tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58548747991370048582024-02-20T15:10:45.943-05:00Lost in the Laundry PileCherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.comBlogger814125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-12837017621041615752018-12-01T22:45:00.000-05:002018-12-01T23:02:31.272-05:00First Communion ResourcesChild number 9 is currently preparing for First Communion. Over the years, we have tweaked what we have used with the kids a bit here and there but the one constant that has remained is that we never rely on the parish materials to provide real preparation. Some of our parishes have provided ok resources but most have been very lacking. Our current parish sadly falls pretty squarely into the very much lacking end of the spectrum.<br />
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This year we are using a variety of resources at home including read alouds, audio stories, DVD's, and hand-on materials.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxsOshzYAVG3SzCHgBKjEyAOVlYoeQH4GT2DLDSwj9PmyZtJYEIO4R5-Nv4JsXgD1GotRyYM3u_yQqqHpuAwiyZwAYUcPq1Qje9EwhlowRu8XRz-PjSUa_Z31OHStbJjBUajToMZ7QN_Wk/s1600/baltcat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="710" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxsOshzYAVG3SzCHgBKjEyAOVlYoeQH4GT2DLDSwj9PmyZtJYEIO4R5-Nv4JsXgD1GotRyYM3u_yQqqHpuAwiyZwAYUcPq1Qje9EwhlowRu8XRz-PjSUa_Z31OHStbJjBUajToMZ7QN_Wk/s320/baltcat.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
The backbone of of our religious ed at home for this age is the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Joseph-First-Communion-Catechism/dp/0899422403/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1543721698&sr=8-7&keywords=saint+joseph+baltimore+catechism">St. Joseph First Communion Catechism (No. 0)</a>. Yes, this is the good old fashioned Baltimore Catechism with all the wonderful pictures and explanations. I don't focus on memorization at this age but rather on becoming familiar with the answers and a basic understanding of what they mean. We also use the <a href="https://www.chcweb.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1_164&products_id=317">2nd grade Faith and Life</a> books.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFYoI3Z3D0Trfms3k8NNKYw6EBi_gpowOQmlxgkAJf7WU161M_8s4qcuHcfOIWupn9-1hyphenhyphen9skUpHiiuUyGJuYbrDVyeRK-pDGd83zhhhBK1RoR2UgkMcPt0N7j6gO-TErMpEL-42o3uMc/s1600/kingofthegoldencity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFYoI3Z3D0Trfms3k8NNKYw6EBi_gpowOQmlxgkAJf7WU161M_8s4qcuHcfOIWupn9-1hyphenhyphen9skUpHiiuUyGJuYbrDVyeRK-pDGd83zhhhBK1RoR2UgkMcPt0N7j6gO-TErMpEL-42o3uMc/s1600/kingofthegoldencity.jpg" /></a></div>
For read alouds we are using <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Weight-Mass-Tale-Faith/dp/0940112108/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543721326&sr=8-1&keywords=the+weight+of+the+mass">The Weight of the Mass</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Patron-Saint-First-Communicants-Lambertini/dp/089555416X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543721364&sr=8-1&keywords=patron+saint+of+first+communicants">Patron Saint of First Communicants: the Story of Blessed Imelda Lambertini</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/St-Patricks-Summer-Childrens-Adventure/dp/192883292X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543721458&sr=8-1&keywords=saint+patrick%27s+summer">St. Patrick's Summer</a>,<a href="https://www.chcweb.com/catalog/ByGradeLevel/SecondGrade/TheKingoftheGoldenCityAnAllegoryforChildren/product_info.html">King of the Golden City,</a> and a short story about St. Tarcisius which can be found in the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stories-First-Communicants-Sister-Notre/dp/1930873891/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1543721615&sr=8-2&keywords=true+stories+for+first+communicants">True Stories for First Communicants</a>. I have also found an audio version of the story on LibriVox.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mYTGaDlduAQtbCUNlDoAqL7aCANm9bhbyyKp7OCQrVyPZfPcE0v7KHgNHvcw5QBqeqjiEbqyvQoiNYeWkmxbKnKJKxxwOnRKmaI4gQSnqbHGVOi9EtlCFCa5rDhyziOIVdIf9Jft5eJV/s1600/stpatrickssummer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mYTGaDlduAQtbCUNlDoAqL7aCANm9bhbyyKp7OCQrVyPZfPcE0v7KHgNHvcw5QBqeqjiEbqyvQoiNYeWkmxbKnKJKxxwOnRKmaI4gQSnqbHGVOi9EtlCFCa5rDhyziOIVdIf9Jft5eJV/s320/stpatrickssummer.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
We use several resources from <a href="http://holyheroes.com/">Holy Heroes</a>. Their DVDs on <a href="https://www.holyheroes.com/Inside-the-Sacraments-The-Holy-Mass-VIDEO-DVD-p/its-dvd-02.htm">The Holy Mass</a> and <a href="https://www.holyheroes.com/Inside-the-Sacraments-Holy-Eucharist-VIDEO-DVD-p/its-dvd-01.htm">The Eucharist </a>achieve the goal of explaining concepts to children and keeping their interest WITHOUT talking down to them. <a href="https://www.holyheroes.com/Altar-Gang-CD-vol-3-p/agcd3.htm">The Altar Gang audio CD volume 3</a> is all about First Communion and great to listen to in the car or during quiet time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyVKdBO6hG0yUZc6utAVrwaVcsHvC-kfEWTlTjNqWzO-b7JLo-klrqfS0P3c9H6cSLzmpV2fVeQVepHODSCvqbsYtBR5yEXZTA1W-FCM_oHIX1V9_a_Y4JVBkh7ix6KmujqsSag_nA7K6/s1600/altargang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="323" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyVKdBO6hG0yUZc6utAVrwaVcsHvC-kfEWTlTjNqWzO-b7JLo-klrqfS0P3c9H6cSLzmpV2fVeQVepHODSCvqbsYtBR5yEXZTA1W-FCM_oHIX1V9_a_Y4JVBkh7ix6KmujqsSag_nA7K6/s320/altargang.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
One of my favorite resources for combining solid teaching with hands-on projects is the <a href="https://www.chcweb.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=8_207&products_id=4005">Preparing to Receive Jesus</a> program by Catholic Heritage Curricula. This program teaches through a combination of stories and hands-on projects. The stories included in the program are older traditional stories that I love sharing with the children. This program also has us making sacrifice beads, a personalized Mass book, and learning about the various sacred vessels used in the Mass.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxoaudxYyCMK7juQ0IGwXc6CIX4RUEVBu-QG4Z16vCHJvVgFcNLNn-PkW8W6Cl5sRfyvrRAd1TZkjIQSI3xRDUjQrtIqmPCOhNXAXNuECgacZOhqyOE4xBz1EhzOLHBIhHZjRxP1C8FSki/s1600/preparingtoreceivejesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="396" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxoaudxYyCMK7juQ0IGwXc6CIX4RUEVBu-QG4Z16vCHJvVgFcNLNn-PkW8W6Cl5sRfyvrRAd1TZkjIQSI3xRDUjQrtIqmPCOhNXAXNuECgacZOhqyOE4xBz1EhzOLHBIhHZjRxP1C8FSki/s320/preparingtoreceivejesus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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With every child, I purchase a banner kit from <a href="http://www.illuminatedink.com/products/2/1/">Illuminated Ink</a>. Not only do these kits help me avoid having to collect all of the materials and creative juices for a banner, they also include in depth explanations of the symbolism behind all of the items included in the banner.<br />
