Ten Thoughts on Beginnings

With the end of Ordinary Time and the beginning of Advent on Sunday I am thinking a good bit about beginnings and endings and their intersection. I used to think that beginnings and ending happened rarely but I starting to see that actually they are all around us if we only notice them. Here are just a few of the place where I have seen them in the last few days:

  • Su moves into her own room- the signal given is one of growing up, needing and being old enough to manage her own space. The ending of toddler-hood and the beginning of being a “big girl” or at least a bigger little girl.
  • W moves into the bottom bunk- no bed rail, no crib, a real “big boy” bed with correctly sized blankets and plenty of room for a large collection of stuffed critters. He loves it so much he lies in bed for an hour or so and sings at the top of his lungs before he falls asleep at night. The top of his lungs is very loud! Still a toddler in many ways but moving beds is a big step towards being a preschooler.
  • F reads all the time. I handed him his reader for second grade (which we’ll start in a couple of weeks) and Carolyn Haywood’s B is for Betsy the other day and he just read them! He reads to himself and he reads to the other children. We still read to him, but he is pushing deeper and deeper into harder books and mostly wants us to read the things he can’t read yet. The beginning of literacy and the end of depending on us as his sole source of information.
  • Pulling up the last of the plants in the garden yesterday and covering the back windows with plastic. It may still be quite warm, but winter is coming and we can feel it.
  • Making a run to Sam’s Club mostly for baking supplies- the beginning of the celebratory season, marked by baking and giving. I’m looking forward to the children being able to really participate this year.
  • Su finishing the first Unit of First Grade. She is beginning the transition from pre-literate to literate and it is so exciting to watch her mind open.
  • W’s days as a non-talker have really ended. He talked later than the others so we were mildly concerned, but now he is putting together sentences and phrases and adding new vocabulary rapidly. Yet another chatterer in the family!
  • Beginning the choir practices for Epiphany Lessons and Carols at our church. Every year we learn several new pieces for a special service during Epiphany (from January 6, Three Kings Day, to Ash Wednesday). This year the pieces are beautiful, old music (mostly 15th and 16th century) and tricky to sing so I’m enjoying the challenge.
  • Beginning a new year of scripture reading with the Daily Common Lectionary. Since I use a two year cycle I’ve read all these readings before but they often still read as fresh and new. I’m excited to notice new things and remember some old favorites.
  • During Christmas we’ll celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary and embark on our 7th year of marriage! Six years?! They went by so fast! I’ve already lined up a baby-sitter and am looking forward to the day.
  • Top Ten {Tuesday}

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    2 Responses to Ten Thoughts on Beginnings

    1. Kendra says:

      When is Lessons and Carols? There is the vaguest of vague chances we might be around, though we’re not even sure yet if we’re going to make it to VA for Christmas in the first place. I’d love to experience it sometime though. And really wanting to walk through Advent, although it’s a new concept in my world. 🙂

    2. K_Steinmann says:

      Our Lessons and Carols is for Epiphany so it will be on Sunday evening January 8th. We’d love to see you.

      K

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