess she really does prefer when I leave her sweater on all day!
This is really big news! Neuroblastoma has a high rate of relapse and extremely poor prognosis once it has relapsed. When Thomas's cancer treatment was cut short due to his surgical complications--his oncologist said his body couldn't continue with cancer treatment--we later requested for Thomas to receive DFMO, a daily oral drug that massively cuts down on relapse rate. We were told no because Thomas didn't fit in one of the clinical trials: that's how clinical trials work. Well, three years later and DFMO is now available to *all kids* with neuroblastoma! Thomas remains NED ("no evidence of disease") despite not being given DFMO.
Dec. 14: Annual hayride in our neighborhood! So blessed to be with our children!
Dec. 15: Mom, John, Mary, and friends went to see Wonka in theaters. Highly recommend for all ages!
Dec. 18: Dutch babies made with fresh milled flour
Dec. 18: Billy Graham Library 2023
John performed with a subset of Eagles' Wings Studio at Billy Graham Library on Monday night, when it was oh-so-cold and windy! Our family had never visited the Library and learned about its local Charlotte history, so it was a neat experience overall.
Dec. 19: So much truth.
Dec. 19: Homemade cookies (fresh milled flour!) and peppermint bark for neighbors
Dec. 20: It can only go up from here!
I am sitting down to plan my Christmas Eve and Christmas day menus, so I went to my family blog to look back at last year to see what I cooked. I ended up having to look back many years to find my festive meals because it turns out that we haven't had a "Norman Rockwell Christmas" in at least four years!
2019: The kids were very sick, took David to Urgent Care on Christmas Eve, and really he should have gone to the Emergency Room.
2020: Thomas was in hospital fighting for his life. A generous family brought us a Christmas dinner.
2021: Thomas had cancer scans on 12/23, which always means numerous hospital visits in the days before and after. I kept the Christmas meal very simple because Thomas still required so much care.
2022: Our heater was disabled for an entire week and it was in the 40s in the house. At least one of the kids was sick with a virus and visited our doctor. Thomas landed in the hospital on 12/26 for an inpatient stay and the same day Tilly went to the emergency vet overnight due to electrocution. I don't even remember Christmas cooking and doubt I did any without heat.
2023: Who even knows what will happen? But clearly I can lower my self-expectations because any meal I can manage to cook and any way we can remain healthy and stay at home will be a joy and a gift!
Dec. 20: Twas (nearly) the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse . . . except in my garage! A mouse had a party in my bin of hats and gloves (but not in any of the other seven bins for the rest of my family) where it chewed holes in my entire collection of warm knit hats, as well as leaving pellet "calling cards" throughout. Sigh.
Dec. 21: Kannapolis Christmas 2023--always fun and always cheap, but definitely very cold this year (~35)!
Older children no longer allow me to post their beautiful and handsome countenances on Facebook, so I will post just my joy-filled wee ones, and then ready myself for the complaints (from the same teens) that I "only post the younger kids on Facebook."
Dec. 23: Ready for Christmas Eve 2023!
This year Advent is the shortest it can be: The Fourth Week of Advent is only one day long and is Christmas Eve! That makes homemaking tough because half of Christmas Eve, we'll be gone at Sunday's Mass and then in the evening, we will head back to Christmas Mass.
Most years, our family decorates the tree on Christmas Eve itself, but this year we did housecleaning on Thursday and Friday, then on Saturday the 23rd did the decorating and baking. I could not possibly do this without very competent children: this year was the first year I went upstairs to wrap gifts and told the kids broadly, "Just do the decorating, dears!" They did it *all*.
The evening ended with Chris taking the top four Christmas caroling with a big group of friends!
Dec. 24: Happy Fourth Sunday of Advent and the Vigil of the Nativity!
“Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother.”
- St Andrew’s Litany of Christmas
Dec. 25: Midnight Mass 2023
For the first time in maybe a decade, our family attended the same Christmas Mass! For quite some time, Chris and the growing number of older kids would go to Midnight Mass while Mom and the wee tots would go to Christmas morning Mass. This year, this early bird went way out on a limb and attended Midnight Mass with them: it was exceedingly hard for me to be awake, but it was beautiful and extremely festive.