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With some of our older kids, we made lapbooks from <a href="http://holylearning.net/">Holy Learning</a>. These wonderful resources allow you to customize your project for each child so you can easily work with younger and older kids at the same time.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-69470519742340801852018-11-27T01:19:00.000-05:002018-11-27T01:19:16.911-05:00Advent Read AloudsFor several years now, I have intended to collect enough Advent books to read one book aloud each evening as a family. But I have always managed to put off collecting the books long enough that I was never able to make it happen. This year, I have actually managed to get the books together in time to make this happen. I won't mention how many of these books have sat on our shelves unread for the past several years waiting for me to get my act together.<br />
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So what will we be reading this Advent?<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Miracle-Jonathan-Toomey/dp/0763678228/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543299288&sr=8-1&keywords=the+christmas+miracle+of+jonathan+toomey">The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Living-Nativity-Helen-Haidle/dp/1562925377/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543299258&sr=8-1&keywords=the+living+nativity%2C+haidle">The Living Nativity</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Night-Before-Jesus-Robert-1990-10-06/dp/B01N8Q7LU1/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543299201&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=the+night+before+jesus+by+robert+house">The Night Before Jesus</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Illus-Weisgard-Leonard-Selected-Slaughter/dp/B000QBI9CY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1543299098&sr=8-5&keywords=and+it+came+to+pass">And It Came to Pass</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bethlehem-Revised-Standard-Version-Catholic/dp/1586170325/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543299069&sr=8-1&keywords=bethlehem+by+fiona+french">Bethlehem</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Christmas-Rose-William-Hooks/dp/0060271027/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543299009&sr=8-1&keywords=the+legend+of+the+Christmas+rose">The Legend of the Christmas Rose</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Night-Posadas-Picture-Puffin-Books/dp/0698119010/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298916&sr=8-2&keywords=the+legend+of+the+poinsettia+by+tomie+depaola">The Night of Las Posadas</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Poinsettia-Tomie-dePaola/dp/0698115678/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298916&sr=8-1&keywords=the+legend+of+the+poinsettia+by+tomie+depaola">The Legend of the Poinsettia</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Berenstain-Bears-Joy-Giving/dp/0310712556/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298865&sr=8-1&keywords=the+berenstain+bears+and+the+joy+of+giving">The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/True-Story-Santa-Claus/dp/081987406X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298821&sr=8-3&keywords=the+true+story+of+santa+claus">The True Story of Santa Claus</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Noisy-Village-Picture-Puffin/dp/0140503447/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298779&sr=8-1&keywords=christmas+in+noisy+village">Christmas in Noisy Village</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Friendly-Beasts-English-Christmas-Carol/dp/0698116615/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298734&sr=8-1&keywords=the+friendly+beasts">The Friendly Beasts</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bakers-Dozen-Nicholas-Christmas-Anniversary/dp/1620355035/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298696&sr=8-2&keywords=the+baker%27s+dozen+a+saint+nicholas+tale">The Baker's Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Little-Match-Girl-Christian-Andersen/dp/0698114175/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298661&sr=8-1&keywords=the+little+match+girl">The Little Match Girl</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Special-Place-Santa-Jeanne-Pieper/dp/B000FRRA2E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298620&sr=8-1&keywords=a+special+place+for+santa">A Special Place for Santa</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bambinelli-Sunday-Christmas-Amy-Welborn/dp/1616366494/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298582&sr=8-1&keywords=bambinelli+sunday">Bambinelli Sunday</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lucia-Morning-Sweden-Ewa-Rydaker/dp/1935666657/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298501&sr=8-1&keywords=lucia+morning+in+sweden">Lucia Morning in Sweden</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Year-Perfect-Christmas-Tree-Appalachian/dp/0140558772/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298467&sr=8-1&keywords=the+year+of+the+perfect+christmas+tree">The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crippled-Lamb-Max-Lucado/dp/1400318076/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298432&sr=8-1&keywords=the+crippled+lamb">The Crippled Lamb</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Story-Three-Kings-Tomie-dePaola/dp/0399209980/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298367&sr=8-1&keywords=the+story+of+the+three+wise+kings">The Story of the Three Wise Kings</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Stories-Little-House-Chapter/dp/B013J96ZSE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1543298307&sr=8-5&keywords=A+little+house+chapter+book%3A+christmas+stories">A Little House Chapter Book: Christmas Stories</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Roses-Snow-Saint-Elizabeth-Hungary/dp/0692339361/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543299320&sr=8-1&keywords=roses+in+the+snow">Roses in the Snow</a></li>
</ul>
I have seen many people suggest wrapping up all of the books so that your kids can unwrap one to read each night. If you keep wrapping paper in the house, I can see this being a nice touch. We do our best to avoid wrapping paper so I'm planning to just put all of the books into one bin and pick a book each evening.<br />
