For our Little Flowers Girls’ Club meeting last week was discussed obedience, the Ten Commandments, watched The Prince of Egypt (cartoon version), and did a fun craft. The girls made Easter wreaths. They were really simple and the girls seemed to enjoy making them and adored the way they turned out. So I figured this was one I should definitely share. If you do have any questions feel free to post in the comments, loves. Read more
As many of you know I sent the Elf on the Shelf packing last year. My reasons were many, click here to read more. Though, I must admit, it did feel like something was missing last year. I missed the added enthusiasm the children displayed; their eager eyes every morning, and that extra dose of magic that added to the already exciting anticipation of the birth of our King. I wanted a tradition that centered on the true meaning of Christmas. I really despised the whole idea of; if you are good you will get something…um, hello, what about the overflowing joy that fills your heart when you give? I want to be able to ask my children, how are you coming along on your Christmas list? And their response to be something along the lines of, good, I just have Nana and daddy’s gifts left to buy, not, I have narrowed it down to 12 things I want! I figured there was nothing like that out there and then I happened upon a kit in the clearance section of the local Family Christian Bookstore, The Christmas Angel kit.
The kit came with a book, toy stuffed angel, golden dust, and tin for storage. Book & stuffed animal combo sound familiar? The basic idea is that the Christmas Angel comes in the evening when the children sleep and writes a message, an act of kindness to complete, in the golden dust (glitter that is spread in the bottom of the tin).Hmmm….I was totally skeptical!
I stood there in the clearance section for a lengthy amount of time having a conversation with myself. (I am really hoping I am not the only one who does this…always keeping it real, no matter how embarrassing).
I asked myself the following questions:
If I purchase this am I simply replacing one ridiculous tradition with another? Will this tradition encourage a selfless Christmas or foster selfishness? Is it about the receiving or the giving? Is this tradition practical, will we be taking on too much during an already very busy season?
My responses to my own questions (I know, I am a total dork):
If I purchase the Christmas Angel kit I will have more flexibility and control over the tradition since I would be the one writing the messages, the acts of kindness, in the gold dust. I could also alter the messages if need be, if we do not have time to complete an act of kindness one day I could instead leave a message expressing affirmation for a random act of kindness a child facilitated the day before (it is so important we acknowledge and praise a child when they do good, far too often we only focus on punishing them when they do something bad). This tradition would definitely be focusing on the giving, making someone else’s day brighter, and fostering a selfless Christmas. Conclusion, this new tradition would not be ridiculous, this tradition would fill our hearts with the joy of giving, and this new tradition would center on something real, the Christmas Angel.
So I bought it!! And the day after Thanksgiving we read the book and I introduced the children to our new tradition!
How was it received by the children?
The children were beyond elated. We read the book and all three of them, including our 10 year old, were enthralled. They even decided on a schedule of who shall sleep with the stuffed angel each night. Then they made a special request before they went to bed, they asked if they could write the angel a thank you note in the golden dust, it melted my heart to hear them request such a beautiful thing. Thus began their communication with the Christmas Angel.
CLICK HERE to purchase your own Christmas Angel Kit and checkout some fun activities!
Need some acts of kindness ideas:
Examples of what we will be doing include, make an invitation inviting our neighbor to dinner, donate toys & books, decorate cookies at a nursing home, sing carols with friends, let a sibling go first, help mom without being asked, take stuffed animals to the children’s hospital, make a thank you note & treat for local firefighter and police, thank your guardian angel, etc. Keep it as simple as possible; remember this is supposed to add to your joy not take away from it. And don’t forget to entwine some messages of affirmation and praise for those random acts of kindness you children do.
What are some acts of kindness you do as a family during Christmas? What traditions do you have during this joyous time of year? Please share.
I am overwhelmed with joy & gratitude. We had such a remarkable day yesterday meeting the Cat Chat family, breaking bread with them, and enjoying their concert. You are probably thinking, what is Cat Chat, I know I was a few months ago when a close friend excitedly expressed that they were bringing Cat Chat to Toledo, more specifically our parish!
