Goodbye February Daybook

Outside my window

My bulbs are starting to bloom. Our miniature irises have come and gone. The crocuses (the penitent's rose) and hyacinths (lily-among-thorns) are blossoming. The daffodils (Mary's star) have buds, and our tulips (Mary's prayer) and Easter lily are sprouting. Our Lenten Roses are also in full bloom. I need to set aside more time for gardening. Spring must be just around the corner.

Photo by Bernadette

I am wearing

a khaki skirt, a red shirt, and a fleur-de-lis flexi clip.

In the kitchen

My girls are making Kimberlee's delicious spinach lasagna. This lasagna tastes so good that I sometimes feel guilty about eating it during Lent. Don't just take my word for it, try it.

I am hearing

one of my daughter's playing the piano. I am also hearing one of my sons singing.

I am praying for

my dad. I spoke with him yesterday, and he told me that the doctor told him that the left ventricle of his heart is only operating at 20%. The doctor wants to fly him to another island to run some tests. It is so hard to be so far away from my dad, when I know that he is suffering so much. It is hard for him to speak, etc.

I am thankful for

Facetime. My brother gave our oldest daughter an iPad shortly before the birth of our eighth child's birth, saying that it would allow us to share the joy of our baby's birth with my dad. At the time, I had no idea what an incredible gift he was giving. Facetime has allowed my dad to see our last two little boys right after they were born. It has also allowed my children to see and speak with their grandfather.

We are learning

We have had an amazing February. The children are focused and learning. I have been spending a lot of my time working on math with my older children. One day, as I lay on the living room floor with Patrick, explaining his math to him, my two youngest were playing quietly behind me. Wondering how Kieran was keeping his baby brother occupied, I turned around and gasped, "Oh no, what are you doing?" Kieran responded, "I am cutting his hair. It looks good. Huh?" My little boy's hair is now shorter than it was when he was born.

Our Happy Little Boy

The top picture shows our happy little boy on February 9. The bottom picture shows him on February 11 (you can't really see the damage). The large picture shows him after I cut his hair. I would have needed to cut it even shorter, practically bald, to erase all evidence of his brother's hair cut. Thankfully, our little guy is so easy going. He sat still in his little chair while I buzzed his hair.

How did Kieran get the scissors? Well we did the Our Lady of Lourdes art project again from Seton's Art 1 for Young Catholics. When the children were finished, we cleaned up, but one pair of scissors must have remained out.

Our Lady of Lourdes Grottoes

I am reading

Uniformity with God's Will by St. Alphonsus Liguori. I have read this little booklet numerous times, and I love it. I think that every Catholic should read it and reread it. St. Alphonsus Liguori's advice in this inexpensive little gem has helped me when I am crying in the car as I drive home, thinking how can I possibly do this? I don't have enough hours in my day to do all that I need to do. Then I remember St. Alphonsus' words, and I pray and remind myself that I cannot do this alone. I can only do it by the grace of God. If you haven't read this little booklet, I highly recommend that you get a copy and read and reread it.

Each morning, I am reading First Communion Days to the children. Since Elizabeth will be receiving her First Holy Communion this year, I thought that we should pull this little book off our bookshelf again. She is enjoying hearing the stories about the children and their First Communions.

I am listening to

Last weekend, as I worked on laundry and ironing, I decided to listen to this 2008 Lenten Mission again. I want to listen to bits and pieces of it again this weekend.

I love my husband

On St. Valentine's Day, he surprised me with this beautiful little rose bush and a card.

A few anecdotes

About a week ago, Kieran was saying that his diaper was wet and that it was disgusting. I told him that he could go on the big boy toilet next time (he does occasionally). He responded, "That would be hilarious. People would laugh at me." Say what?

Earlier this week, I was speaking with another mother after our children's choir class, Kieran came up to me and asked, "Can I have the keys?"