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I will probably pick up a few more from the library to add to the pile as time allows and hopefully add to our collection over the next few months so that we have different selections for next year.<br />
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What is on your Advent reading list this year?<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-18706031381035852892018-08-20T22:05:00.004-04:002018-08-20T22:06:00.165-04:00Get Ready 4 Kindergarten Birthday BoxDo you have a preschooler in your house who is just dying to jump into school like the big kids? Or are you just looking for fun and easy projects to do with your preschooler that require zero prep time on your part? The <a href="http://getready4kindergarten.com/">Get Ready 4 Kindergarten Activity Boxes</a> are the answer to either problem.<br />
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These activity boxes are designed to help little ones get ready for kindergarten while providing a guided program for parents that incorporates literature, crafts, games, and more. We received the Birthday Box to review with our 3 toddlers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUX-puyTmOTPkTuLmpxbbcDxEnoetWNDem7T_eh86pb4CaMEX2j5VqqWSh6Aj0RzVZ0WS8wj720sPoSo9FngkA9Fl4Ww3094d5QBKAa7mUs7eKRNlxYfz9UzOfQ99qlmCUwsIUwRk9zWz-/s1600/IMG_0601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUX-puyTmOTPkTuLmpxbbcDxEnoetWNDem7T_eh86pb4CaMEX2j5VqqWSh6Aj0RzVZ0WS8wj720sPoSo9FngkA9Fl4Ww3094d5QBKAa7mUs7eKRNlxYfz9UzOfQ99qlmCUwsIUwRk9zWz-/s320/IMG_0601.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Our box focused on shapes. Included in the box were two craft projects, plastic shape tiles with pictures the child could attempt to copy, an Eric Carle book, and shape related flash cards for the child to match with the designated shapes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-OjF8WeE1m5qrCynHnUt2bH95B8INvmtG5qJiYEmeuuTNBF8eNSjwiMElSn2QklZFNLSH320irpHsUkipkoHb7GRkki6hwTmaIlkEu2fnjdMXlEKLcRf47nGAkqSHSiDSjWwv7dewauZ/s1600/IMG_0602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-OjF8WeE1m5qrCynHnUt2bH95B8INvmtG5qJiYEmeuuTNBF8eNSjwiMElSn2QklZFNLSH320irpHsUkipkoHb7GRkki6hwTmaIlkEu2fnjdMXlEKLcRf47nGAkqSHSiDSjWwv7dewauZ/s320/IMG_0602.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
The plastic shapes and book were the hands down favorites of the kiddos. One of the pictures they were asked to copy was of a caterpillar. We are currently watching a bunch of caterpillars at home and waiting for them to turn into butterflies so this was an instant favorite for Seamus.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip22G_VD5GL37vM24NhxQV1W6x3mM5CpdxuLE4W_V3vA3AIbSPyhRerQnhxsiCT9IAY48so5eio_DKq1hH1Z-_TSAnY8nwgMi9uqJLBuB-bT7MfY089uuQ2oVfLn21nua2Aw2hpdUaGa_8/s1600/IMG_0600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip22G_VD5GL37vM24NhxQV1W6x3mM5CpdxuLE4W_V3vA3AIbSPyhRerQnhxsiCT9IAY48so5eio_DKq1hH1Z-_TSAnY8nwgMi9uqJLBuB-bT7MfY089uuQ2oVfLn21nua2Aw2hpdUaGa_8/s320/IMG_0600.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
The book arrived wrapped like a birthday present. Instant bonus. What kid doesn't like opening presents?<br />
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The craft projects included in the kit were making bird feeders and writing a thank you note. Nothing fancy or out of this world BUT every single item for the projects were included in a single bag per project. No chasing down glue or paper or anything. It is all right there at your finger tips. This is simply wonderful. This means you can open the box and go or hand a project off to an older sibling without worrying about them needing anything.<br />
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Seamus, Charlie, and Kolbe all loved the box and playing with it. I recommend this resource to any parent who is looking for an easy way to add some fun to their school time with their toddlers.<br />
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I received a free activity box in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are my own. No other compensation was received.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-82637947884597028912018-04-08T23:09:00.000-04:002018-04-08T23:09:09.440-04:00Divine Mercy SundayWe decided to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday in style this year. At least in OUR style. And that means crafts and food.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMLx6MqHT3KRxp5m6y-oo6juFeiAFKF0dxEto4WerXx4aRDfTih_41qjbG3iJo6LtuBaoYO75qSkqQMZZ35kM2EnA13pKZqZtXq01R29C63JcGUH5roDUhl0fuVpRHxlYEdgqepTJB1zL/s1600/IMG_8072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMLx6MqHT3KRxp5m6y-oo6juFeiAFKF0dxEto4WerXx4aRDfTih_41qjbG3iJo6LtuBaoYO75qSkqQMZZ35kM2EnA13pKZqZtXq01R29C63JcGUH5roDUhl0fuVpRHxlYEdgqepTJB1zL/s320/IMG_8072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I had other plans. Grand plans. They feel by the wayside and I am completely ok with that.<br />
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This year the younger crew made these Divine Mercy crafts from <a href="http://www.catholicicing.com/divine-mercy-jesus-craft/">CatholicIcing</a>. You can see each kid has their own take on things.<br />
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We made brownie sundaes this year as well. I had intended to read one of our favorite books on the subject with the kids but, alas, I cannot find it. I know it is one the shelves and I know I just saw it and had it in my hands a week or so ago. But today, today I could not find it. So so frustrating. I'm hoping to find it later this week and share it with the kids.<br />
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Tomorrow we will break out the <a href="https://www.holyheroes.com/Mother-Teresa-St-Faustina-CD-p/gscd4.htm">HolyHeroes CD</a> during quiet time. And perhaps send up a few prayers to find that missing book.<br />
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Hope everyone had a wonderful Divine Mercy Sunday!Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-18762414918035231472018-04-08T22:34:00.000-04:002018-04-08T22:34:40.397-04:00CTC MathOne popular math program in homeschooling circles right now is CTC Math. CTC Math is an online program covering grades K-12, from beginning counting all the way through to calculus. We tested it out in our home over the past month.<br />
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The positive aspects of this program are many. This program is online so you can access it anywhere with an internet connection. You pay one fee and have access to all the grades for all of your students. This is beneficial both for students who excell at math and for students who struggle. With access to all grade levels, a student can just keep moving along when they finish a level and there is no need to purchase new materials. A student who is struggling can easily repeat lessons and get extra practice until they understand a concept.<br />
