Blessed Mary

Introducing...

"Blessed Mary"

She is no longer to be called Sophia, and our hooded towels are no longer just for baths.  ALL day EVERY day, "Blessed Mary" resides in our home.  She kneels to pray when angels come to speak to her in a dream.  She pulls a "donkey" (anything with a string) through the house.  She holds her stomach with one hand, stretches out the other arm dramatically and announces, "I think tonight's the night." 

She goes into our bathroom, closes the door, and wants us to knock on the door pretending to be angels coming to tell her that a baby is coming.

When I sneak away from the playing, it doesn't take long before I hear her little voice asking, "Mom, is it time to go to Bethlehem?"

All other toys have been cast aside for nativity scenes.  In full "Blessed Mary" costume, she recreates the story of Jesus' birth over and over.  We never know just how we are going to find our nativity set, but we know that it is far from a decoration.  And the Playmobil set purchased as a start of advent gift last year?  Priceless.

Our shepherds work hard at protecting their sheep from "the mean lions".

When the word "journey" was in a book that we were reading yesterday, she informed me that, "A journey is a long donkey ride."

And the part of Joseph has lovingly been given to Claire.  She has no clue why she must walk around with a hooded towel on her head all day, but she thinks it is pretty funny.  Sometimes she gets to double as baby Jesus.  We find her in various "mangers" covered with blankets.

Thanks to this AWESOME Christmas DVD, lots of great picture books, and just the sheer amazing nature of the nativity story, Sophia Blessed Mary has reached obsession level with all things Bethlehem. The North Pole is cool and all, but it doesn't hold a candle to Bethlehem. 

(Don't you love Claire's Joseph's giant bruise and scratch across her nose just in time for Christmas? Bethlehem can be a rough place.)