Kilian really likes music. Yesterday, he heard a couple of notes from "Rock-a-Bye Baby" and he started to sing, "Rock a bye, Rock a bye." He doesn't say, "Rock", but he does sing whatever he says to the correct tune.

Last night, the little children were listening to Gi'Me Elbow Room. Some of my older children think that the singing could use improvement, but Catherine, my younger children, and I enjoy the music. Anyway, I came into the living room and found Kilian waving a plastic stick in the air and banging it on the ground to the rhythm of the music. Bernadette and I were both impressed.

I hope that everyone is having a blessed and fruitful Lent.

God bless you!

Rainy Day Recess Activity

We have been enjoying our St. Luke's Summer. My children are still wearing sandals and short-sleeve shirts. However, earlier today we had a downpour which kept the children inside after lunch. Brendan decided to use his free time to carve our first pumpkin. In years past, he has carved a pro-life pumpkin and a Celtic knot. This year, he carved a raccoon. I am looking forward to seeing it lit up. He wants to carve at least one more pumpkin this year. I am eager to see how he carves the next one.

The stencil for this pumpkin can be found here.

From the Mouth of a Child and more

When my daughters returned from camp, they showed us the Immaculate Heart of Mary wall hangings that they made. Kieran was amazed by them and sat looking at the wall hangings and trying to touch them. All of a sudden, he surprised me by saying, "Mommy, the girls make Mary's heart. Jesus is happy."

As I sang, "Go to sleep my baby..." to Kieran the other night, he stopped me, saying, "Mommy, I am not your baby. My brother is your baby. I am your little boy."

When we go to the grocery store, my little boy insists on pushing the cart because he can do things by himself because he is "like Timmy". After a long shopping trip, during which Kieran pushed the cart, walking on tippy toes, I asked him, "Are you Mommy's big helper?" My little boy responded, "Mmmmm... I think so."

On Wednesday, Theresa, Kieran, Kilian, and I picked my husband up from work. Kieran insisted on pushing the elevator buttons and carrying his daddy's lunchbox for him. I wish that I had had my camera with me.

Christmastide Daybook

Outside my window the sky is blue and the sun is shining. It is a beautiful day!

In the kitchen, some of the children made a gingerbread train yesterday.

We still need to make our gingerbread houses. We were going to make them when our assistant pastor came for dinner, but we didn't have enough time after dinner was over. Then we were going to make them on one of my children's birthdays, but too many of us were sick. Hopefully, we get them made before Epiphany because that is when the children are planning on eating the houses.

We are enjoying listening to Christmas music. On Christmas Eve, before leaving for Midnight Mass, Patrick asked, "Daddy, do you have the Christmas CDs?" It has become a tradition in our house to wait until we are on our way to Mass to listen to Christmas music. My husband took some of our Christmas CDs a few years ago and took the best religious pieces and burned them onto a couple of CDs. He made an instrumental CD and a vocal CD. These are what we listen to on the way to and from Midnight Mass.

I am hearing Kieran say, "Thank you." He is the politest one-year-old that I have ever encountered. He has started speaking quite a lot and can often be heard saying new things. When it comes to speaking, he is a little parrot.

I am praying for my baby and for Patrick. Patrick scraped up his toe outside earlier this week and ended up with a staph and strep infection in his toe. He is taking antibiotics and we are watching it carefully.

I am thankful that the children all liked their Christmas presents and that they made unique thank yous to send to their grandpa for the gifts that he gave them. I think that my father-in-law will appreciate the "thank yous" that he receives. 

Brendan made this thank you, using the woodburning kit that he received from his grandfather. On the back, he burned the words "Thank ye" and wrote a short letter.

I am also thankful that the children fell asleep at some point on Christmas morning. My husband and I went to bed after the children opened their presents. The children explored what they received, saying that they didn't need to sleep, but this is what I found when I woke up.

In the learning rooms, I am preparing myself mentally to start teaching the children again this coming week. I have enjoyed our break even though most of us were sick.