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If you have a student who is easily overwhelmed by seeing a whole page full of problems at once, this program can help alleviate those feelings because problems are presented one at a time. This was a tremendous benefit to my 3rd grader who just gets anxious when he sees a page full of problems stretching out before him.<br />
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This program provides skill assessments so you can place your student at exactly the right place in the program. No need to review material already mastered. You can assign tasks for your student to complete by a certain date and give quizzes and quarterly tests all through the program.<br />
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One of my favorite features is the weekly update that is emailed to the parent which details exactly what each student accomplished that week. You get a list of log in times, lessons covered, grades, and more. This is incredibly helpful to me with one particular student who likes to fib about what they have done that day. I can log in on the parent side and immediately check on what the student has accomplished that day and immediately verify if progress was made or not. This simply lowers stress levels and avoids confrontations and frankly removes the temptation to fib about what you've done that day because you know Mom can check immediately from her computer. Maybe you don't have a student who likes to stretch the truth but then again, maybe you do.<br />
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There are a few negatives. This program is online. I know I listed that as a positive but bear with me here. Online only means you can't pack it along in the car. Online means it is all on the computer. Personally, I'm not a fan of lots of computer time for elementary and middle school aged kids. I've even seen a negative side in lots of online classes for high schoolers at times. For younger kids, I really prefer to keep them off the computer as much as possible and working in other ways. So I really would not attempt to use this program with anyone under 3rd grade. <br />
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The yearly subscription fee does mean that you have to plan to pay every year. Although the cost is fairly minimal if you have several children using the program, it will add up over time compared to some other computer based programs that are a one time purchase.<br />
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The program was not as user friendly as others we have used. It did take me a few days to figure everything out and there are still a few features that I am still getting used to.<br />
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After using the program with an elementary student and a high school student, I am overall very pleased with the program. We do plan to continue the program with two of our students for the rest of the year. <br />
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I received a free year subscription to CTC Math in exchange for this review. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-82974691553430147002018-04-02T20:33:00.001-04:002018-04-02T20:33:32.225-04:00Our Easter in Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-31394761944923722352018-03-03T14:34:00.000-05:002018-03-03T14:51:53.811-05:00For the Boy Moms Out ThereToday was one of those days where I had planned on mostly staying home all day. Doing not much but relaxing while waiting for the rest of the snow on the driveway to melt away because a 15 passenger van vs snow and ice on a gravel driveway is just not always fun. But I quickly discovered we were completely out of chicken food and the birds must be fed so my plans changed. As I was walking out the door, I was informed of a few more items that we were also completely out of that just could not wait until payday in another 10 days. This does make me wonder why no one else can write down on the fridge when we are low on items but I digress.<br />
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So after the feed store, I headed off to the grocery store. Alone without any children, the grocery store suddenly becomes a lot more interesting than it would be otherwise and I find myself wandering aisles, wasting some time, and enjoying the relative quiet.<br />
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While wandering, I overheard a few parents having one of those discussions. The oh my gosh, it is so hard having x number of kids. One Mom piped up with "And I have all boys so that just makes it worse." As a mom to 8 boys, this is what I wanted to say:<br />
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I get it. Being a mom to a bunch of boys is hard. Oh so hard when they are little. They are a huge ball of energy and often never stop moving. Jumping off stairs and bouncing on the couch. Climbing trees and finding every single mud puddle in a 10 mile radius. They are loud. Oh so loud that it can drive you to distraction. The nerf guns that have darts flying by your head with uncanny accuracy followed by a chorus of "But I was aiming for my brother, not you." And the smell. When you have more than one boy sharing a room, it has a way of developing what we lovingly call the boy funk around here. And those appetites. Where do they put all that food? And the growth spurts and holes in the knees of every single pair of pants they own and so many holes in their sneakers from using their feet as brakes on their bikes. Holes you are likely to not notice until the day they can't find their dress shoes and thus wear their sneakers to church.<br />
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I get it. It's hard. Wonderful but sometimes oh so hard. But then one day it changes. It changes because we aren't just raising boys. We are raising men.<br />
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Men who can help and take care of things on their own. I now have 4 boys who are much older. 2 are actually adults now. How the heck did that happen? I can't remember the last time I had to clear the snow off the van. In the winter, I almost never have to pump gas. I never shovel the driveway or mow the lawn. They can change the oil and change tires. They can pull a car out of a ditch or rescue me when the van is stuck in the driveway AGAIN. (Not like this happened this morning when I put the van into a snow bank at the end of the driveway or anything.)<br />
