Harry Potter Dinner

Recently Rachael bought "The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook". This was a book she had gotten out of the library before and we had tried some of the recipes. A favorite is Hagrid's Rock Cakes. Now that Rachael owned a copy, her gears were turning and just cooking recipes was not going to satisfy her creativity.



She asked if she could cook dinner and since I was helping Megan with a project, it was a happily accepted offer. Rachael then went through the cookbook reading ingredient lists to see if we had the needed items for any of the main dishes. We happened upon Shepard's Pie and she began to cook. Megan reached an independent part of her project so Rachael and I worked together, chopping, browning, and mashing. When it went into the oven I switched back to helping Megan in the basement. I returned to the dining room to see that Rachael had set the table with the breakable dishes and decorated the table with various Harry Potter themed items. It was time to eat but we realized that beverages hadn't been poured yet. The only thing missing was butter beer. Quickly we melted some butterscotch chips and added it to ginger-ale for the wizarding world's signature drink. This lovely table setting inspired the rest of us to don Griffendor robes, quiditch jerseys and Jim put on his Hagrid jacket.

The meal was great. Everyone enjoyed the Shepard's pie and were generous with thankful comments. We agreed the consistency of the butter beer was a little odd so we will rework that recipe when we do it again. The meal was topped off with yummy triple lemon ice pops. It was a festive family dinner: a little fancy and very special. Rachael's projects sometimes need to be tempered with reality but this was a perfect balance of fun, theme, and function. It gives me the confidence to let Rachael run with her ideas more in the future. Who knows what we will be treated to next. Emma just got the "Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook", that might prove to be interesting.

Valentines

Each February, class lists come home from school and the process of writing out friends names on Valentines begins. This is an incredible challange for pre-schoolers but a worthwhile one. Bridget was up to the challange and settled into her spot at the table with a pen in hand. She used so much pressure and effort on the first few valentines that the letters made indentations visible on the other side. Bridget made great progress but after more than half of the princess valentines were done, she was tired from the effort.  After a break she was ready to finish the spiderman valentines for the boys.

A lot of the valentines have questionable coolness as you enter older grades, and they don't even formally have exchanges after 3rd grade, but Rachael, being a fan of creative projects, decided to make her own. Her  plan was to make origami boxes, put a chocolate heart inside, and a paper heart on top, then write names on the boxes. It was an ambitious project for the amount of time she had and ultimately it became a group effort. Rachael and Emma worked on the boxes, Megan on the chocolates and Grandma Kate cut hearts.  The project covered the dining room table but the teamwork resulted in a satisfying pile of Valentine boxes.

Megan also worked on homemade valentines. We cut out large red hearts, folded them in half, put in a chocolate heart and Megan decorated with heart jeweled stickers and added a personal note. This too was a family effort and turned out beautifully.

In eighth grade there are no Valentines but candy is always acceptable. Emma brought a bag of chocolate to school and passed them out as the day went along. She also came home with a collection of sweets, but I have a feeling a lot of what she received didn't last long.

Valentines Day is a nice opportunity to let people know that you love them. Our family did that in a number of ways, with boxes of chocolate, valentine cards, but also with  a willingness to pitch in and help.

Grandma's Visit

For the ocassion of Emma's Confirmation, Jim's mom, Grandma Kate, flew to Baltimore. Grandma is always a welcome visitor. We get to see Jim's family only a few times a year, so it is very exciting when we do. When each of the girls was little, it took a little bit of time for them to connect their memories, names mentioned, and pictures around our house to the smiling faces before them. But there were so many wonderful experiences to draw from that they quickly became comfortable. Now that the girls are all a little older the connection is permanent. Even Bridget at 5 takes no time to reconnect, she just knows her Daddy's family.

This visit was no different. Grandma Kate arrived and slid right into our hustle and bustle. She got a chance to attend Emma's Middle School Orchestra concert as they played at the high school. Grandma joined us to celebrate the 3 big girl's excellent report cards with a dinner out. She showed her Grandma dedication and woke up at 6AM (that's 4AM Denver time) to watch Rachael's last indoor soccer game for the season. Grandma got to go with Megan to her  Ballet class in the afternoon and to Bridget's ballet class on Tuesday morning. Each of the girls got to share an activity with her. Somewhere in the midst of this she also did our dishes without a word. Grandma also pitched in with some Valentine assembly.  They loved playing Wii Pictionary together and watching Dolphin Tale the movie. She makes my children smile.

I asked Rachael what her favorite part of the visit was she said "Grandma Kate!"
Later when Emma got home I asked Emma what her favorite part was and she said "Grandma Kate!"

We were so happy to have Grandma Kate's prayerful presence as we stood witness to Emma's Confirmation. We can't wait to see her, PawPaw and Uncle Bill in Disney World this June.

Confirmation

with the pendant from Uncle Bill

Emma's Confirmation preparation started in spring of last year with a parent meeting. We got a little bit of information and a schedule of activities. I filled out a few forms and then Emma embarked on a path of service and reflection. Emma put in her service hours over the summer. In the fall Emma went to small group meetings and went on retreat with her fellow Confirmadi. She met with her sponsor, her godmother, Aunt Mary, and gained encouragement and insight. She spoke with our deacon and walked through the elements of the Rite. Jim and I were only called upon to keep track of the schedule and more importantly to pray. As she went through the process there were many people along the way but this was Emma's journey of growth and faith.

Emma was ready. She finished her preparation, Grandma Kate had arrived to celebrate and the Baltimore grandparents were planning to attend. My dad would vest for the Mass. Emma had a longer process deciding what to wear and picked a dress that I bought to ring in the year 2000 and had been hanging in the closet unnoticed for years. Emma was just a toddler when I got the dress but now as a young woman she would wear it full of anticipation and openness. She was aglow.