I am thinking about Elizabeth. On Christmas Eve day, I told her, "Mary and Joseph have arrived in Bethlehem. You can put them in the stable." Elizabeth went over to our Nativity scene and I saw her take the shepherd and place him in front of Mary and Joseph. I looked at her with a quizzical look and she said, "They're asking." I questioned, "They're asking?" She replied, "They're asking if there's any room for them in the inn." Elizabeth then proceeded to have the shepherd (turned inn keeper) lead Mary and Joseph into the stable.

On Christmas Day, our wise men began their journey to Bethlehem. Elizabeth is anxiously waiting for them to arrive. I am waiting to see what she does and/or says when she places them in the stable.

I am pondering St. Bernadette's words:

"...When you realize that God permits a thing, you do not complain."

~ Saint Bernadette Soubirous, p. 33 ~

I am reading Mother Love and Saint Bernadette Soubirous: 1844-1879. I thank Jessica for recommending the first book and one of her brothers-in-law for recommending the latter. Both books are truly excellent. I highly recommend the latter book. I have had a hard time putting it down. Abbe Trochu writes very well.

I am happy that we are all starting to feel better and that my husband didn't get as sick as some of us did.

Plans for next week include celebrating a Baptism anniversary and birthdays. They also include starting lessons again and getting the house ready for our baby. I have a little less than seven weeks until my due date.

Pre-Lent Daybook

Outside my window...
It is still dark, but I can hear planes flying over our house.

In the kitchen...
I am thinking about what I should make for dinner tonight.

I am listening to...
the sound of Kieran breathing as he lies next to me. I am so thankful to God for our little boy.

I will be wearing...
a skirt, sweater, black tights and shoes later today.

I am praying for...
Our pastor that he finds a permanent location for our parish, a location that will allow the parish to grow and that will ultimately serve to bring greater glory to God.

I am thankful...
Everyone is well again. We had a nasty flu bug go through our house and as usual most of us fell like dominoes. I was most worried about Kieran because he has coughed every single night (and during his daytime naps) since contracting the whooping cough last July.  The last thing that I felt he needed was a fever, vomiting, and .... Thankfully, Kieran is still nursing and weathered the flu fairly well. Hopefully, his cough will cease in the near future.

In the learning rooms...
Catherine is practicing for her piano adjudications.  Theresa is excited to almost be finished with her math for the year. I need to determine whether or not I should move her right into Saxon Math 7/6 or give her a long break from crunching numbers.  Brendan finished his science book and immediately asked, "What science can I do next?" He is asking for a microscope (suggestions are welcome) and various supplies to make another bug board.

Bernadette is drawing and drawing and drawing. When she was little, she used to finish pictures in her workbooks. If there was a picture of a car, she would draw a person sitting in the car. If there was a picture of a head, she would draw the body. If there was a picture of a horse, she would draw someone riding the horse. At times, I found it nerve-racking. I would think that she was working on her lesson and instead I would find that she had been completing what she saw as unfinished pictures. Now, she draws pictures on the back of her lesson plans, on newsprint, on whatever she can find. She has a couple of sketchbooks, but they aren't always close enough for her to draw what is in her mind. I cringe when I see one of her drawings ruined because it was done on a piece of scrap paper.

Patrick and Finnian continue to be very conscientious learners. They are a joy to teach.

At least once a day, I hear Elizabeth saying, "Do school with me." So, I pull from what we have to teach her. She is learning to read and enjoys coloring. I gave Elizabeth some beeswax crayons which seem to have motivated her to stop coloring everything pink or purple and to start using somewhat realistic colors. I like the rich colors of these crayons and their triangular shape. The shape of the crayons is helping me to gently show Elizabeth how to correctly hold crayons and pencils.

