Yesterday was Michaelmas, the holiday that (as Soren put it) "no one celebrates but us." I think that's one of the things I love about it. Since no one I know celebrates Michaelmas, there is no commercial pressure attached to it. That means that the only expectations are the ones we create ourselves.
I asked the boys in family council on Sunday which traditions were most important to them, so we could be sure to meet their expectations. Thankfully, no one said "presents!" So there weren't any. The traditions that were mentioned were:
1. checking out dragon books from the library
2. decorating the house
3. making dragon bread
4. sharing the scripture story in Family Home Evening
We did those things so--hooray! Expectations met.
I have my own personal expectations, of course. I like to tell my Kindergarten story of St. Michael and the star children. I like to sing songs about spiritual warfare. And I always hope there will be time for introspection, for goal-setting, and maybe even for revelation.
In that spirit: I have been thinking a lot recently about the contribution I am making to the good fight. What am I doing to combat the ills of the world and the ills within myself? In my roles as a teacher, neighbor, and mother am I impacting lives for the better? When I look at the challenges ahead of me, I do feel like I am girding up for a fight. It's going to be tough and I am going to experience resistance from both within and without.
But Michaelmas is the time to remember that I am never alone. I have mighty helpers, both seen and unseen. They stand ready to assist. In years past, I felt as though I was the allegorical Michael and that I was off to slay my dragon. But this year, I am struck by the reminder that it is not my fight alone, but the fight of all mankind. It seems like terrible arrogance to cast myself as the mighty archangel who wins the battle. That is not my role. I will not see evil vanquished at my hand. But it will be vanquished. I just have to persevere in my little corner of the battlefield and help will come.
Here's how we lived out that promise in our home this year:
1. We spent all day Wednesday preparing. The kids helped me clean the house and then decorate instead of doing schoolwork. We got our weaponry and armor from the attic then drew dragon pictures to hang on the wall. I made a banner; I wish it could have been red but someone gave us a huge pile of blue construction paper and I didn't want it to go to waste.
2. Then we went to pick apples. And raspberries. And we ate donuts with cider. We got two huge buckets of apples, far more than we would need for the feast. There is still a lot of apple-processing in our future. We spent all afternoon at the orchard and barely made it home in time for dinner.
3. Even though it wasn't on their "must do" list, the kids reminded me the night before about our "traditional Michaelmas breakfast" (Soren's words) of donuts and apple cider. So, in spite of the fact that we had just had donuts and cider at the orchard, I went and bought more at the store. And it was a good thing, too, since Scott didn't come to the orchard with us. It was only fair, then, that he enjoyed them most of all on Michaelmas morning.
4. I told the dragon bread story, which Carl remembered very well. He wasn't bored, though. He seemed to be aglow with the familiar ritual and was very excited to share it with Maddy. When the dough came together, I cut it into pieces, one for each of us to knead. We sang songs and then passed our piece at the end of each song, to make sure that each one had a chance to pass through my hands and get properly kneaded.
5. We went to the Oakdale Nature Preserve for an outing and brought all our battle gear. The kids practiced a skit to perform after dinner, which quickly devolved into their own mock battles. Sven got a bloody nose when Carl whacked him with a boffer sword and Leif got stung by a bee who wanted to share his apple.
6. After the nature preserve, we came home to work on our lovely bread. The kids shaped them into dragons, all of which looked suspiciously like my go-to shape. I will have to be creative next year and shape my dragon differently.
7. After lunch, I set the kids to processing apples. I realized this year that the kids spend most of their time on Michaelmas working. Hard. But they love it! Maddy got the magical apple processor from her house and the kids took turns using it, making apples for sauce, pie, stuffing, and syrup. Meanwhile, I did all the baking in the kitchen. It was Thursday (missionary night), so I made all the usuals plus gluten-free bread and gluten-free crisp for Sister Peterson.
8. The feast was so good. We used our new tablecloth for the first time.
9. After dinner, Rachel, Ash, and Maddy came to have dessert and the kids did their skit. Carl was the dragon and he was very dramatic. His storytelling abilities could transfer well to the stage. Soren was a knight and he lost to the dragon. My favorite part was when he said "You burninated my shield!" Maddy was the princess, who goes on a long and dangerous quest to find a champion that would defeat the dragon. Sven was the champion and he cried and cried while Maddy took an extra long time to "find" him. He was eager to fight--and then, suddenly, not so eager. He thought Carl was scary. But with encouragement from the crowd, he landed a blow and Carl (like a good sport) fell down dead. Not too dead, though. He got up and ran away, saying that he had only "retreated".