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One of them has a gift with building things and has made his own tool bench without plans using only scrap lumber. He's building shelves in the garage to help keep everything off the ground. He still manages to leave tools all over the yard but he's starting to get a little better now that he has his own set.<br />
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Raising a handful of boys is not easy. Society certainly does not help us in this challenge anymore. There is very little real guidance provided for these young men as they try to navigate what being a man truly means.<br />
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They still eat a ton. They still grow like weeds. They still love to get messy and obsess over things that have no meaning to me. But they have become such a tremendous blessing now that they are older. So just hang in there. And remember that they don't stay this little forever.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-41386836487174683032017-04-04T00:48:00.000-04:002017-04-04T17:11:59.956-04:00Playing With Plays - A Review<i>I received free copies of four of the books in this series in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.</i><br />
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I've been meaning to get this review put together for about a year now. Yes, I do sometimes get that far behind on, well, everything. And in the last 18 or so months we've had two kids with broken arms, 1 child who needed several months of physical therapy, one kid diagnosed with an anaphylactic allergy, two different children who each had 2 surgeries, 2 new babies added to the family meaning 2 c-sections, one baby spending 3 weeks in the NICU, one baby spending time in the PICU, me being so anemic that I required a blood transfusion, and a deployment thrown in there for good measure. So, um, yes, I have put a few things on the way back burner and just let them simmer away in my mind somewhere until I was able to deal with them. Like this wonderful review.<br />
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<a href="http://playingwithplays.com/">Playing With Plays</a> is a series of books that takes higher end literature and breaks it down into child friendly language. Each book contains three different versions of the plays, each meant for a different number of actors. As a performance, the plays are designed to be relatively short (15 minutes or less) but creativity is encouraged on the part of the actors.<br />
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One major deterrent for many young children and participating in plays is the fear of forgetting lines or not being able to memorize a long script. This problem is alleviated with <a href="http://playingwithplays.com/">Playing With Plays</a>. Some of the words within the script are bolded. These words are particularly important to maintaining the character of the original work and are meant to be said as written. The rest of the words are meant to be a guide. Say them as written or get creative and ad-lib. These are the ones my kids had the most fun with during their performance.<br />
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At our Homeschool Expo last year, a group of kids performed one of acts from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeares-Hamlet-Kids-Melodramatic-Playing/dp/1453641548/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491280119&sr=8-3&keywords=playing+with+plays">Hamlet</a>. No one got any of their lines exactly right and there were a few times when younger siblings wandered into the play unexpectedly but everyone enjoyed themselves. More importantly, the kids involved understood the gist of the play. Our performers that afternoon ranged in age from 6 to 16. Everyone was able to find a part they could both understand and perform easily.<br />
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These books are very affordable at under $10 each. Group discounts are available directly from the publisher if needed. If you are neither charging for the performance nor the classes to learn the play, you are able to use the materials for free and make photo copies of scripts if needed. If you are charging for the classes, you must purchase a book for each student. If you charge for the performance, there is a royalty fee required but it is a very reasonable one.<br />
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These books are perfect to use in a homeschool to introduce your younger children to Shakespeare, Dickens, and other classic literature in a very relaxed, fun way.<br />
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My only complaint is that there is too much negative, demeaning language thrown into the plays in an attempt to make them relevant to modern kids. I realize that Shakespeare himself wrote quite a few insults in his plays but the modern take on them was a bit beyond the original meanings for a children's version in my opinion.<br />
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Overall, these books earn a 4 out of 5 in my book. If the language was a bit less modern, I'd like them even better.<br />
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<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-82325898931838236432016-11-05T23:29:00.001-04:002023-02-09T01:23:04.888-05:00Announcing Kolbe VincentKolbe Vincent was welcomed into the world on October 30. This adorable little dude is the perfect addition to our crew.<br />
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<br /><br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-41960105035719513582016-10-15T21:01:00.002-04:002023-02-09T01:23:38.234-05:00Surgery Update<br />
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<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-7115343386423553022016-04-06T11:11:00.001-04:002016-04-06T11:11:17.598-04:00Busy WeekendHave you tried out the Home Depot Kids Workshops yet? If not, you are missing out on a wonderful FREE resource to share with your kids. Particularly if you have any crafty kids or kids who want to always be the one helping out with any projects at home. <br />
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This month I took 7 of the kids with me. Liam still loves to get a hammer in his hands any chance he can and Katie likes to come along to help with Seamus (because she is too big to do a project on her own she says). We made butterfly nesting boxes and as soon as the snow melts, we'll search for 6 places in the yard to hang them up. Maybe plant a few extra butterfly attracting plants.<br />
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The rules may vary by store but at our store you just show up. No signing up needed. This is great because we can go when it works with our schedule and not go when we are too busy. But check your local store because some do have sign up requirements.<br />