Living the Liturgical Year...
I read this excellent article. (Thank you, Kimberlee, for sharing it.) We are preparing for Lent. It is hard to believe that Ash Wednesday is next week. Our grapevine wreath and toothpicks are ready. I am trying to remember where I stored our Stations of the Cross. I was happy to see this family's sign. I hope that they don't mind, but I copied their sign and will be hanging it in our dining room this Lent. It can be found here if you want to do the same.

I am pondering...

these passages from We and Our Children: How to Make a Catholic Home:

We can give a child all other knowledge, an appetite for all other devotions, a familiarity with every other aspect of the Faith; still, if he does not have reverence and awe and finally impassioned love for the Mass, he is spiritually only half alive. It is probably one of the most intricate of all the lessons to teach, but it is the one he will thank us for the most, all the days of his life. (pp. 129-130)

There is a difference between an educated man and a knowledgeable man. The first knows why he is here and uses knowledge to discover his relation to God. The second does not know why he is here and uses knowledge as the end itself.  (p. 147)

I am reading...

Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
This is the second time that I am reading this book. St. Therese of Lisieux was my paternal grandmother's favorite saint. She was also my mother-in-law's favorite.

Plans for the rest of the week...

• Mass
• I am hoping to spend a little time in the garden. I also need to get some gardening soil, so that I can start some seedlings indoors. I had intended to do this in January, but it never happened.

A picture thought...

Hobbit House

We threw a Hobbit party for one of our children. I was happy to be able to add Gandalf, Bilbo, and Thorin to the cake we made. The guests liked the invitation, going to see the movie, the decorations, the Hobbit meal (per the book's description), the games, and dancing to Hobbit music. I think that everyone had a great time.

Gingerbread Houses

A couple of days before Christmas, we  made our annual gingerbread houses.

And so it begins

This year, we decided to have a competition to see who could make the best gingerbread house, the boys or the girls.

Having Fun

The competition was fierce, until my husband made the boys' window look like a face.

Working Diligently

We decided that two competition categories were needed, the best gingerbread house and the funniest gingerbread house.

Working Hard

Elizabeth decided that the frosting was finger-licking good.

Concentration

She also decided that eating the candy was more fun than decorating the house.

Final Touches

Everyone was happy with the final results. However, the gingerbread houses could only be admired for a day. In the morning, we found that our sweet-toothed daughter thought that the houses made a great snack.

Applesauce and Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments

We've been making these ornaments since my oldest was three years old. We don't make them every year, but we will need to make some this Advent, as Heidi chewed several of them last year.

What You Need:

• 1 ½ cups ground cinnamon 
• 1 cup applesauce 
• ¼ cup white non-toxic school glue (optional; if you decide not to use glue, then increase the applesauce by ¼ cup) 
• Bowl 
• Plastic food wrap 
• Rolling pins 
• Wax paper 
• Cookie cutters (We use a set similar to this one.)
• Ribbon, yarn, fishing line, etc. for hanging 
• Straws

Instructions:

1. Mix cinnamon, applesauce, and glue together in a bowl. The dough should be as thick as cookie dough. If the dough isn’t thick enough, add a little more cinnamon. If it is too stiff, add a little water. 
2. Remove dough from bowl and knead. Put it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for a half hour. 
3. Remove the dough, knead again until it is smooth (the smoother the dough, the better the ornaments look). Roll the dough between wax paper so that it is ¼ to ⅛ inch thick. 
4. Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters. Use a straw to punch a hole for the ribbon to hang. 
5. Carefully place the shapes on a piece of clean wax paper. Turn the ornaments over regularly in order to prevent the ends from curling up and help them dry evenly. They will take about 5 days to dry. 

Notes: 

The ornaments will get smaller during the drying process. 

Once the ornaments are dry, acrylic paints may be applied, if desired. We do not paint our ornaments.
The ornaments make our house smell delicious.

Eastertide Daybook

I am listening to...

