The Fourth of July ~ belated

We made red, white and blue skewers! 

 Super Yummy!

 Inspired by Jessica

It's been so rainy around here lately, we we're able to use the fireworks that hubby picked up until a few days later. 

The kids weren't sure what to think...

As you can see, they weren't very happy.

Scared would be a more accurate word.

These guys aren't big on noise (unless they're making it, of course).

They were thrilled when they were done though :)

They also had a blast bouncing around in the bounce house

Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Hope everyone had a wonderful feast day!  Inspired by Charlotte's totally yummy looking cheesecake, I decided to have a sweet celebration :)

It didn't come out quite as red as I would have liked, darn cheap food colors (I need to get a good Wilton red paste...), but otherwise I'm quite happy with the results.

Ironically enough, the color has darkened with the passage of time (no, we didn't get it all eaten on Friday ;).


Hope everyone had a nice time for The Immaculate Heart as well...

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus focuses mostly on His divine love for mankind and encourages our humility, gratitude, obedience, and adoration; devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary focuses on Mary's love for God and encourages our emulating her humility, gratitude, obedience, and adoration. Mary as loving Mother of Jesus Who suffered for us; Mary as Mother of the Church; Mary as obedient daughter, Mary as our Gevirah (Queen Mother of Israel) -- we ponder her interior life in each of these roles, consecrate ourselves to Jesus through her, make reparations for offending her as our Mother, ask her intercession for us with her Son, and emulate her as the model of Christian perfection. ~ per Fisheaters.com

Garden of the Good Shepherd week 6

Obviously we've kinda dropped the ball around here with posting and even with the activities...oh well...here's what we've been doing...

Day 36:  The City Gates
Revelation 21:9-14

The kids colored Heaven's gates...

Velcro Boy's

Doodlebug's

The Professor isn't much into coloring lately, though he does love to draw...

go figure...

Day 37: The Temple

Revelation 21:22-25

We were going to build a temple out of Lego's

Day 38: Hallelujah!

Revelation 19:6-9

We listened to the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah".

Day 39: The Thrones

Revelation 22:1-5

We watched The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.  We read the series a while back, so The Professor was thrilled with this.

Day 40: The Bride

Hosea 2:18-20

We looked through wedding albums.  The original and the one from our convalidation nearly 2 years ago (how DOES time go so fast?!?)

Day 41: The Groom

Revelation 19:6-9

Tuxedo Strawberries!

YUM!!!

Day 42: The Crowns

Isaiah 62:3-5

We were going to make a crown cake.

I forgot to get a picture of the calendar to this point.

Garden of the Good Shepherd week 4

Day 22 ~ The Boat
Matthew 8:23-27

We made boats from Colonial Kids!

Read Boats by Anne Rockwell.

And hung some of The Professor's pictures of boats...

This last one is the Dawn Treader from The Chronicles of Narnia series.

We read the series as our evening read-alouds and the Professor really enjoyed them.  

I think he'll get more out of them in a few years though.  

Some of the material seemed over his 6-year-old head ;)

Day 23 ~ The Mast

Ezekial 27:4-7

We were going to make cross-shaped sugar cookies, but we're all way too sugared out from the treats lately :)

Day 24 ~ The Sail 

Acts 27:33-44

Berry blue sailboats!

Doodlebug even made a shipwreck ;)

Day 25 ~ The Net

Mark 1:16-20

Net-shaped pretzels!

Day 26 ~ The Fishes

John 21:4-8

We went to see fish (and cats) at the pet store.  We also had Goldfish for snack.

Day 27 ~ The Barbecue

John 21:9-14

Nada

Day 28 ~ The Leviathan

Psalm 104:24-30

We went to the aquarium at the Science Museum and read  My Visit to the Aquarium by Aliki.

"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!

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 :)

Good Friday

As with Holy Thursday, I've always wondered why today was called "Good Friday".  Even before I believed in Jesus.  I mean, what's so good about the death of the Son of God???  This year it finally dawned on me, while I was going over the events of Holy Week with Velcro Boy, that the "good" is from the end results of His passion and death.  It is the best "good" that we could ever hope to receive. 

Short of Heaven, THIS is the best "good" that we could possibly receive on Earth.  Isn't it wonderful news?!?


For breakfast this morning, I made Hot Cross Buns.  They were quite good, though a bit of work.  I think the icing needs a bit of work (or maybe just eaten piping hot...), but I think we have a new yearly tradition.   

Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients:

    * 1 package dry yeast
    * 1/4 cup warm water (about 100-100 degrees F)
    * 1 teaspoon white or light brown sugar
    * 1 cup milk
    * 1/2 cup sweet butter
    * 1/3 cup brown or raw sugar
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 2 eggs, beaten
    * 4 to 4 1/2 cups sifted flour
    * 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
    * 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
    * 2/3 cup dried currants (or raisins)
    * Optional:
    * 1/3 cup finely diced or julienned citron

Frosting:

    * 2 tablespoons milk
    * 4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (more if needed)
    * grated rind of 1 lemon


Directions:

Sprinkle the yeast into the lukewarm water. Stir in 1 teaspoon sugar. Let sit until frothy.

Scald the milk. Add the butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until blended. Cool to lukewarm. Beat the eggs until light, and combine with the milk mixture. Add the yeast.

Sift 2/3 cups of the flour with the spices into a mixing bowl. Make a well, and pour in the yeast mixture. Beat for 5 minutes. Toss the currants, and citron, if using it, with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Mix into the dough.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. The dough should be fairly firm, otherwise it will not take the cuts for the cross.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover the dough with a towel and put it to rise in a draft-free spot until doubled in volume. This will take about 2 hours.

Punch the dough down. Shape it into 2 dozen buns.

Place the buns 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart on well-greased cookie sheets or in muffin pans. With a sharp knife cut a cross into the top of each bun. Allow them to rise until doubled in bulk, 30-45 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

For the frosting, mix the milk with enough sugar so that the icing is not runny. Add the rind. Brush a cross on the top of each bun.

Yield: about 24 buns

Given the amount of other food on hand around this time, next year I think I will only make a half batch.

Hubby attended the Good Friday Liturgy with The Professor and Velcro Boy.  I stayed home with Doodlebug and worked on another project.

Velcro Boy is getting so handsome, and grown up looking...

Feast of the Annunciation

We finally got our copy of Finestrae Fidei (what a great coloring book!!!  Mosaic images and scripture too.), so we were able to color their image of the Annunciation...

~ The Professor ~

~ Velcro Boy ~ 

Lamb of God cupcakes...

The boys  had a blast decorating these!  Except for cutting the marshmallows, they were super easy.

Frost white cupcakes.  

Cut mini-marshmallows in half, cut large marshmallows in half lengthwise, then diagonally.

Place the large marshmallow ears.  Make a ring (or 2) of mini-marshmallows around the outside edge.  Make a face with M & M's (we used the spring ones).

Enjoy!

Reading...

Mary The Mother of Jesus by Tomie dePaola

The Annunciaton from the Catholic Book of Bible Stories

Mary my Mother by Fr. Lovasik

Hope you all had a great day!