Love

After doing the Stations of the Cross with the kiddos, (at home)

yesterday, I laid down on the couch. (a very rare occasion)

Sweetie Pie here, came up to me, rubbed my head and said,

"Mama, you dyin?"

"Oooooh, no honey, I'm not dying."

"Good!  I wuv you!"

I love you too honey, I love you too!

The Innocence of a Child

 This sweet little toothless 5 year old girl

comes up with the funniest things

like when we do experiments, she calls them "experiences"

When daddy goes fishing,

 she asks "How many feet did the fish have?"

She will tell her side of a story and then get in trouble

 (time out for lying)

and then cry, "I want to tell you the truth"

 over and over...

I'll say "I know the truth."

She will then say, 

"NO!  I want to tell you the other  truth!"

We've been trying to pray the rosary mid morning each day

(we are not doing so hot this week)

When I announce the mysteries, 

I like to quiz the kiddos on some things, 

recently,

when we got to the Visitation, 

when Mary visits Elizabeth,

I asked (everyone), 

"Who was in Elizabeth's womb?"

She blurted out

"St John...The Bosco!"

(he's one of our favorite saints)

the answer was St John the Baptist!

 Yesterday, we went through the Stations of the Cross

 and when we got to the 12th station 

 The death of our Lord on the Cross

She really studied the picture...

We then, moved onto the 13th Station, 

Jesus is taken down from the Cross and laid in the arms of His Mother.

She looked again, very seriously at the picture and then said,

 so innocently,

"Why didn't they just take Jesus down before He died?"

Duh, right? 

Well, it sure opens up the conversations on why He chose to die in this way

(for us, He took on the weight of the world, for us!)

I just hope she remembers it.

I love doing the stations with the kids, 

they are so loving and caring.

Sweetie Pie is always looking at the pictures 

and saying, "Oh, poor Jesus"  "Oooh"

Homemade Sidewalk Paint

I saw this sidewalk paint somewhere, on some craft blog, but can't remember where....so I can't give the credit where it is due...sorry!

 The Recipe is:

1/4 cup Cornstarch

1/4 cup water

food coloring of your choice

That's it!  Super easy!

 It dries like chalk and washes off like chalk too! 

I'm trying out this new blogger editor, but it is confusing me....I'm having to fix the font every time I am on a new line....and the pictures seem, uh, I think I got it!  Oh, maybe not.....might have to go back to old editor.

Lent Link Up

Lacy, at Catholic Icing set up this "Lent Link Up" and I couldn't resist adding my 2 cents worth!

We always use a "sacrifice and good deed" jar in which we put in beans every time we do something extra nice, or helpful, or sacrifice something. Some things are worth many beans, like today, the 2 oldest kids got up and started their school right away and were almost done by the time I got dressed and ready for the day! 10 beans for that one! I am not stingy with the beans, as it does take quite a few beans to fill the jar and makes everyone positive and happy. It's amazing what the kiddos will do for a bean. Of course it is explained that it's not just for the bean, but for Jesus!

Then on Easter Sunday, the dry beans turn into bright colored jelly beans!

We do the Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure 3 times/week. This is a free service that is emailed to you. The kiddos watch a short video and we print out coloring sheets and puzzles and pray a daily decade with the other kiddos as well as the Angelus.

Lacy at Catholic Icing also had these wonderful sheets, where the kiddos color a square each day on the Lenten path to Easter. We put a purple (the color of penance, Lent and kings) cross on the door and each child put their sacrifices and what they'd like to do extra during Lent

We plan to do a washing of feet on Holy Thursday, stressing what Jesus did on that night, reading from the bible and the meaning of washing others' feet, service and sacrifice. Putting others needs first.

The kids always love doing this!

We pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet more often and start the novena on Good Friday.

Stations of the Cross are prayed along with this CD and we follow them up the stairs. It's a fun way for the littles to sit and watch along the way.

These beautiful images were ordered through CHC.

CRAFTS next!

These beautiful stand up crosses are made with cardstock paper (I used folders)

Cut half way up where the crayons are showing! Then slide into each slit.

Sticks tied together to make crosses, put into dirt (desert) and put into a purple can or jar, draped with a purple ribbon. Later, on Easter replaced with a white ribbon!

Marble Painting! "By his stripes we were healed" Isaiah 53:5

Red paint is very visual! Crosses and necklace crosses!

Dip marbles in paint, put paper on bottom of a box, put marbles in and roll around!

The purple crosses and shamrocks are marble painted.

Onto snacks! The kiddos love to make these pretzels, symbolizing crossed arm praying. (the old way people used to pray)

My recipe can be found here

Pretzel crosses. Big rods, or little sticks can be made into cross snacks, by adding peanut butter or cream cheese.

Resurrection Rolls

Crescent rolls

Cinnamon and sugar

Melted butter

Large marshmallows

Dip marshmallows into melted butter and then sugar mix and put inside triangle rolls, wrap them up and sprinkle with sugar mix on top.

Bake 9-11 minutes

Empty tombs when they are finished!

We have these on Easter morning!

I hope this post has given you some ideas for your Lent!

Something we always like to do is a mini retreat at home, using some of these ideas packed into Holy week.

Blessings on your path to Easter!

3 Year Old People

I never tire of these cute little people that Babycakes draws!
I'm not sure why their legs are always connected at the bottom, but they are so darned cute!

Not SO Wordless Wednesday

"Oh, these amazing hands are so yummy!"
"Here, let me pull them away like this, for a quick picture!"

Sacrament of Confession

Ballerina Rosie all ready to go!
She said the little girl behind her was very scared and her mom and grandma kept coming over to console her. "Why was she scared, mom?"
Her first words to me after her Confession were "I feel so happy!"
God bless you sweet girl, God bless you!