Bernadette is playing music from the Lord of the Rings on her violin. She spends about an hour each morning playing her violin. First, she practices and then she has fun, playing and picking out pieces that she has heard at Mass, on a CD, the radio or in a movie. Listening to her play makes for a relaxing morning. She has a very good ear. Last week, I listened to her violin lesson. She and her teacher played a duet of Bernadette's recital piece, "Two Guitars", and it was so moving that I almost started to cry.

Outside my window...

The sun is peeking through some clouds and birds are chirping. I am looking foward to another beautiful day.

I am thankful for...

My ultrasound went well last Wednesday. The baby is looking good.  He/she is big, but so were two of my other children. My doctor didn't mention anything about inducing me and it is comforting to think that this baby might be born during Mary's month. I have about two more weeks until my due date, plus or minus a few days. :) I can't wait to hold this baby in my arms. My husband and children are excited to do the same.

Thanks to a beautiful weekend, we spent some much needed time gardening together on Saturday. It made for a very relaxing day.

I am thinking about and praying for...

My son who will be making his First Confession on May 5 and receiving his First Holy Communion on May 6.

From the kitchen...

I am smelling eggs and sausage.

In the learning rooms...

We are working hard trying to finish as many lessons as we can before this baby is born.

I am wearing...
I am wearing a black maternity skirt and a red shirt.

I am reading...
When I can find a quiet moment (usually during my non-stress tests at the doctor's office), I am reading This Tremendous Lover. Each morning, I am reading First Communion Days to Patrick and anyone else who wants to listen. At bedtime, Elizabeth keeps requesting that I read Miss Rumphius and Hedgie's Surprise. I think that I have these two stories memorized.  Patrick and Finnian request various stories before bed, but they usually ask me to read at least one of these.

I am praying for...

Our Archbishop has been given the challenging task of overhauling the LCWR. He has also been receiving public flack from some of the priests in our Archdiocese for supporting R-74 (a bill that would repeal unnatural unions) and requesting that signatures be collected after Masses to help get this referendum on the ballot. I am praying for Archbishop Sartain that he may continue to follow the will of God. I am also praying for our Archdiocese, our priests and the faithful. We all need the prayers.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

We are looking forward to our Fine Arts Friday. I had planned to implement this at the beginning of the year, but I was unable to do so, save for choir. What may you ask is Fine Arts Friday? I found that some of my children do not take the time to draw or paint unless I set aside time for them to do so. Therefore on Fridays, we have set aside a time for the children to not only sing, but also to draw, study artwork and sometimes listen to music.  They are thoroughly enjoying this time together and so am I. I would like to add poetry recitation to the mix, but it might have to wait until next year.

Although I am not an artist by any means, art is a subject that I have enjoyed since high school. It is also a subject that all of my children seem to find rewarding.



Bunnies and hare drawn by my four eldest children



Pysanky Tip

"I've been making Pysanky since I was 12 -- it can be a very spiritual tradition, gathering around the candle and thinking of the symbols and colors and their meanings. If you melt the wax with a candle flame, the flame has to be very tall: 1 1/2" or more. The egg passes through the side of the flame, not the top, to avoid getting soot on your egg. Have a blessed time this Lent!"

Irene left the above comment here. Her timing was perfect, as we will be making pysanky once again this year. Last year, we ended up putting most of our eggs in the oven because we always got soot on the egg when using the flame. This year, thanks to Irene's tip, we will try melting the wax with the flame again.

Easter Eggs and Pysanky

During Holy Week, we made pysanky for the first time.  We were happy with our first attempts at this intricate art, but know there is a lot of room for improvement.  When we used the candle to remove the wax, some of the eggs looked a little dark in places, leading us to discover that the best way to get the wax off is in the oven. Now, we want to learn how to keep our lines straight.  In the interim, we need to varnish what we made.

Bernadette decided to draw the tomb and the horse; rather than making a traditional Ukrainian Easter Egg.  I thought both of her eggs turned out well. 

