Lenten Christ's Crown

On Ash Wednesday, my family and I place toothpicks* (the number of toothpicks is determined by the number of children in our family multiplied by 40) in a grapevine wreath, purchased from Joann Fabrics, in order to make Christ’s Crown of Thorns.  The Crown of Thorns is placed in the center of our dining room table.  During dinner, the children tell us of a good deed or of something they have offered up for Christ and then they pull a thorn (toothpick) out of the crown and place it in a glass dish that is located on the table.  On Easter morning, the children find the crown decorated with beads or Easter eggs (We have done both over the past seven years.) and the glass bowl full of Easter eggs.  Our children really enjoy seeing how they can transform Christ’s Crown of Thorns into a true crown.

* The toothpicks can be painted brown.

When Jesus was Born

by Maria B. (age 8)

Angel in the Waters

Angel in the Waters,by Regina Doman, Sophia Institute Press

This simple book chronicles the life of a baby in the womb and the months that follow the child’s birth. Angel in the Waters would make a wonderful gift for children, parents and Crisis Pregnancy Centers. The book may be previewed at http://www.angelinthewaters.com/

All Saints Party

Little Flowers St. Therese Meeting

We held our Little Flowers first meeting of the year at Point Defiance once again.  The girls colored in a picture of St. Therese, decorated tote bags to hold their binders, ate lunch, sang Marian songs, and visited with each other.

Coloring

Coloring



Little Flower Sisters

Coloring



Singing Marian and Little Flower Songs



Decorating a Canvas Tote Bag

Mother and Daughter

Little Flower Sisters

Little Flower Sisters

Little Flowers

Little Flower Sisters

Little Flowers Decorating Canvas Tote Bags

Little Flowers Group Photo

In retrospect, the tote bag should have been a craft that we did during our first year of Little Flowers. Hopefully, next year we will be able to process through the Rose Garden, singing Marian songs again. 

May God bless the Little Flowers!

There's a Wocket in My Pocket

There's a Wocket in My Pocket!,  by Dr. Seuss.

My son enjoys reading this book with me. Reading the story together provides a great way to familiarize young children with rhyming words and teach them the correct pronunciation of sounds.

Barry, the Bravest St. Bernard

Barry: The Bravest Saint Bernardby Lynn Hall, Random House Step into Reading, Step 5

This is a wonderful true-life story about the St. Bernards at the Great St. Bernard Monastery in the Pennine Alps (located between the valley of Aosta and the Swiss canton of Valais). The story focuses on a dog named Barry, who rescued more than 40 people from avalanches. My children (ages 3, 5, and 6) listened intently as they learned of the relationship between Barry, the boy who trained him, and the Augustinian monks.