John was on his feet for eight hours straight, including one hour of schola practice, two and a half hours of singing Matins, and an hour and a half of singing Mass. Mary and Margaret sang in the choir. I just showed up and enjoyed things, including the wildly festive party afterward. The table of beautifully crafted food was replenished over and over and over again.
We got home at 3:00 a.m. while the party at church just kept on going!
Christmas Day 2023
After having arrived home at 3:00 a.m., it was a Christmas miracle that at 7:15 all the children, parents, and even dogs were still asleep. Then the doorbell rang when our six-year-old neighbor wanted to show our boys his new RC car. The dogs went wild barking and thus our day began! Ha! It is a moment that will go down in family lore.
N.B. I have many more pictures that fall under the category of older children not wanting their photos posted on FB. Humbug!
Christmas dinner menu (not pictured):
- Beef bourguignon
- Leftover ham
- Brussels sprouts
- Cornbread stuffing
- Sweet potato casserole
- Dinner rolls
Dec. 26: But do they love each other, really?
(Nicky and Tilly in their cave beneath my desk)
Dec. 30: Bishop Jugis announces changes to Traditional Latin Mass offerings
Published: 26 December 2023
CHARLOTTE — Four parish churches in the Diocese of Charlotte have been granted permission from the Vatican to continue offering the Traditional Latin Mass, Bishop Peter Jugis has announced.
Abiding by Pope Francis’ new norms shifting the Traditional Latin Mass to non-parochial churches, Bishop Jugis sought a dispensation for the four parishes in geographically diverse locations that have traditionally served the faithful who have an affinity for the old liturgy.
St. Ann and St. Thomas Aquinas parishes in Charlotte, St. John the Baptist Parish in Tryon, and Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensboro may continue offering the old form of the Mass, which uses prayers and a liturgical calendar that pre-date the Church’s reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
Five other parishes that have been offering the Traditional Latin Mass in their parish churches, less frequently and for smaller groups, may no longer do so, Bishop Jugis said in a Dec. 6 memo to priests. Mission churches and non-parochial chapels that have been offering the Traditional Latin Mass were not affected by the Vatican’s decision and will continue as directed by the bishop.
The changes, which take effect Jan. 9, are part of the bishop’s stated goal of a “smooth and orderly transition to the new course charted by ‘Traditionis Custodes’,” Pope Francis’s 2021 norms that are intended to make accommodation for the celebration of the old form of the Mass for those who remain attached.
The Vatican body charged with implementing the pope’s instruction, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, permits the four parishes to continue offering the Traditional Latin Mass until Oct. 2, 2025, Bishop Jugis explained.
After that, the decree from the Dicastery for Divine Worship states that the parishes will need to ask again for permission to continue offering the old liturgy, at which point the Bishop of Charlotte may seek an extension of the dispensation. This request must detail the number of participants in the Latin Mass and describe the steps taken to lead them to participate in the current form of the liturgy.
In what he described as an effort to promote unity in the Church, Pope Francis restored limits on the celebration of the old liturgy that had been allowed or expanded by his predecessors St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
“Traditionis Custodes” (“Guardians of the Tradition”) declared the liturgical books promulgated after the Second Vatican Council to be “the unique expression of the ‘lex orandi’ (law of worship) of the Roman Rite” and directed bishops not to establish any new groups or parishes in their dioceses devoted to the old liturgy.
The pope’s instruction also does not permit the continued celebration of the pre-Vatican II form of other sacraments and rites, such as confirmation or marriage.
In his December memo, Bishop Jugis also noted that priests who are already permitted to offer the Traditional Latin Mass may continue, at the locations and times now permitted.
He thanked the clergy for their “continuing ministry to the holy people of God as we proceed to implement the provisions of the Motu proprio ‘Traditionis custodes.’”
Copyright 2024 © Catholic News Herald
Dec. 31: New Year's Eve!
Random Dog Pictures
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