Aunt Mary and Emma gathered with the other 70 candidates and their sponsors in the hall below the church. Originally there were going to be 2 Masses, but our Archbishop was being elevated to the College of Cardinals and one of the Masses had to be dropped. We had an assigned half pew in the church, so Jim, the girls, myself, Grandma Pat and Grandma Kate squeezed in. Bishop Madden was incredibly cheery and seemed to take great joy in his duties.

The Mass was beautiful and the little sisters did really well despite not being able to see much. They were able to see Emma as she walked up the aisle, she happily returned a subtle wave to her sisters. Grampa was on the alter next to the bishop so the girls took turns peeking at him as well. Emma looked so composed and expectant. The sacred music helped us maintain a reverent tone throughout, but when we hit the 2 hour mark the girls and I headed straight out to the bathroom. It was good to stretch our legs in the process and we settled back in for the remainder of the service. We mentioned the 2 1/2 hour length in conversation with Emma and she looked surprised. "It didn't seem long to me." she said. She was energized and floating, buoyed by the Holy Spirit.

To celebrate we all went to the Candlelight Inn for dinner. Uncle Henry and his fiance Donna joined us with her son , Chad, who was also confirmed as well as her sister Caroline. This was the first fine dining experience in a long time and the girls enjoyed the specialness of the day. Emma sat at the head of the table and smiled throughout. She received many thoughtful gifts including a Holy Spirit pendant from her Godfather Uncle Bill, which she wore to the Mass, and cross stitch blanket that Aunt Becky began for her before her baptism. Emma was blessed with many gifts from family and also gifts from the Holy Spirit.

That evening as I hugged her goodnight I breathed deeply the smell of Holy Chrism, which anointed her head as an infant in Baptism and again as she confirmed her faith. It was the smell of heaven. Emma had a cold and because of congestion couldn't appreciate it. So I had her press a tissue to her head and save it in her new bible. She pulled it out today, took a deep breathe and for a moment had a look of sheer contentment.

Emma is confirmed and embarks on living her witness in Christ.

Grass doesn't make a Good Snowman

And so we are halfway through Winter and we are still waiting for some real snow. I don't love the cold but I do love the experience of at least one good snow storm each year. There is a beauty to that white blanket as it falls and silences the world for a short time. There is a purpose in digging out and a thrill in bundling up and playing. And snow is the ever valid excuse for hot chocolate. This year though, it has been an unseasonably warm.

At Christmas we randomly sang "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" and Bridget felt robbed when I had to explain that it was not going to be white in Baltimore. "Then why do we have a snowman bucket" she said. The bucket of snowman accessories still sits in our living room, waiting to be put to use. We headed into January and the girls, Bridget especially, were hoping for snow. We were driving to ballet class and as Bridget looked out the window at the dull winter landscape, she tells me "It needs to snow! Grass doesn't make a good snowman."

At the end of January we awoke one Saturday morning to a small white layer covering everything. The Saturday events were canceled because of icy roads so we had a free morning to play in the snow. We bundled up and happily headed outside. Bridget walked out into the yard, turned back to me and declared "This isn't snow. It's ice! It's crunchy!" She was right. The snow we did get was followed by freezing rain and it's whiteness was deceptive. I couldn't shovel it. I had to chip it and scrape it off the sidewalk. The girls couldn't pack it into a snowball or do snow angels. But it was slippery, so the big girls got sleds out and slid down the sidewalk. The 3 big girls went one street over to go down the bigger hill. After a few runs though Megs fell and banged her knee. Em and Rae couldn't get her to walk back so Rachael got all of the sleds and came back to get me. Emma stayed with her until I arrived and we carried her home together. I was glad they had each other.

So far that was our only snow that stuck. We got huge flakes yesterday but it didn't amount to anything. They are still waiting and dreaming of making snowmen.

Megan Stranded

My nerves tingle and my heart beats a little faster at the thought of Megan being stranded and scared. We got a call at 5:00 today. Megan was calling from the church where they usually have their Brownie meeting and was asking to be picked up. The meeting today was not at the church but at a nursing home. Megan always gets a ride right from school at 4:00 to Brownies from Savanah's mom, Shari. Shari forgot about the nursing home and even though she usually walks them in today she just dropped them off.

The stairwell where they waited

Megan and Savanah found the door locked and looked around for a way in. Savanah had left her coat in the car since it is unseasonably warm 50's, but the breeze was chilly outside. They couldn't find a way in so they spent the next hour huddled together in a stairwell that leads to the basement entrance to the social hall. They peeked into the parking lot when they heard people's voices in the hopes of seeing someone they knew.

After an hour they saw a woman they recognized as a classmate's grandmother. The grandmother offered them a ride but neither felt comfortable with that, so the grandmother tracked down someone with a cellphone. That's when we got the call.

Jim went to get them and a few minutes later a substitute teacher from their school saw them and let them into the glass entrance. I meanwhile got in touch with Shari, who was beside herself, and got to our house a few minutes after Jim and the girls.

It wasn't productive to be mad, I just felt so glad they were now safe. I'm proud of Megan for having our phone number committed to memory and so glad they handled themselves so well. I am so glad they were together. Megan opened her coat and they both wore it on their shoulders. Savanah shared her 2 pretzels and the two encouraged each other. Megan suggested they say their favorite prayers. They did well. But I also feel sick at the thought of them being so vulnerable, cold, and scared. I had trusted that Megan was somewhere safe and I was wrong.