Cat Chat is a Catholic variety show for kids (and totally fun for kids at heart too!) composed of one very talented family of 7 & their cat Moses. Gerald & Denise Montpetit and their 5 awesome, adorable, kind, sweet, and did I mention talented children make up the Cat Chat show. They sing songs that have such strong messages but with an awesome get up and dance kind of beat. Songs about Jesus, the Sacraments, doing what’s right, not easy, etc. Catholic religious education has never been this much fun!
Let’s be honest, there are quite a few Christian based programs, shows, DVDs, CDs, etc. out there for children but hardly any Catholic based engaging, fun, programs for kids. There was definitely a need and I am so thankful that the Montpetit family saw the need, made the necessary sacrifices, followed their faith, and is sharing their talents while spreading the Catholic teachings. And boy do they put on a show!
As children entered the concert they received a paw stamp…look who received that special job of stamping hands! (fyi-that’s my son 😉 )
Let the show begin!
There were tricks, jokes, singing, dancing, unicycling, juggling, etc.
Hope for the future, our children’s future was restored within me when I witnessed the children’s faces beaming with excitement when singing and dancing to songs about our faith. The Holy Spirit was definitely present!
We were sad to see it end.
We reflected on the concert on the way home and the conversations that evolved were outstanding! We all agreed that the Montpetit children make great role models. We really admired their musical talents and a discussion about perseverance followed, and having to practice an instrument even when tempted by other pastimes, specifically screen time. And thanks to Cat Chat unicycling has now been put on my son’s radar, unicycleing! Who knew!?!
I am officially hooked! I am a FAN of the Cat Chat! Why? Well, from a parents perspective I like the fact that I can pop in the Cat Chat CD, the kiddos inevitably get the lyrics stuck in their heads, and a continuous loop of positive, encouraging, life affirming lessons can replay over & over again….it’s nourishment for the soul! Likewise, the DVDs can offer me a moment of reprieve and I don’t have to worry about the impact it will have on the kiddos because I now it will be filled with positive lessons. I am also quite excited for their VBS program. There are tons of Christian based VBS programs but there is such a NEED for a Catholic VBS.
In conclusion, I would like to send our a HUGE thank you to the Shanks family for bringing Cat Chat not only to our parish but also into our lives! Thank you Shanks Family and Cat Chat for a fun filled family & faith based afternoon!
The other day I found myself in a heated discussion and I slipped up and said a four letter word, and it wasn’t love! To which the other person replied, “What a good Catholic!” It was meant as a jamb, said sarcastically, a way to get a rise out of me. And let me tell you, it worked! I continued to yell in frustration, I can’t even remember what I said but I needed to get the rage out… I was drunk with rage. I was in a bad state. I wasn’t being a good Catholic. Then it got me thinking, what is a good Catholic?
I have a friend who once told me that her mother said she was going to go to Hell because she lived with her boyfriend before they got married. Was that a good Catholic?
Over coffee the other day with some ladies one suggested that all child molesters should be given the death penalty. Is that a good Catholic?
A husband cheats on his wife who he has been married to for 20 years and they work things out, their marriage ends up being better than ever! Is that a bad Catholic?
A young mother has turned to prostitution in order to provide shelter & food for her two young children after her boyfriend ran out. Is she a bad Catholic?
So where am I going with this? The one, of many, beautiful & comforting aspect of Catholicism is the fact that I do not have to pass judgment! Thank you God! Talk about a relief! There is no way I could live with that kind of pressure, that kind of burden, day in and day out.
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29
I am so thankful that my job is to love and pray for ALL souls, sinners & saints! And speaking of sinners, guess who has two thumbs and is a sinner, this girl!!
Yep, I am a sinner. Does that make me a bad Catholic? Jesus’s was crucified so that EVERYONE’S sins could be forgiven. He wasn’t crucified so that only some people’s sins would be forgiven. But there is a bit of a catch. See, you can’t just say, I accept Jesus as my savior and be done. There is this miraculous thing called confession. I tell ya, it is like a day at the Spa for the soul, it feels phenomenal! Nothing compares to acknowledging your sins, repenting, asking forgiveness, and receiving God’s grace. But I know I don’t go to confession near enough. Does that make me a bad Catholic?
