Stations of the Cross- kids and family stuff

Look what I came upon!  Pages of the Stations of the Cross for kids to color or hang up (as we will). 

CLICK THIS LINK HERE

I am thrilled.  I have wanted to get ones that were big enough to hang up on our walls around our house so that we could do an actual walking around stations of the cross as a family at home.  I will be hanging these up in our long hallway and wherever I can find room (but you can color them too!).  It may turn out to be a little bit of a hunt to find the next station as we travel together, but what fun!  I bet my kids will love it.  Well, I hope they do!  They'll learn their roman numerals too-a whole bag full of learning!

I also printed THESE up and will be cutting them up into little booklets for little hands to follow along as we walk, as a family, through the stations of the cross.  I am so pleased!  Of course I wanted to do these Stations sooner...as in the beginning of Lent (rrrr!), but better late than never, right>?!?! oh well.  We'll have our big crucifix that  my older sons will fight over have to take turns using and learn to be patient.  Then after we complete a station, each child will get to place a sticker on that station sign as we (*look around hastily for the next station somewhere in my house and while we look and walk and not run around, we hope not to loose any child in some other room, b/c the whole point is to do this as a family, right?  I mean, it can't be that hard to do.  So what that only one of my children knows how to read totally by himself.  And the kids may scream and get bored and impatient and frustrated as we trudge from room to room to just find the next station*) head on over to the next station.

So...how are your stations of the cross going this Lent?

BTW, check out these Stations of the Cross put out by EWTN-now, that seems the type I'll be praying by myself.

God bless,
Mary

Confession talk

Older boy:  "How many times did I hit you?"

Middle boy:  "1,2,3,4,5...6 times.  Yup, 6 times."

Older boy:  "Ok."

Middle boy: "Why are you asking me that?"

Older boy:  "Just keeping tabs on my list."


LOOK HERE for a Catholic examination of conscience for adults.  LOOK HERE for another one for adults, still the same but worded a bit differently. 

LOOK HERE for examination of conscience for children. 

This week is a really good week to get to confession!!! 

Get your SOUL 'in the box'!!!

Society has lost a sense of sin, BIGTIME. 

You're okay, I'm okay...hey, we're all okay...right?  No.  The reality is ...we are so not! 

We need forgivess and we need to change our ways.  Being truly sorry for our sins, asking and begging for forgiveness, and have a firm resolution not to sin anymore.  Yes, we are fragile humans who are so inclined to sin but...don't give up.  We are called to keep trying and keep trying.  Figure out what may trigger us to sin and avoid it as much as you can.  Avoid near occasions of sin too. It will not come easy. 

Anything worthwhile is never easy, is it?  Really. 

The graces that come pouring into us after confession is really felt.  You know it!  You feel it, don't you!?!?  It is real.  It is true.  I will be praying for you.  God bless you.

God bless,
Mary

Toy Review Tuesday

well, sorta kinda...

Here is what I think is a super invention...

PUZZLE STORAGE ORGANIZER

Pros:  My sister-in-law gave it to us for Christmas and it has been so helpful in keeping our younger childrens' puzzles together and not loosing the pieces. (Well, some of them are lost but not all and that is awesome!).  I've always admired the one at the library and wondered if they sold them to anyone, not just the libraries.  What a suprise to get this as a present-just what I wanted and what we needed!  It's easy to transport to the table and let them pick out the one puzzle to work on.  Then off the puzzle organizer goes up far from little hands to get a hold of it. 

Cons:  Only holds certain kinds of puzzles-it has to be the exact width and thickness to fit in nicely to the organizer. There are some of our puzzles that are too thick and/or too small or big for the organizer holder thingy and they sit next to it.  I think there are different size puzzle organizers and even cool wooden ones that I really dig, but I found those to be too expensive unless we get them for Christmas too!!! (hint, hint! heee heee).  The one on amazon.com I just googled came up for the price of a little bit over $10!  I think that is a great price!

God bless and happy puzzling!
Mary

Homeschooling Top Picks & Tips #3

Just like THIS post and THIS post...

Here are some recommended reading for the homeschooling Mom that I have found extremely useful.  Some I found out on my own, and some were recommended from other homeschooling Moms and seasoned homeschooling Moms-to them both, a warm and big thank you!:

1.  Everyday Graces:  A Child's Book of Good Manners by Karen Santorum

2.  Catholic Home Schooling by Mary Kay Clark

3.  The Well-Trained Mind, A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise

I hope you enjoy these as much as I have. 

These are the type of books that I will have looked at trillions of times and will never stop. 

They are chock full of helpful information for just about anything you may encounter as a

Catholic and homeschooling Mom. 

We, Moms, need all the support and advice we can get-esp. from the right resources-

as we embark and journey through homeschooling our amazing families!!!

O Happy Schooling!

God bless,

Mary

Quote of the Day

"The love of worldly possessions is a sort of bird line, which entangles the soul, and prevents it flying to God."

-- St. Augustine

O Happy Monday of the holiest of weeks in our Church year!

God bless,
Mary

Happy Palm Sunday!

"The crowds preceding him and those following
kept crying out and saying:
'Hosanna to the Son of David;
blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord;
hosanna in the highest."

---Matthew 21:9

Lent Update

Today will be a family effort:  we'll be doing lots of Spring cleaning today, in prepartion for Holy Week and Easter! 

Update:  Lent 2010:

 40 bags in 40 days challenge...I still have about 6 bags left.  I can't believe I got rid of that much stuff!  I am psyched but now it comes down to the nitty gritty...I really have to get rid of more.  Simplicity.  Simplicity.  Simplicity.

Remeber this post with my easy just- print Lenten calender link?  We LOVED it!!!  Unlike last year, this year we did not even miss one day!  Great job children, esp. my 7 yr old daughter, for keeping us on track!

As for our Lenten bean jar--another fantastic outcome!  The easter bunny will be having to change lots and lots of kidney beans into jelly beans this year.  My little ones are so very excited for this mysterious switch that will take place :)

Happy Cleaning....!
God bless, Mary