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We also finally got around to making our Pascal Candle. We took a super easy route this year because last year I ordered the pascal candle making kit from Illuminated Ink. Then I got to feeling rather sick and the project never got done. In fact, the 2015 pascal candle making kit is still somewhere in the house. So this year I lowered my standards and we finished the project. I call that a win.<br />
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Plain white tall candle (available at Aldi's or the Dollar Store), pascal candle print out from a creative person online. Project complete. We even managed to remember to take it with us on Sunday to get it blessed by Fr.<br />
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<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-65880234125446010642016-02-09T20:55:00.003-05:002016-02-09T21:09:37.661-05:00Dear God, I Don't Get ItWe all have those times when we feel like God is not answering our prayers. This can be a hard thing for adults to understand but getting a child to understand why prayers appear to go unanswered can be a struggle. The book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dear-God-I-Dont-Get/dp/0764822462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455069047&sr=8-1&keywords=dear+god+I+don%27t+get+it">Dear God, I Don't Get It</a></i> by Patti Maguire Armstrong helps children understand just this question.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dear-God-I-Dont-Get/dp/0764822462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455069047&sr=8-1&keywords=dear+god+I+don%27t+get+it">Dear God, I Don't Get It</a></i> is the first in a series of books about the Ajax family. In this book you meet brothers Aaron, Luke, and Tyler. As the story opens, the family learns that they must move. This is something that feels like the end of the world to 12-year-old Aaron Ajax. He prays to God to please find a way for the family to stay where they are but his prayers are not answered in the way Aaron expects.<br />
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This book helps broach an often misunderstood concept in a way young minds can easily grasp. Adults are often heard saying that prayer works but they fail to understand exactly how prayer works. Many children often grow up with the mistaken notion that all you have to do is pray and God will grant your every desire. Failing to understand that God often answers our prayers with a no because He has something else in mind for us can cause many people to question their beliefs. By the end of the book, Aaron begins to understand that God's answers are not always our own.<br />
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This book does a wonderful job at weaving faith into the lives of the characters without being preachy or pushy. It successfully walks that fine line without beating the point home with a morality stick. This helps to keep the story interesting without turning you off.<br />
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I recommend sharing this book for kids in the 8 to 12 age range. The entire series promises to provide an easy way to tackle some of the tough topics in life with your children.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-36965662756933357812016-01-26T22:18:00.000-05:002016-01-26T22:18:27.306-05:00The Empty Jar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You see that empty canning jar? Yes, the picture is awful but it's not the point. That jar. My favorite Christmas gift this year.<br />
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Why? It was simple and a reminder. A reminder I needed.<br />
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You see the paper taped to the jar? That paper has a note from one of the children. The note says:<br />
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To Mom and Dad: A jar of nothing for the people who have it all.</blockquote>
Ok, it is quite possible the child behind this gift was just looking for something simple, easy, and free. But I see something else.<br />
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I see a reminder that even with all of the chaos, the medical bills, the car repairs, the kids who are behind in school, the laundry that won't stop, the appliances that keep breaking, the darn freeloading chickens who won't lay eggs right now. In the midst of all of that chaos, when I've been oh so sick for weeks, going on months. When the baby isn't quite gaining enough weight to keep everyone happy, when we are still struggling to find a parish where the entire family feels at home and we are struggling with our faith. In the midst of all of that. We do have it all. And that is just what I needed to hear.<br />
<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-54635523722563491362015-12-31T19:18:00.000-05:002015-12-31T19:18:26.448-05:00Happy New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-26941642021631233582015-10-04T22:55:00.001-04:002015-10-04T22:56:51.995-04:00Tiny SaintsI recently won an on-line raffle and received five <a href="http://shoptinysaints.com/">Tiny Saints charms</a>. I received St. Joseph, St. Michael the Archangel, Mary the Blessed Mother, Padre Pio, and one additional that one of my kiddos has claimed for their own.These adorable little charms are meant to serve as a daily reminder of our patron saints.<br />
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Each package comes with a short summary of the saint's life on the back. Just enough to hep you determine if this saint relates to your life. The clasp allows you to attach the <a href="http://shoptinysaints.com/">Tiny Saints</a> to zipper pulls, key chains or backpacks. With around 80 different charms to chose from, there is sure to be one perfect for you.<br />
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My one criticism of the charms is that they are not as sturdy as I would like. Especially if they might be used by children. Our Padre Pio charm fell off the clasp almost immediately. They are, however, incredibly affordable at only $5 per charm and very adorable.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-29568348868731416732015-09-11T19:23:00.001-04:002015-09-11T19:23:14.746-04:00Things You Might Find In My Yard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-38221754750825621422015-09-05T17:13:00.000-04:002015-09-05T17:13:41.803-04:00Mass Books for KidsHow do you answer that age old question of what to do with the young children during Mass? I know we've gone through many different ways of managing young kids and seem to have settled on you just expect them to learn to be quiet and bring as few distractions as possible. Because there are few things as annoying as an older child dragging in a toy store or a Happy Meal or a tablet loaded with movies to Mass. Seriously, that sort of thing really bugs me.<br />