There is also the Act of Contrition but again, I know I don’t do that near enough either, perhaps I am a bad Catholic?
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Now this is a tricky one. See, it had me thinking about the person who got this whole mess started, the person who made the comment originally, about me not acting like a good Catholic. And what I have realized is that people make their own assumptions. And because I take my children to church on Sunday, because the Eucharist is my main driving force, because I pray the Rosary with my children that somehow makes me out to be someone who judges, is hypocritical, who thinks they are perfect? I am not certain how this assumption came to be but I don’t think I am alone in feeling the repercussions of such assumptions. It does hurt badly when someone says that you think you are perfect and better than someone else especially when you think NOTHING of the sorts. And the hardest part is having to forgive them for they do not know what is in our hearts, but GOD does, God knows our intent and we must find console in that and forgive those who trespass against us.
If you have come in contact with someone who calls themselves a good Catholic, I am sorry, and please pray for them. If you have a friend or family member who is judgmental and Catholic please don’t make an assumption that all Catholics are that way, and again, please pray for them. Catholics are humans, we are flawed, we are far from perfect, we make bad decisions, we are sinners, we are forgivers, we are thankful, we are givers, we are not better than anyone else, we are charitable, we are all equal, we are loving, we are fun (FYI-our festivals include gambling & beer…told ya, not perfect!), we are broken, we are recruiting, you interested?
The conclusion I have drawn after carefully analyzing my own behavior and what Catholicism stands for I realize that there are no good or bad Catholics, just Catholics. God knows we are all a work in progress. He has given us free will, what a magnificent gift yet we do not always make the best choices which are why he sent us his son and why his son was crucified so that our bad decisions & sins could be forgiven. We are all good people but sometimes we make bad decisions.
As we begin with Ash Wednesday and its reminder of repentance, let us resolve to do our best each day, knowing that it is not the destination, but the journey that will ultimately transform us. -Father Barron-
So, on our Lenten journey this year we are trying something a little different for Lent. We are merging two traditions, the Lenten Alms Jar & the Kindness Jar (Jelly bean Jar). I still feel strongly about the need for children to have these traditions during Lent. It is in childhood that we learn what Lent is and these activities are the perfect way for a child to comprehend the Lenten journey.
We have a jar that is filled with 40 acts of kindness. Each day during Lent the children will take turns pulling an act from the jar. I really liked the acts that Family at the Foot of the Cross shared. They included, draw a picture of Jesus with your family and hang it on the fridge, help set the table without being asked, read a story with a sibling, say a prayer for the Pope, learn a new bible verse, etc. They all seemed appropriate for the age range of my children (4-9). Click here for a full list of the acts of kindness. However we will not be adding any beans to the jar. Instead we will be adding money to the jar in order to enter into the spirit of saving for alms.
The children have decided to give up pizza that we usually have on pizza & movie nights. I know how much they look forward to it and I know how much I look forward to not cooking. Haha! But that’s okay; maybe they will pull the “help mom cook dinner” act of kindness on movie night.
The older two have also decided to give up the chocolate milk they buy once a week at school in addition to any Tooth Fairy money they might be receiving. And our youngest, our 4 year old has declared that she will be giving up her Valentine’s candy, which just so happens to be down to 1 sucker…a small sacrifices, but a sacrifice no less. And I have decided to give up Starbuck’s. It will be interesting to see how much we save as a result of self-denial. The next step is deciding where we would like to send the alms fund. The children have tossed around a few ideas…Apraxia Support, American Heart Foundation, Church, a student from school whose family lost an infant.
And for our marriage we will be taking up a wholesome activity as a couple and doing the Love Dare, 40 days love journey! My husband’s new job has him traveling a lot. And I am suddenly in a new position myself as the solo parent when he is away. Both our jobs are very demanding, stressful, and draining at time. So it is no surprise that when we do finally see each other we have little left to give the other, if anything at all. Hopefully the Love Dare will help get us back on track.
