My little monkey

The kids play so nicely together sometimes...

"This is the cleanest...

...fridge I've ever picked up."  So says the appliance delivery guy today :)  Our old fridge had seen better days and was busting at the seams (and the state was offering a 20% rebate + $75 for recycling the old one!), so we decided to get a new fridge!  They delivered today...

The freezer even has an in-door ice dispenser!  The ice maker is in the top of the freezer, drops into the bin on the left side, and voila!  ice :)

Look at all the space!!!!

After they left I just threw everything back in, so it's poorly packed.  And I'm sure I'll shuffle things around over the next few weeks...but I'm lovin' it!

I made my own...

Mantilla!!!

I'm soooo excited!!!  

I've started going to daily Mass a few times a week (it helps so much!), and I realized that repeatedly packing stuffing my other mantilla in my purse would soon ruin it (not to mention forgetting to bring it at all!).  So I decided to make another one.

About 1/2 a yard of lace and about 3 yards of trim lace, a few hours later I had my very first second

mantilla!!!

Garden of the Good Shepherd week 3

This was another fun week, though we didn't seem to do too much...

Our calendar to through the end of the week...

This week's theme was The Heavens Tell God's Glory!

Day 15 ~ The Sun
Psalm 19:1-6

We made Sunshine Shakes! (I forgot to take pictures, we were in a hurry to get to the library)

6-ounces frozen concentrated OJ
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup water
6 ice cubes

Blend together in a blender.  Makes 4 servings.  

I found this to be just so-so, next time I'll use all milk and no water.  Or maybe yogurt...  hmmm....

We also read a few books:
Sunshine Makes the Seasons by Franklyn Branley
The Sun by Seymour Simon


Day 16 ~ The Cloud
1 Kings 8:2-11

We looked around NASA's website for information on cloud formation.  The Professor was *thrilled* to do this.  They even found a video!

We read The Cloud Book by Tomie dePaola. 

Day 17 ~ The Rain
Matthew 5:43-48

We read a few books:

Where Does the Butterfly Go When it Rains?
Rabbits and Raindrops
Down Comes the Rain

Day 18 ~ The Lightning
Job 28:20-26

We read:
Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll
Thundercake by Patricia Polacco

Day 19 ~ The Hail
Job 38:28-30

We ended up not doing anything this day, too much else got in the way :(

Day 20 ~ The Wind
Ezekiel 37:7-10

We read Feel the Wind.  And decorated our dragon cake!

Day 21 ~ The Rainbow
Genesis 9:12-15

We read Planting a rainbow by Lois Ehlert.

We were going to paint rainbows and make a rainbow fruit salad, but again time escaped me...  Oh well...next year.


Overall it was a fun week and we're looking forward to next week :)  Stop by Catholic Cuisine to see other garden parties :)

On the Feast of St. George

Our first dragon cake!

I think it came out pretty well...

What do you think???

The boys were very happy with it.

Two 9-inch round devil's food cakes.  Cut according to Charlotte's suggestion, with a twist ;)

Rather than ding-dongs, I shortened the neck and used the pieces for legs.

Charlotte suggested freezing it to set the first layer of frosting, but I didn't have time (or freezer space), so I went with it.

I used Craisins for the red eyes and I figured a dragon that breathes fire *must* have red nostrils...

so I used them there too.

The spikes are Little Debbie devil squares.

We also read about St. George in:

Saints Lives and Illuminations by Ruth Sanderson 

and in 

Loyola Kids Book of Saints by Amy Welborn.  As a side note, this really is a great book!  It not only tells about the saint (like all other saints' books) but it also focuses on a strength/virtue of the particular saint.

We read:

Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges 

Saint George and the Dragon by Geraldine McCaughrean

Then we colored Saint George from Fenestrae Fidei

Velcro Boy

The Professor

He takes a bit longer to get these done (he's awfully particular), 

so his will be finished tomorrow.

