Merry Christmas

So here we are. After an Advent that feels like it didn't really prepare me. Not that I'm blaming Advent. It was circumstances and my state in life right now. God knows. While praying before Mass last night - interrupted prayer: "sit down; please get off the baby; oh, baby are you alright?; etc"- Baby Jesus gave me such a consoling gift. It truly and really doesn't matter what I got done, or didn't get done. It's not about me. Why can I not remember that? It's about Him and his generosity in coming every year, no matter what. Thank you Jesus. Thank you for this crazy hectic life, that leaves me gasping for air at moments and laughing hysterically the next. Thank you for this man you've given me in sacramental marriage. None of it perfect, all of it good. Help me to remember that it's ALL good.

We went to the Vigil Mass. Not our first choice. We'd prefer to go to Christmas morning Mass, but family obligations don't permit that at this point. It is a very crowded Mass, which is good, but distracting for little ones. There was a family we didn't recognize (they may just be regulars who sit on the other side of the church. I swear we'd see a whole new parish if we but only sat on the other side occasionally.) sitting kitty-corner from us. They were laughing their heads off at us and the antics of our little ones. Mark especially provided some fine entertainment. His favorite word right now is no, which has many different meanings and inflections. At one point he wanted his coat, so Justin tried to help him, but help he did not want. "No, no, no" he said sweetly, but determinedly, while backing away and ended up falling backwards on his bottom.

We had passed Katie off right away so that we could focus on Matthew and Mark and at mid-point of the Mass, Mark seemed to realise that she was missing. He picked up the car seat and looked under it, around it and in it. He looked around the immediate vicinity. So he looked a bit further. He spotted one of our friends who has a baby who is a month older than Katie. He decided that was Katie, but he was too shy to go get her back, so he just stared suspiciously.

Anyway, here's a couple of little Turnerisms:

Rebecca: "I think the best thing about cooking the turkey is the stuffing... after the meat, of course".

Mark (16 months): loud scream followed by "shhh".

Alexander when asked if Santa Claus was coming: "Actually, I don't believe in Santa Claus. I believe in St. Nicholas".