I am also looking forward to Matthew Kelly’s Best Lent Ever!! BTW, in his first message he say’s don’t give up chocolate and to not do ANYTHING you have done before for Lent, which is precisely what we are doing!! Click here to sign up for your best Lent Ever.
Here is to a magnificent Lenten journey!! God Bless
What are you doing for Lent? What have you done in the past that worked our well? Have you ever done the Love Dare?
I was elated when I received an email offering me the opportunity to review the book, A Faith of Their Own: An Experience Guide for Parents & Preteens. Why? Because this book isn’t like all the other books, this book is one that is engaging, interactive, and encourages dialog about our faith. It is an experience guide for parents and preteens. So, what did I think? Did it meet, or even exceed my expectations? Here is my review of our travels through the experience guide, A Faith of Their Own.
My first observation was that the guide was organized nicely and user-friendly. The experience guide is broken into 52 experiences, one for each week of the year. Each experience is then further broken down into five sections,
But before you delve into the guide there are two quick words, one to parents and one to preteens. Each truly captures where most preteens and parents are this day and age and they speak truth in a none-confrontational, compassionate way. They are honest and upfront about the fact that…”If you want your son or daughter to take seriously what’s in the pages that follow, you’ll need to actually pray and read scripture-not just for them but also for you. If those are new habits, take a step of courage and boldly try them on for size. Even if you feel awkward…you can expose your preteen to how following God is a growth curve for everyone, even you.” Thus, this guide not only encourages preteens to grow in their faith but also many parents who may have gotten lost somewhere along the way. It should also be noted that the language, context, and experiences in the guide are appropriate for parents who have been journeying with faith all their life or those who are just beginning their journey. There are no perquisites required in order to understand and enjoy this experience guide which is very refreshing.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
(2 Timothy 3:14-15)
Another aspect of the guide I found to be quite refreshing and appreciative was the preparation notes at the beginning of each experience. There is nothing worse than getting your child, especially a hormonal and emotional pre-adolescent excited about their faith and eager to participate only to find that you don’t have all the necessary supplies to complete the experience/activity. The required supplies are written out clearly so that you can plan a week or even weeks in advance, ensuring you will have the necessary items when the time comes. This leads to another very important aspect that makes this guide appealing, variety. They say variety is the spice of life and this guide is a spice rack. The experiences are fun, each is so different from the last, and there is literally no room for boring. One experience had us baking a cake, another had us going through the trash (this one was a little off putting for my daughter so we altered it slightly, you can definitely tell some of these activities came from dads, haha!), watching a movie, playing a video game, while yet another had us making greeting cards, I don’t want to spoil the fun (52 totally engaging experiences… and if you don’t happen to have various supplies on hand there are substitute recommendations). I even found myself becoming excited for the next experience. And the best part, all five sections come together to provide a cohesive educational experience and growth in faith.
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
(Mark 10:13-16 )
Chris Folmsbee and Tony Myles do a phenomenal job relating the prayer, scripture, and experiences/activities in order to have debriefing that really brings home the purpose and focus of that week. This guide takes the guess work out of ways to engage preteens in their faith. It is literally written out for you, all the hard work has been done. Talk about an answer to prayers! All you need to do is invest the time, oh, and get the book.
In conclusion, A Faith of Their Own: An Experience Guide for Parents & Preteens not only provides encouragement to preteens on their path of faith but can also help jumpstart or redirect parents’ journeys as well. This guide is such an exceptional way to get children excited about their faith and better comprehend what is often otherwise lost in preteen translation.
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of A Faith of Their Own to review as a Beacon Hill Press Blogger. All opinions are my own.
Be honest, did the title of this post just totally blow your mind? I mean based upon all the fairytales I’ve read marriage is about living happily ever after. And happily ever after shouldn’t be hard or difficult, it should be natural and easy, right!? Wrong!
After church on Sunday the children went on a Resurrection Egg hunt. For those not familiar, Resurrection eggs are a set of 12 plastic Easter Eggs each containing a specific object inside related to the true story of Easter (crown of thorns, dice, chalice, etc.). Each egg has a scripture reading, devotion, and short story that accompany the small item placed inside the egg.