10. Before bed, Rachel read Saint George and the Dragon to the kids. The perfect ending to a busy day.
I asked the boys in family council on Sunday which traditions were most important to them, so we could be sure to meet their expectations. Thankfully, no one said "presents!" So there weren't any. The traditions that were mentioned were:
1. checking out dragon books from the library
2. decorating the house
3. making dragon bread
4. sharing the scripture story in Family Home Evening
We did those things so--hooray! Expectations met.
I have my own personal expectations, of course. I like to tell my Kindergarten story of St. Michael and the star children. I like to sing songs about spiritual warfare. And I always hope there will be time for introspection, for goal-setting, and maybe even for revelation.
In that spirit: I have been thinking a lot recently about the contribution I am making to the good fight. What am I doing to combat the ills of the world and the ills within myself? In my roles as a teacher, neighbor, and mother am I impacting lives for the better? When I look at the challenges ahead of me, I do feel like I am girding up for a fight. It's going to be tough and I am going to experience resistance from both within and without.
But Michaelmas is the time to remember that I am never alone. I have mighty helpers, both seen and unseen. They stand ready to assist. In years past, I felt as though I was the allegorical Michael and that I was off to slay my dragon. But this year, I am struck by the reminder that it is not my fight alone, but the fight of all mankind. It seems like terrible arrogance to cast myself as the mighty archangel who wins the battle. That is not my role. I will not see evil vanquished at my hand. But it will be vanquished. I just have to persevere in my little corner of the battlefield and help will come.
Here's how we lived out that promise in our home this year:1. We spent all day Wednesday preparing. The kids helped me clean the house and then decorate instead of doing schoolwork. We got our weaponry and armor from the attic then drew dragon pictures to hang on the wall. I made a banner; I wish it could have been red but someone gave us a huge pile of blue construction paper and I didn't want it to go to waste.
2. Then we went to pick apples. And raspberries. And we ate donuts with cider. We got two huge buckets of apples, far more than we would need for the feast. There is still a lot of apple-processing in our future. We spent all afternoon at the orchard and barely made it home in time for dinner.
3. Even though it wasn't on their "must do" list, the kids reminded me the night before about our "traditional Michaelmas breakfast" (Soren's words) of donuts and apple cider. So, in spite of the fact that we had just had donuts and cider at the orchard, I went and bought more at the store. And it was a good thing, too, since Scott didn't come to the orchard with us. It was only fair, then, that he enjoyed them most of all on Michaelmas morning.4. I told the dragon bread story, which Carl remembered very well. He wasn't bored, though. He seemed to be aglow with the familiar ritual and was very excited to share it with Maddy. When the dough came together, I cut it into pieces, one for each of us to knead. We sang songs and then passed our piece at the end of each song, to make sure that each one had a chance to pass through my hands and get properly kneaded.
5. We went to the Oakdale Nature Preserve for an outing and brought all our battle gear. The kids practiced a skit to perform after dinner, which quickly devolved into their own mock battles. Sven got a bloody nose when Carl whacked him with a boffer sword and Leif got stung by a bee who wanted to share his apple.
6. After the nature preserve, we came home to work on our lovely bread. The kids shaped them into dragons, all of which looked suspiciously like my go-to shape. I will have to be creative next year and shape my dragon differently.
7. After lunch, I set the kids to processing apples. I realized this year that the kids spend most of their time on Michaelmas working. Hard. But they love it! Maddy got the magical apple processor from her house and the kids took turns using it, making apples for sauce, pie, stuffing, and syrup. Meanwhile, I did all the baking in the kitchen. It was Thursday (missionary night), so I made all the usuals plus gluten-free bread and gluten-free crisp for Sister Peterson.
8. The feast was so good. We used our new tablecloth for the first time.
10. Before bed, Rachel read Saint George and the Dragon to the kids. The perfect ending to a busy day.
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