Cat Sketch

My oldest son has been enjoying using the Ginger Himes art DVDs.  Today, he drew this cat.  I thought it was kind of cute.

Homemade Christmas Tree Ornaments

Please don't tell my children. On Friday, we are going to make some delicious smelling Christmas tree ornaments, using our Nativity Cookie Cutter Set that my parents gave us the year we moved into our house. We still have some of the figures that we made that year and a couple of years later, but I know that the children will delight in making more. Plus, they make our house smell so good. Hopefully, the ornaments will be fully dry just in time to hang them on our Christmas tree on December 24.

Applesauce and Cinnamon CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS

Ingredients and Materials:

• 1 ½ cups ground cinnamon
  
• 1 cup applesauce
  
• ¼ cup white non-toxic school glue (optional; if you decide not to use glue, then increase the applesauce by ¼ cup)
  
• Bowl
  
• Saran wrap
  
• Rolling pins
  
• Wax paper
  
• Nativity Cookie cutters
  
• Ribbon, fishing line, thread, etc. for hanging
  
• Straws
  

Directions:

1. Mix cinnamon, applesauce, and glue together in a bowl. The dough should be as thick as cookie dough. If the dough isn’t thick enough, add a little more cinnamon. If it is too stiff, add a little water.
   
2. Remove dough from bowl and knead. Put it back in the bowl, cover with saran wrap and let it sit for a half hour.
   
3. Remove the dough, knead again until it is smooth (the smoother the dough, the better the ornaments look). Roll the dough between wax paper so that it is ¼ to ⅛ inch thick.
   
4. Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters. Use a straw to punch a hole for the ribbon to hang.
   
5. Carefully place the shapes on a piece of clean wax paper. Turn the ornaments over regularly in order to prevent the ends from curling up and help them dry evenly. They will take about 5 days to dry.
   

Notes:

The ornaments will get smaller during the drying process.

Once the ornaments are dry, acrylic or fabric paints may be applied, if desired. We leave our ornaments plain.

I am sorry that I don't have photos, but all of our ornaments are still packed away.  I will try to add some next week.

Craft for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

I am sorry that I am posting this today, the Feast of the Exaltation, and not before, but I have been very busy. All the children (including my own) with whom I have done this craft have enjoyed it and liked the results.

Materials:

Oil pastels

Paper

Construction paper (or any stiffer paper)

Hair Spray or an art spray

What to do:

Draw a cross on construction paper

Cut the cross out*

Color the edges of the cross with the oil pastels

Place the cross on a piece of paper and hold it in place

Using your finger, gently rub the oil pastels from the cross onto the paper, making it come out like rays

Remove the cross

Spray with hair spray or an art spray to prevent smudging

Let dry

The end result will be a beautiful cross. It will look better than the hastily made sample below.

*The negative image can also be used by cutting the cross out with an exacto knife. The finished product will then be a colorful cross, rather than colorful rays.

**We usually make Easter cards using the above feathering technique.

I would enjoy seeing any end results.

Happy Feast Day!

Edited to add this photo of Brendan's impromptu cross:

May Day Baskets

May Day is almost here and the children can't wait to make these easy, cone-shaped May Day baskets again. They enjoy hanging them on our neighors' doors and running away. More ideas for May Day baskets can be found here.

Better Late than Never

This summer Catherine and Bernadette enjoyed making some crafts.

Bernadette focused on making flower fairies or little people (she still makes them at times).

Catherine enjoyed quilling (Alice sparked Catherine's interest in this craft which she often returns to when making cards).

I promised the girls that I would share some of their final results on my blog. My husband lovingly took photos of his daughters' crafts. Me, I forgot to share the photos, but hopefully I've made up for my forgetfulness today.