Since they had just listened to the Palm Sunday gospel reading of the Passion and the younger two discussed it more in-depth in Sunday school everything was fresh in their minds. So first I hid the eggs and they each went hunting for the eggs then we read the scripture reading and had the children guess what was inside each egg before they opened it.
It was priceless seeing their excitement before opening each egg. And I was pleasantly surprised how many they guessed correctly.
We officially started a new family tradition, Palm Sunday Resurrection Eggs hunt and discussion to help prepare the children for Holy week. Our daughter even came up with the idea of placing them in our Easter basket to be blessed.
If you are interested in making your own Resurrection Eggs the following sites offer free printables and instructions:
Or purchase your own like I did by Family Life (from Hobby Lobby, 40% off, score!!) and the Family Life website has some great tips, idea, etc. for using the Resurrection eggs.
I have been reading the book, Balancing it All, by Candace Cameron Bure for our playgroup’s book club. It has really brought some topics to light regarding family and what my influence is a parent and wife. It has had me reflecting on ways to redirect my family’s focus and I cannot think of a better time to employ positive change than during Lent.
Coming to the conclusion that I have been slacking as a mom was not easy to admit. Slacking how? Well, structure for one. 2014 has not started off well. With all the snow days and the uncertainty of what the week holds I have become too flexible, too lenient, and structure has fallen by the wayside. I have fallen into a horrible pattern of just doing things myself. Landry, dishes, cleaning rooms, emptying trash, etc. to the point of exhaustion. I had never worked so hard and yet, I was being a lazy mom. I haven’t been nurturing in the evening, I raise my voice more often than I would like to admit, and I have not been doing the things I enjoy doing with the children, like reading stories and saying the Rosary in the evening.Thus I have come to the conclusion that the following need to be implemented in order for our family to redirect our focus on what is truly important, growing together in faith.
I have narrowed it down to 3 main areas in our lives that distract us away from God and God’s plan for family: Stress, Screens, and Materialism.
1) Start our Mornings off right. Instead of the kids having breakfast alone while my husband showers and gets ready for work and I run around like a chicken with its head cut off in search of pants, clean underwear, homework, etc. Everyone will be responsible (with a little guidance from mom) for their own clothes, book bags, etc. the night before and we have breakfast together. The family table need not be limited to dinner. Why not start the day off together. Over breakfast I will be reading LENT FOR CHILDREN, A Thought a Day, by Family Feast and Feria. My hope is to then have a short discussion and end with a prayer.
2) Be accountable for Screen Time. We currently have four televisions in our home and a laptop. The television in the living room has the Wii, Netflix, and cable. The television in the basement is hooked up to a DVD for viewing movies. And the laptop has educational websites and games the children enjoy. Just the other day I realized that between video games, Netflix shows, educational websites, and girls watching a movie that we were each entertained by a screen for 5 hours straight!! It is embarrassing to have to admit but owning it is the first step. We will be eliminating cable. But let’s be honest, that isn’t the main culprit. Netflix, though amazing as it is, is very addicting. I mean who doesn’t long to know what happens in the next episode? You definitely need to have self control when it comes to Netflix. But sometimes that willpower doesn’t kick in naturally so, in order to limit screen time I have purchased a kitchen timer for each of the children and we will be implementing the 2 hours or less screen time chart. Each week the children will receive the chart and they will be held accountable for their daily screen time.
3) Stop being a slave to the stuff! I spend way too much time assisting the children with cleanup of their rooms and family room. I would rather be spending that time doing something fun with them/as a family. The problem is they simply have way to much stuff. More stuff than their little minds can process. No child needs 30 Barbie’s; in fact the most they could play with at one time is 2, maybe 3. They also have an exorbitant amount of books, some are even duplicated. What we don’t have is adequate storage or space for all the stuff. Thus the stuff has got to go! I would love to sell tickets for $25 to enter my house and take what you can carry then use the funds for a family vacation. Unfortunately the hubby wasn’t to keen on a bunch of strangers perusing through our home so the next option, downsize. All nicer items will be sold to a secondhand store (children could use that money for their rice bowls), other items will be donated, and some have simply seen better days. I also like the fact that through this process the children can learn what is truly important and it isn’t the stuff, it is the people, their relationships, and most importantly their relationship with God. It is hard to have a relationships with God when you are surrounded by so many distractions a.k.a. Legos, Barbie’s, Power Rangers, cars, princess, etc. would love to do what this mother did, and who knows once I get started we still might…Why I took My Kids Toys Away.
