If, as Herod, we fill our lives with things, and again with things; if we consider ourselves so unimportant that we must fill every moment of our lives with action, when will we have the time to make the long, slow journey across the desert as did the Magi? Or sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds? Or brood over the coming of the child as did Mary? For each one of us, there is a desert to travel. A star to discover. And a being within ourselves to bring to life.
–Author Unknown
My mom is convinced that I am threatening my dad’s job security (he works for Proctor and Gamble), because I keep calling her saying, “Mom! I just made this great all-purpose cleaner/baby wipe solution/bathtub cleaner/Febreeze/floor cleaner/furniture polish!” I’ve become quite the homemade cleaning product nut. So far my favorite products are the all-purpose cleaner and the furniture polish. The all-purpose cleaner smells so absolutely wonderful that I am always looking for items that might need to be squirted. I used some of Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Organic Magic Soap (of which I am now a huge, huge fan) to make this cleaner, plus I added some drops of lavender essential oil. Who knew that cleaning could be so relaxing?
So far a few of my projects have bombed: The concoction I made to wash dishes in the dishwasher left them clean but gritty, even when I added vinegar to the last rinse. I still haven’t found a glass cleaner that I like that’s non-toxic. For several years we have made our own glass cleaner, and it works really well, but it has ammonia in it, and since Amélie loves to help me clean windows, I really would like to find something for her to inhale rather than lung-damaging ammonia! It seems like something else didn’t work, but I can’t think of it at the moment.
My future projects include laundry soap, air freshener, and toilet bowl cleaner.
I really hate to admit how much fun I’m having.
My friend Faith, who lives in Pennsylvania, attended a homemade cleaning product party, where her friend provided all of the ingredients and supplies and just charged for the cost of the materials. Would any of you who live around me be interested in something like this? I think it would be fun. We could become non-toxic chemists! 
BTW, my mom wants me to make her some cleaning stuff when she comes here after Christmas. Just don’t tell my dad.
Matt was rocking baby Jack. I was making chocolate chip cookies with Amélie. We were eating at least as much cookie dough as we were spooning onto the cookie sheets. The Messiah was playing on the stereo. As I was humming along to “And he shall speak peace unto his people…” the doorbell rang.
Perfect timing.
Or perhaps…not.
Three neighbor kids barged in. One picked up the cheerleader megaphone and started yelling. Another unabashedly walked over to the bowl of cookie batter and stuck her fingers right in. And then another loudly called, “Let’s go upstairs!” and off they noisily trooped into Amélie’s bedroom.
I really do like peace and quiet and order and harmony. I had spent a good portion of the day cleaning and picking up and reordering my life.
Now my home is invaded with a Little Mermaid, Cinderella, a bride, and a little boy brandishing a rhinestone sceptor. My living room is scattered with pom poms, tiaras, necklaces, high heels, and magic wands.
Cinderella just loudly banished the Little Mermaid to the dungeon on the stairs.
And Jack just woke up.
It’s all good, though. I like these kids. Amélie adores them. I’d pick their happy, noisy clatter and chatter over silence any day.
…well, most days.
…but Matt posted 52 pictures on our family website.
We’ll try to update it more frequently!
Just wanted to say…the documentary last night was absolutely amazing. I left the theater feeling almost as high as I did in those blissful moments after Jack was born. It was wonderful to vicariously relive the most empowering, spiritual, miraculous, and beautiful moment of my entire life.
My favorite line from the film:
I gave birth.
I can do anything.
(This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, the most attractive picture of me, but it’s beautiful in a way that has nothing to do w/ aesthetics. My dear friend and doula, Rachel, took this picture right after Jack was born. The blood all over my sleeve, btw, was the result of some botched attempt to stab my arm w/ a needle or give me an IV or something. The nurse was in a bit of a hurry since Jack deicded to make his entrance rather quickly!)
Anyone want to go see this documentary with me?
Actually, I probably can’t go. Do you think I could sneak in a baby along with my contraband hot tamales?
More about the film here. Makes me want to have more babies. Or at least spend my days helping women experience pregnancy and birth as a beautiful, empowering miracle, not an illness.
Update:
OK…I really think I might go. If anyone living around me would like to go with me, let me know!
I love it that Joe read aloud Isaiah 9:1-3 and I Corinthians 1:1-9 by reading from his phone.
I love it that I read aloud a 4th century hymn and Isaiah 64:1-9 from The Message.
I love it that we celebrate the beauty and tradition of advent.
I love it that I was part of this discussion (See The Lord’s Prayer and the Kingdom: Pt 2).
I love it that I’m cultivating some deep, meaningful relationships.
I love it that at church last night Paul said that hope was something we needed to lean into.
I love it that we collected blankets for the homeless and that a group of people went downtown last night to deliver them.
I love my church.