The Beauty of Advent II

During Advent, the Church blesses us with several special days that my family celebrates. These days include:
December 6 ~ Saint Nicholas
December 8 ~ The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
December 12 ~ The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 13 ~ Saint Lucy

On the eve of December 6, the children set a shoe outside their bedroom door and in the morning they find a little something left by St. Nicholas. We spend December 6 making crafts, baking goodies, and reading stories in honor of Saint Nicholas. The craft ideas and recipes for baked goods come from St. Nicholas Center. The children enjoy coloring pictures of St. Nicholas and then brushing their pictures with vegetable oil. The vegetable oil gives the pictures a stained glass look which makes them perfect for hanging in the window of our front door. Another craft that they enjoy is making St. Nicholas figures to place along our mantle. One of our favorite recipes is Ciastka Miodowe (Polish Honey Cakes). However, we do not cut the honey cakes into round shapes. Instead we use various cookie cutters to make shapes that remind us of St. Nicholas. When we are finished with our baking, the children take some of our St. Nicholas baked goods to neighbors. Two books that we have enjoyed reading in the past are, The Miracle of Saint Nicholas and The Baker's Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale. This year, we might also try reading some of the recommendations made by Jenn Miller at O Night Divine. Finally, we end our day by watching CCC's Nicholas: The Boy Who Became Santa.

The observance or celebration of Mary's Immaculate Conception is a very special day for me, as it is the day that I made my First Communion. It is also the day that my parents made their First Communion many years before me. On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we enjoy reading Tomie de Paola's Mary: The Mother of Jesus. We make the crafts that are recommended in Seton's Art 1 for Young Catholics and CHC's A Year with God. We go to Mass and I finish the Immaculate Conception Novena found at EWTN.

On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we celebrate Mary's appearance to St. Juan Diego (his feast day is on the ninth of December) and Patrick's Baptism Anniversary. We begin our day with Mass. Upon returning home, we read Tomie de Paola's The Lady of Guadalupe and watch CCC's Juan Diego: Messenger of Guadalupe. Brendan usually dons his Juan Diego tilma that his dad and I made for him several years ago and the children act out the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego. Finally, we eat Mexican food for dinner, usually tacos.

We never really observed St. Lucia's feast day until last year. Last year, our Little Flowers group met on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe to learn about St. Lucy and the corresponding virtue. Prior to the meeting I was racking my brain for a craft. My husband had nixed the first craft that I had planned on doing (a first for him). I went to Michaels, praying that I would find a craft. As I walked up to the store, I saw nine foot evergreen garlands on sale and I thanked the Holy Spirit for inspiring me.

After placing the necessary number of garlands in my cart, I went into the store and added 21 grapevine wreaths (the size that would fit on the head of an 18" doll) to the cart. Next, I located red ribbon and placed it in the cart. After purchasing the necessary supplies, I went home and called my co-leader. I told her that we would be making St. Lucia Wreaths for our Little Flowers' meeting. I explained how and asked if she had any wire cutters that I could borrow. I also mentioned that I was still trying to figure out what we should use for candles. She promptly responded, "White birthday candles." Two days later, the Little Flowers thoroughly enjoyed making St. Lucia wreaths. They began by wrapping the garland, which I had cut in half, around the grapevine wreath. Next, they tied the red ribbon to the wreath, making a loop so that the wreath could be placed and secured on a doll's head. They then tied two more bows on the wreath, using the red ribbon. Finally, they took five birthday candles each and secured them to the wreath, using the wire of the garland. As the girls placed the candles in their wreaths, I repeatedly reminded them that the candles were for decorative purposes only and not to be lit. The moms really liked the craft when they saw it.

Catherine's St. Lucia Wreath 12/12/05

Some of the Little Flowers used their wreath for their dolls. Others used them as an Advent decoration on the dashboard of their family's car. This year, our family will be making a larger wreath (one that will fit on a child's head). On December 13, Catherine will wear the wreath on her head as she brings us breakfast in bed.

I love how God inspires us with ideas that spill over into traditions that enrich our home life.

Related post: The Beauty of Advent