Children

Children
"God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."
(1 Jn 4:16)

Friday, November 29, 2013

Picture Book Recommendations

I know that I often share what books my family and I are reading. This time, I am sharing three books that I think would be appreciated in young children's personal libraries.


The Christmas ABC (Little Golden Book) by Florence Johnson, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin
Eloise Wilkin is one of my favorite Golden Book illustrators. When I saw that Golden Books had reprinted The Christmas ABC this year, I knew that I wanted it for a Christmas present for my youngest child. I am thankful that I didn't hesitate to buy it. Florence Johnson shares some of the secular traditions of Christmas, while making it evident that "Jesus is the reason for the season" (please excuse the cliche). "C is for Christmas, a most joyful day. We celebrate Jesus in his warm bed of hay.", "J is for Jesus, who was born on Christmas Day....", and "W is for wreath....Like a crown for the King little children adore." Eloise Wilkin's charming illustrations add to the beauty of this book.


Eloise Wilkin Stories (Little Golden Book Treasury)
I have been toying with buying this book for a few years. I wish that I had done so sooner. My hesitation came from the fact that we already owned some of the books that are found in this treasury. I shouldn't have hesitated. My oldest daughter and I oohed and aahed over the stories in this book and delighted in the illustrations. The stories included in this book are: Busy Timmy, Guess Who Lives Here, My Little Golden Book About God, Wonders of Nature (Little Golden Book), We Help Mommy, Baby Listens, Baby Dear, Baby Looks, and a few poems. I can't wait to give this to my youngest for his second birthday. I know that my youngest daughter will enjoy it too.



Saint Felix and the Spider by Dessi Jackson, illustrated by Lydia Grace Kadar-Kallen
When I saw Saint Felix and the Spider mentioned on Kimberlee's blog, I decided to buy it to show my support for a talented young artist. I didn't realize how much I would enjoy the book. Dessi Jackson does an amazing job of drawing the reader in as she tells the story of Saint Felix and the Spider. Lydia Grace's pictures help to bring out the warmth of the story. I am thankful that I took a chance and bought this book, and I am fairly certain that my budding reader will be very happy to receive it for his birthday.

If you are thinking about getting one of the above books or another book, Amazon currently has 30% off one book when you enter the code "BOOKDEAL" at checkout. My husband purchased this book for me, using the above code.

I hope that everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.

Monday, November 25, 2013

December 2013 Saints



As usual, this month's pieces were made using the calendar published by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter as a guide. If I have made any errors, please don't hesitate to let me know. The Fraternity's 2014 calendar is now available.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Gestational Diabetes Diet

Once again, I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. This is my fifth pregnancy with this diagnosis. Hopefully, I will continue to be able to control my blood sugar levels with diet. Although an insulin needle is a lot thinner than a pre-filled Lovenox needle, I have no desire to be poking myself with another needle. So what do I eat to keep my blood sugar levels in check?

Breakfast Options:
  • Egg, slice of cheddar cheese, whole wheat toast, cup of whole milk
  • Scrambled egg with cheese and/or ham, cup of whole milk
  • Vegetable omelet, cup of whole milk
Breakfast cereals make my blood-sugar levels spike and so does oatmeal. I have not tried steel cut oats or Cream of Wheat yet.

Mid-morning Snack Options: 
  • Apple and a slice of cheese
  • Popcorn with parmesan cheese
  • Kirkland Signature Greek Yogurt with a banana (the KS yogurt has 24 grams of protein which enables me to eat the banana too)
  • Some almonds or cashews and a fruit
  • Spoonful of peanut butter
  • Raw vegetables
Lunch Options:
  • 2 slices of sandwich thins with lunch meat, a slice of cheese, lettuce, and a slice of tomato
  • Leftovers from dinner
  • Egg salad sandwich, using sandwich thins for bread
  • Tuna fish sandwich, using sandwich thins for bread
  • Quesadillas
  • Salad
Afternoon Snack Options:
  • Same as mid-morning snack options (see above)
Dinner Options:
  • Chicken, brown rice, vegetables, lettuce salad with homemade salad dressing
  • Beef, brown rice/potato, and vegetables, lettuce salad with homemade salad dressing
  • Fish or other seafood, brown rice, vegetables, lettuce salad with homemade salad dressing
  • Lentil dish or soup
Nighttime Snack Options:
In the past, I have been able to eat the snacks mentioned under mid-morning snack. This time, it is not working for me to eat a snack before bed. When I do so, my fasting blood sugar levels rise above 90. When I don't have a snack, my levels are in the 70s in the morning.

Kieran

I actually have more problems with my blood sugar levels plummeting than I do with them spiking. My children can tell you how often I say, "Please get me... to eat. I feel like I am going to pass out." When I have checked my blood at these times, my levels are anywhere between 58 and 63. My doctor has told me that some of her other patients have told her the same thing, but she doesn't understand why some women who test positive for gestational diabetes experience and are affected by such lows. Thankfully, other than breakfast and lunch, my diet doesn't change much. We tend to eat the things listed above anyway. If I think of other things that I can eat, I will share them.

Kieran

I can't wait to hold this little one in my arms in three months. The children are anxious to know whether this baby is a boy or girl.

9/3/2013 Ultrasound
16 weeks

Monday, November 18, 2013

Sweetness

Me: "Sweet Elizabeth, will you please..."

Elizabeth: "Don't call me sweet. I'm not sweet."

Me: "Oh, why aren't you sweet."

Elizabeth: "If I was sweet, that would mean that I was like sugar or something. I'm just Elizabeth."

She's sweeter than sugar, but I won't call her sweet again. 


As we sat around the dinner table last night, I was surprised to hear the following:

Elizabeth: "Her mother gave her mashed potato and she was furious."

Me: "Are you furious?"

Elizabeth: "No, I just don't like mashed potato and it sounded good."

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Christmas Present Idea: For Greater Glory

I know that I have shared this elsewhere, including via email with my local homeschool group, but I thought that I should probably share it here too. The Blu-ray/DVD combo of For Greater Glory is currently selling for $5. 82. Over the past couple of weeks, the price has fluctuated between $5.70 and $5.82. This is a better deal than buying the Blu-ray or the DVD on their own. If you don't have a Blu-ray player, you can keep the DVD and give the Blu-ray to someone else. We already own the movie, but couldn't pass up such a great deal. We purchased a copy for a Christmas gift and I am debating buying a few more copies of For Greater Glory.



My husband and I both like this movie and think that it is very relevant to what is happening in the world today. Fr. Dennis Gordon, FSSP recommended For Greater Glory at the boys' camp that my oldest son participated in this past summer. If you haven't seen the movie, I recommend that you do so.
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