I have been looking forward to Michaelmas so much this year! Michaelmas is a season for courage, something our family has been feeling a need for this past month. The children especially have been struggling with the encroaching darkness, both in the night that comes earlier each day and, at least for Soren, in his own awakening mind. We needed to celebrate the gifts we have been given by God: strength and power to slay our own dragons!
* In my excitement, I started decorating as soon as September began. We brought a toy shield back from Nan's house that I hung on some invisible wire. I put some of the boys figures up on our shelves and made some cool transparencies of St. Michael and the dragon. We also picked lots of Michaelmas daisies!
* I began preparing the kids for Michaelmas two full weeks in advance by telling the story of Michael and the Star Children during our Kindergarten. It's the same story that I told last year in Kindergarten but it was still very well received. Just like last year, Soren identified most with the star children while Carl whole-heartedly took on the persona of St. Michael. The other child in Kindergarten this year is actually named Michael, so he really enjoyed the story a lot! When we would go outside to eat our snacks, I also lead the kids in a Michaelmas circle, which Carl quickly memorized and taught to all the other kids in the neighborhood.
* There was a lot of dragon-related artwork created. I especially love this knight and dragon that Carl drew.
* The second week in Kindergarten, I pulled out the shooting stars we made last year. We put a lot of work into that project and I remember being disappointed the boys didn't play with them much. This year, however, they got plenty of mileage.
* For Family Home Evening on September 23, I told our boys the story of the war in heaven. We also read the scriptural account of this story in Revelations 12:
I told the boys that, while we defeated the dragon in heaven, he was cast down to Earth and we must battle him still while we are here. I thought that the symbol might be a little over their heads but I was wrong. When I asked them how we could "fight the dragon" on earth, Carl replied, "By choosing the right." I was so proud of him.
* All the kids made their own dragon breads the last day of Kindergarten before Michaelmas. For some reason, there was no public school that day so all the neighborhood kids came over for the activity. I think they spent more time eating dried fruit and almonds than shaping their dragons. Oh well.
* Saturday (the day before) we got tons of produce in preparation for the harvest feast. I picked up a Bountiful Basket in the morning and then we all went to the Farnsworth orchards later in the day to pick apples and peaches. This year, the kids were more discriminating in their fruit-picking, which was nice. They checked for bruises, holes, and bugs, making our haul a lot more pleasant to work with in the end. Sven was pretty happy about the whole trip; he loves to be outside! After we paid for the fruit, the kids played on a little playground there and we ate peaches until we were stuffed.
* Saturday night I went to the Relief Society broadcast and Scott took all three kids up in the mountains for a bonfire. I think that was very courageous of him! Way to get into the spirit of the season!
* On Michaelmas morning, we all had donuts and apple cider before going off to church.
* I spent all afternoon preparing for our big feast, although when it was all done it didn't seem like a whole lot of food. I made a big dragon bread and an apple pie with the yummy tart apples we had picked the day before. I also made couscous stuffed peppers and arranged our wealth of produce for a centerpiece. In the living room, I set up some toys for the kids to play with: our knights and castle as well as a chest full of dress-up armor and wooden sticks. I put out two books I got from the library as well (The Knight and the Dragon and St. George and the Dragon). We invited our neighbors to come and celebrate with us. The food was great but I think I especially enjoyed watching the kids play.
* Soren made my day when we saw the pie: "It has stars on it for the star children!"
* We got a gift for the boys this year: a lava lamp. They have really been struggling with going to bed when it is dark outside so we got a really cool lava lamp for them to watch while they are falling asleep. The only downside is that it takes a few hours for it to warm up. So they looked at the glowing light and then, a few hours later, they got really excited and kept telling us to come back in and see it move! Neither Scott nor I really minded though. We wanted to see it because lava lamps really are pretty cool. Scott said, "I want one for my room!"
* But before bed, Scott read St. George and the Dragon with the boys. It is a gorgeous book, one we should definitely own some day. This year, I was really moved by the part of the story when George, standing with the hermit and looking out over the valley, sees far off in the distance a heavenly city. He can see the path up to the city and all the angels flying two and fro from it. He longs with all his heart to go there. But the hermit tells him:
* In my excitement, I started decorating as soon as September began. We brought a toy shield back from Nan's house that I hung on some invisible wire. I put some of the boys figures up on our shelves and made some cool transparencies of St. Michael and the dragon. We also picked lots of Michaelmas daisies!* I began preparing the kids for Michaelmas two full weeks in advance by telling the story of Michael and the Star Children during our Kindergarten. It's the same story that I told last year in Kindergarten but it was still very well received. Just like last year, Soren identified most with the star children while Carl whole-heartedly took on the persona of St. Michael. The other child in Kindergarten this year is actually named Michael, so he really enjoyed the story a lot! When we would go outside to eat our snacks, I also lead the kids in a Michaelmas circle, which Carl quickly memorized and taught to all the other kids in the neighborhood.
* There was a lot of dragon-related artwork created. I especially love this knight and dragon that Carl drew.* The second week in Kindergarten, I pulled out the shooting stars we made last year. We put a lot of work into that project and I remember being disappointed the boys didn't play with them much. This year, however, they got plenty of mileage.
* For Family Home Evening on September 23, I told our boys the story of the war in heaven. We also read the scriptural account of this story in Revelations 12:
"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
* All the kids made their own dragon breads the last day of Kindergarten before Michaelmas. For some reason, there was no public school that day so all the neighborhood kids came over for the activity. I think they spent more time eating dried fruit and almonds than shaping their dragons. Oh well.
* On Michaelmas morning, we all had donuts and apple cider before going off to church.
* I spent all afternoon preparing for our big feast, although when it was all done it didn't seem like a whole lot of food. I made a big dragon bread and an apple pie with the yummy tart apples we had picked the day before. I also made couscous stuffed peppers and arranged our wealth of produce for a centerpiece. In the living room, I set up some toys for the kids to play with: our knights and castle as well as a chest full of dress-up armor and wooden sticks. I put out two books I got from the library as well (The Knight and the Dragon and St. George and the Dragon). We invited our neighbors to come and celebrate with us. The food was great but I think I especially enjoyed watching the kids play.
* Soren made my day when we saw the pie: "It has stars on it for the star children!"
* But before bed, Scott read St. George and the Dragon with the boys. It is a gorgeous book, one we should definitely own some day. This year, I was really moved by the part of the story when George, standing with the hermit and looking out over the valley, sees far off in the distance a heavenly city. He can see the path up to the city and all the angels flying two and fro from it. He longs with all his heart to go there. But the hermit tells him:
"That High City that you see is in another world. Before you climb the path to it and hang your shield on its wall, go down into the valley and fight the dragon that you were sent to fight."
That was this season's message for me. I have been struck recently with a longing for heavenly peace and to escape the turmoil of this world. But instead, I must roll up my sleeves and get to work. I am here to fight dragons and God has prepared a way for me to do that. As we descend into the dark and chill of autumn, I will keep the flame of faith alive and face the dragon with courage.
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