Garden of the Good Shepherd week 2

Day 8 ~Divine Mercy Sunday~

The Table

Genesis 43:26-34

We had strawberry shortcake for desert to play up the red and white theme for Divine Mercy.  Yummy!  I had originally planned an Easter tea party for today, but we had to change plans.  We did it Monday instead.  Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures :(

Day 9 ~The Chairs~

Read Genesis 18:1-8

We had our Easter Tea today.

Day 10 ~ The Bread

Ruth 2:8-14

We made Resurrection Rolls! (again...no pictures :(

Resurrection Rolls

1 package Crescent Rolls, divided into triangles
Butter, melted
8 large Marshmallows
Cinnamon/Sugar mixture
8 squares of foil, sprayed with cooking spray or parchment paper
Cookie Sheet

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in.

Give each child a marshmallow. This represents Jesus.

Have the child dip the marshmallow in melted butter. This represents the oils of embalming.

Next, have the child dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar. This represents the spices used to anoint the body.

Demonstrate how to wrap up the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up...but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside). This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after His death.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. (Ours took 15 minutes.) The oven represents the tomb--pretend that it has been three days!

While waiting for the rolls to bake, read the story of Christ's Passion and Resurrection, and add the Jesus Tree symbol to the tree for today.
When the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, HE IS RISEN!

Day 11 ~ The Wine
Isaiah 55:1-2

We had grape juice with snack,
read The Grapes of Math: Mind-stretching Math Riddles (The Professor liked this one),
and we painted our own bunch of grapes.

Day 12 ~ The Milk

Deuteronomy 26:8-10

We made milkshakes !

 1/2 cup WHOPPERS Malted Milk Balls
 1/2 cup milk
 1-1/2 cups vanilla ice cream

 Directions:
 1. Place candies and milk in blender container. Cover; blend until candies are finely chopped.
 2. Add ice cream. Cover; blend until thick and speckled with chocolate. Serve immediately.
 Two 8-oz. milkshakes. (We doubled the recipe)
 Add extra flavor and garnish with whipped cream and cherries!

 These were sooo yummy!!!

We read the following milk themed books: 

The Milk Makers by Gail Gibbons

Milk: From Cow to Carton by Aliki

It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw

I also borrowed Reading Rainbow: Farm Life from the library.  Don't you just love the dazed awestruck look they get when watching t.v. ?!?  (especially since we don't have one, so they only get the occasional video on the computer)

 

Day 13 ~ The Pot of Honey

Mark 1:4-6

We read 

The Honey Makers by Gail Gibbons

Honey in a Hive by Anne Rockwell

The Life and Times of the Honeybee by Charles Micucci

Day 14 ~ The Fruit

Song of Songs 4:16

We read some books about fruit: 

A Fruit Is a Suitcase for Seeds

Eating the Alphabet: Fruits Vegetables from A to Z

Fruit by Pascale De Bourgoing

From Flower to Fruit

How Do Apples Grow?

I also made a yummy fruit salad!

Strawberries, cantalope, blueberries and grapes.  

I was also going to add mandarin oranges, apples, plums and kiwi, but ran out of time.

Check out the giant mutant strawberry from the pack we bought!

And I don't have a small hand!

Easter Tea Party

Inspired by Jessica at Shower of Roses, inspired by Alice, we had another tea party!  The boys were thrilled.  They had a blast.

~ The Stone~

 

English Muffins. 

"Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb." John 20:1-3

~ Linen Cloth and Napkin ~

White table cloth and napkins. We originally planned to do this on Divine Mercy Sunday, so we were also going to use a red runner. We ended up not doing it on Sunday, so I didn't dig through the Christmas stuff to find the runner ;) When we read the passage for this offering, we passed out napkins.

"Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself." John 20: 6-7.

~ Two Angels ~

Strawberry Jam and cream cheese for with the English muffins.

"[S]he saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet." John 20: 12.

~ The Gardener ~

Hide a favorite treat under a bed of lettuce leaves.