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One of the few things we will allow our kids to have during Mass are kid friendly Mass books. But how do you know which ones are worth the money? Today I am sharing my views on the books by <a href="http://www.catholicicing.com/">Catholic Icing</a> and <a href="http://www.holyheroes.com/default.asp">Holy Heroes</a>.<br />
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The booklet by <a href="http://www.holyheroes.com/default.asp">Holy Heroes</a> is really two books in one. On one side, you have the prayers of the Mass. Flip the book over and you'll find a collection of <a href="http://www.holyheroes.com/Best-Loved-Catholic-Prayers-Prayers-of-the-Mass-p/gscd8-book.htm">Best Loved Catholic Prayers</a>. You can also purchase <a href="http://www.holyheroes.com/Glory-Stories-CD-Vol-8-Best-Loved-Catholic-Prayer-p/gscd8.htm">an audio CD</a> to go along with this book with the Holy Heroes kids leading your children through all of the prayers.<br />
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The Holy Heroes book does, however, lack pictures. It has a very simply layout that focuses almost exclusively on the words of the various prayers. This allows for more information but means the book is best suited for an older child. The audio CD that can be purchased with the book is great for using in the car to help your kids memorize prayers or during family prayer time. This section of the book includes prayers such as the Angelus, Memorare, the St Michel Prayer, and several common prayers in both English and Latin. I love this book for the middle kids in the family.<br />
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The Mass book by <a href="http://www.catholicicing.com/">Catholic Icing</a> is called <a href="http://www.catholicicing.com/a-picture-book-of-the-mass-illustrated-by-the-masters/">A Picture Book of the Mass</a>. This book focuses exclusively on the prayers of the Mass. I love this one because of the amazing pictures. The booklet is illustrated using old masters paintings. With at least one picture on every page, it keeps the attention of younger kids. Older kids also enjoy the paintings but this one is my go to book to grab for the toddlers. Even if they can't read the words, they are captivated by paintings in the book.<br />
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Price wise, both books are just about the same. Both companies also offer bulk discounts so these would be great books to buy for religious ed classes or homeschooling groups or vbs or just to donate to your parish. They are both soft cover booklets so if yours live in the diaper bag like mine do, they will show wear and tear after a while. But the affordable price makes them easy to replace. As nice as the hardcover formal books many of us received as First Communion gifts are, these books are a little more convenient for younger children or larger families. You also know that your purchase is supporting a small at home Catholic business. Which is a win-win situation for everyone.<br />
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All opinions in this post are entirely my own. I was not compensated in anyway for my review. Just sharing one Mom's opinion.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-2151953237264029492015-08-04T18:29:00.000-04:002015-08-04T18:29:03.947-04:00Playing in the Creek<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-76721409411057784122015-08-04T18:19:00.001-04:002015-08-04T18:19:45.015-04:00Summer in the Backyard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-13258687667502500912015-07-12T18:19:00.004-04:002015-07-12T18:19:50.809-04:00Baby on the Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Baby number 12 is officially on the way. Life is going to get super crazy and fun around here. We are asking for prayers as it appears the little one on the way has a cleft lip and palette and will obviously need surgery. This is one of those cases where we are thankful to be able to plan ahead of time and have access to the proper medical care. It will be an interesting few months for everyone. Please keep our little one in your prayers.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-5711562654399641172015-03-24T14:33:00.001-04:002015-03-24T14:34:25.872-04:00Stations of the Cross CandlesThis is a project I have intended to do for the past several years. This year I finally got around to actually buying the materials. I think I just couldn't resist the $1 bottles of lodge podge at Target and needed a reason to justify buying some.<br />
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This would be wonderful project to do with your kids and then use every week as your family says stations together. Of course, I did the project myself and we have been attending stations as a family at a local parish. The Knights there love having our boys on hand to carry the cross because other than our family, it has almost always been elderly folks. But the kids have enjoyed looking at the candles anyway.<br />
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You can find I instructions and printable for your own candles all over the place. I got my printables .<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20080211094209/http://landru.i-link-2.net/shnyves/black_and_white_images.htm">here</a>.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-61385683063311987712015-02-11T20:38:00.000-05:002015-02-11T20:38:38.065-05:00Family Rosary TimeAttempts at the family rosary usually don't last long around here. I just don't think the yelling and fighting and craziness that ensues is at all inspiring. A near occasion of sin would be more like it. But I am going to attempt it again for Lent. I'm trying to work the younger ones up to a full rosary. What have I learned tonight? I need to work on basic prayers with the younger ones. The Hail Mary according to the younger ones is as follows:<br />
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~Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with me.~<br />
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Gotta love it. And check out these awesome roses made by Grandma to help the kids pray. They were so cool looking that even Gabe wanted to participate.<br />