I will also be incorporating the activities on this site, 40 Ideas for 40 Days.
Does your family have Lenten practices? How do you redirect your focus during Lent? Please share.
2014 is a very exciting year in our household and more specifically in our 2nd grader’s life. She will be receiving her first Holy Communion in the Spring. Why is the First Holy Communion so sacred? As she expressed, “it is the most special gift in the world, Jesus will be entering my heart”.
I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him. As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me. This is the bread that came down from heaven; not like the bread that your ancestors ate; they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:48-58).
In preparation for the BIG day her Godmother offered to purchase her dress and veil. Which is a huge gift in itself but what was even better was the experience of going shopping for the gown and veil. I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit when my mother, sister (her Godmother), my daughter, and I spent the day together. The only thing that could have added to the experience was if my grandmother was with us. To have 4 generations together would have been amazing but I find comfort in knowing that she was with us in spirit.
Her eyes lit up when she walked into the fitting room and put on the first dress. Meanwhile my eyes started to tear up a little. It felt like just yesterday I was carefully removing her baptismal gown and now here I was helping her try on First Communion dresses. Where does the time go?
She has been preparing for this day for quite some time. She attends her catechism classes, Mass on Sundays, and the occasional daily Mass, we discuss the virtues and Saints in our Little Flower Girls’ Club but beyond that she has had an interest in the bible, the life of Jesus, and longing to grow closer to God. Which, if I am being 100% honest I have my mother to thank, and her mother, and all the past mothers in our lineage who have made faith a priority. It seems like with each generation the secular world has grown and infiltrated the home and family more and more. The invention of the telephone, television, computer, cell phones, iPads, etc. has brought on new challenges for families and at times temptations. Each generation has had to learn the importance of moderation and work though temptation. And my generation is no exception.
It was such a magical day. I wish every mother could experience what I did that day.
I know there are many people out there looking for something but they don’t know what it is…something to fill their hearts with joy. And they think they will find it in a fulfilling job, in a fun hobby, maybe in the way other’s make them feel, but they wont. That joy, that security, that peace, is found in faith. If it feels like their is something missing in your life look to your faith. Stop making excuses.
Note to busy parents,
I understand it is difficult to get to church, trust me I understand. You have had a busy week and the last thing you want to do is go to church in the morning. I know how much work it is because I do it. I get my kiddos ready, park the car, trail through the snow in freezing cold temperatures, drop off the younger 2 at the Good Shepherds program, head back out into the cold over to the church, and then attend Mass with my 2nd grader. I do all that solo at least 52 times a year (not counting other days of obligation) And there are some mornings when I am literally in tears because I know that I have to be the one in charge again, I have to get everyone going again, morning 7! And I am tired, cold, and worn but once I get to church and hear God’s words, words that seem to have been spoken/ written specifically for me, my life, my current struggle, I am refreshed and ready for a new week. It is the getting there that the devil tempts me. He tempts me by focusing my attention on what isn’t important, what others are doing with their time. Why should I have to go to church when others are not? I worked hard all week too, why should they relax when I have to keep going? Then I am reminded of all Jesus gave for me. The fact that God has entrusted me with 3 little souls to nurture and guide, that isn’t something to be taken lightly. I don’t go to church for me. I don’t go to church for my children. I go to church because I do everything I do for the glory of the one who made me (totally a line from the Steven Curtis Chapman song) and he knows what’s best for me and my family and that means going to church.
Parents, making certain your child has a relationship with God has never been more difficult and yet more necessary than now. Please make the effort. You are stronger than you know.
Do you find it difficult to make it to church? What is holding you back? Or do you go religiously (no pun intended) and if so what motivates you?
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 