The kids even are some of the lettuce!  Well...The Professor did anyway

"Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" John 20: 15-16


~ Peace be with You ~

Bread cut into a dove shape (actually a duck shape since that's the cutter I had on hand :) )

"When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” John 20:19

~ Receive the Holy Spirit ~

Having soothed them with His peace, Jesus next told the apostles, "Receive the Holy Spirit." To represent the burning love of the Holy Spirit and help the kids anticipate the celebration of Pentecost, we created a snack that looks a bit like flames.

White and yellow cheese with a sliver of grape tomatoes on top.

"When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20: 22-23

~ The Twin ~

Rolled up ham, placed on the "dove" bread.

"Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came." John 20: 24

~ Thomas' Thumbprint Cookies ~

Pepperidge Farms Verona cookies could also be used.

These represent Thomas' vow not to believe, "[u]nless I see in his hands the print of the nails and place my finger in the mark of the nails," (John 20: 25).

The kids helped make them and did the thumbprints themselves.

These were sooo yummy!

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup jam

Beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until blended in. Turn the mixer to low and add flour one tablespoon or so at a time until combined. Refrigerate, covered, for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and roll the dough into balls about an inch in diameter. Put the balls on a cookie sheet at least two inches apart.

Now here is the part that will remind the children of St. Thomas. Allow them to use their own thumbs to make a well in each ball of dough. Put about a quarter teaspoon of jam in each impression. A ruby red jam, such as strawberry or raspberry, would remind the children of the wounds of Christ.

Bake for 15 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden brown, and then set on a wire rack to cool.

 "Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." (John 20: 27.)

~ Many Signs and Wonders ~

We used up some of the leftover Easter candy that was lying around :)

It represents the many wonderful signs Jesus performed before his disciples.

"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book." (John 20: 30.)

It was a lot of work, but it was worth it.  I'm looking forward to doing another one of these, but probably not until Advent :)

Garden of the Good Shepherd week 1

The Garden of the Good Shepherd is a sticker countdown calendar for the 50 days of Easter.  There is a different theme each day and a sticker to go along with it.  There's also a scripture reading for each day.

Day 1 ~ The Good Shepherd 

John 10:14-15

Rejoice!  The Lord is Risen

Day 2 ~ The Shepherd's Crook
Psalm 23:1-6
We made crook shaped breadsticks and read Legend of the Candy Cane.

Day 3 ~ The Sheepfold
John 10:1-6
We made "sheep"...

Popcorn!

Day 4 ~ The Gate of the Sheepfold
John 10:7-10
We made garden gates...

The Professor's

Velcro Boy's

Day 5 ~ The Ewe and the Ram

John 21:15-17

We made this Ram craft

The Professor's

Velcro Boy's

Day 6 ~ The Lamb

John 1:35

Lamb of God cupcakes!

This is the version we made for the Ascention

I decided to go a different route this time.  The marshmallows would be overkill given the rest of the candy around here lately :)

Day 7 ~ The Wolf

John 10:11-12

We read Saint Francis and the Wolf by Richard Egielski.  Such a cute book!

Overall, this was a good week.  We didn't keep up with each day, but we were able to catch up the next day.  Jessica and Charlotte are hosting a weekly party over at Catholic Cuisine!  Come on over!

The Professor's excavator

For Easter my parents gave The Professor a Lego Technic set.  It's a 2-in-1 set that makes an excavator and a crane (I think).  He just barely got it started on Sunday afternoon, then we had to tear him away for a family gathering.  He finished it up on Monday afternoon.  It took him several hours less than I thought it would.  I am so proud of him!  It's a set meant for an  8-14 year old, and he's only 6!

If you notice the two knobs on the back...

The one on the right moves the scoop and the one on the left moves the arm itself.

This thing is loaded with gears.  Look how intricate this is. 

Easter Morning

The boys coming downstairs...

...followed by.

The baskets...

The trucks that you see are little models that I found at Michael's.  We already picked up a couple and they really like them, so the bunny got a few more :)

Obviously they were quite happy...

Velcro Boy  loved the eggs!

Our completed Lenten countdown calendar.

And our completed Jesus tree...