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Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-35084482032281177112015-02-04T21:18:00.005-05:002015-02-04T21:18:53.763-05:00Handwriting Prayer Practice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm finding so many things to love lately over at <a href="http://www.catholicicing.com/">Catholic Icing</a>. I recently printed out these prayer handwriting sheets for the younger children. The perfect combo: handwriting practice plus learning some necessary Catholic prayers. I also printed out these poster type versions of the prayers to hang up in the house to help with the learning thing. </div>
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<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-41707779215934756072015-01-11T21:51:00.000-05:002015-01-11T21:51:07.037-05:00Whipped Strawberry ButterOk folks. We all know that real maple syrup is much better for us than the imitation stuff. Much better. Most of the bottled stuff basically comes down to high fructose corn syrup mixed with artificial colors and flavors. Which is just not the best thing to pour into your body first thing in the morning. (Yes, I get the irony as I often am found downing a Dr. Pepper in the morning. I'm a work in progress and I'm hoping for my kids to be healthier than I am.) Truthfully, I don't think I'd ever tasted the real stuff until we moved here and I started prioritizing buying more real foods. Seriously, the stuff is awesomely delicious but oh so stinking expensive. Especially if your kids pour the way mine do. Yikes. So sometimes you need something else to put on those waffles. Again, ignore the fact that said children just might be eating frozen waffles this week because only one of our waffle makers still works, I am currently solo parenting, and sometimes you just decide to let something slide.<br />
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Anyway, this week we will have both homemade pumpkin butter (so easy to make if you have a crockpot) and whipped strawberry butter to top the waffles because they are yummy. And cheaper than maple syrup.<br />
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If you want a REAL recipe, here's <a href="http://www.spendwithpennies.com/whipped-strawberry-butter/">the one</a> I looked up. If you want to know what I really did, keep reading.<br />
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I grabbed a quart sized bag of strawberries from the freezer, defrosted them, drained them, then dumped them in a mixing bowl and sort of mashed them a bit. Added in two sticks of butter and turned the mixer on. After a while, I decided it needed more butter so I tossed a stick of butter into the microwave to soften it, dumped it in the with rest of the stuff and mixed some more. Yummy. Easy. No strange ingredients. And seriously, strawberries are sweet enough without adding sugar, I promise. Give it a try.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854874799137004858.post-68686803900377667302014-12-24T13:41:00.001-05:002014-12-24T13:41:44.749-05:00Random Christmas DecorationsWe keep decorations fairly low key around here. Even more so the past few years because I just don't have it in me to do much else. But here's what we have hanging around the house this year.<br />
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This is probably the best Christmas gift we received the first year we were married. A nativity scene made by my Grandmother. For the past few years I couldn't find a place to set it up but a few of the kids got it down this year and found a safe place to set it up away from prying hands. I used to always have a child friendly set out each year as well but parts have gone missing to those and this is one set I just don't want to get broken.<br />
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The kids decided the stockings needed to be hung up this year. Admittedly, I am not happy about this one because she who is responsible for filling the stockings was planning on not filling them this year because, well, there are budgetary issues and I'm tired of the junk that usually fills them and then gets tossed a few days later. Seriously, why do we do that? Buy cheap stuff only to have it end up in the garbage a few days later? Sigh. But the kids wanted them up so they are up. Maybe they won't eat all the fruit today and I can stash an orange in them or something.<br />
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Our friendly kitchen snowman. A new addition this year but something I saw on-line and decided it was just too cute and easy not to attempt.<br />
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This is an awesome Christmas poster I ordered from Illuminated Ink. I seriously love that store. The kids are enjoying coloring this door sized poster in a bit at a time. The first day it went up, there was a small cry fest as someone else colored Mary in before Ellie got a chance to and she was a wee bit miffed.<br />
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The lights on our pre-lit tree died while in storage so while digging for new ones to put on the tree, they found some actual working outdoor lights and hung them up outside.<br />
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Right now the kids are downstairs making a few ornaments for when we decorate the tree tonight.<br />
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Ok, just some of the kids. Today we are having an all day movie fest so some kids are vegging in front of the tv. And, yes, I am totally ok with that.<br />
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These ornaments came from two no glue needed kits I found at Target a few days ago. Already on clearance and perfect for keeping the younger ones busy.<br />
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These five were in a Christmas play at church. Ok, the guy running it desperately asked me to let the kids participate. I said we just couldn't afford the tickets when you did the math (yes, they charged for it as a breakfast fund raiser type thing, don't ask). So he said I'll give you a really great family deal because we really needs kids to participate, and, well, you have a lot of kids. They made up half the cast. Seriously.<br />
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Ellie made it through rehearsals and then decided she'd had enough and just was not up to playing the sheep part during the play even if she did get to do it with Robert.<br />
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And, of course, St. Nicholas came to visit. I have so many kids that their shoes don't all fit in one picture. And, yes, the kids dug out shoes for Seamus for some reason. Just please ignore the mess by the pellet stove because, well, I was not in the mood to clean it all out before taking the pictures.<br />
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Here's hoping your Advent has been a fruitful one.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06799726594520279745noreply@blogger.com0