Holy Week Book Activity -- all you need is a pencil and paper

In order to get the four year old twins participating in some school work that will also interest the older children, I have been doing a picture book of the week accompanied by a drawing activity.

This week, we are reading The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith. This story is a beautifully illustrated retelling of the Passion and uses the perspective of the donkey Jesus rides into Jerusalem. I like the donkey "angle" because we use our donkey figure when we talk about the Nativity as well, the donkey who carries Mary to Bethlehem. I have heard it said that when St. Josemaria Escriva would meditate on a gospel passage he would often picture himself as a humble donkey watching nearby, or working and helping the Holy Family.

To accompany the book, I found these instructions on how to draw a donkey, and we have been practicing this morning. I think I will continue to use this website for other book related drawing times. I really like the simple step by step approach, and later in the week we can try to draw donkeys from memory, to see what we have learned.

Public Service Announcement

If you eat brown organic eggs, this is just a friendly reminder (mostly to myself) to BUY WHITE EGGS if you plan to dye some for Easter. I forgot last year.

Refilling Soap Dispensers and Buying Spices

Recently I was refilling hand soap pumps around our apartment from one of those large refill jugs. Then, several days later, I actually wrote "ground cinnamon" on my shopping list.

I can see how these two details might not catch the attention of a typical wife/mother, but to me they almost brought tears to my eyes. You see, as an Army family, we have moved so much in the past 18 months that I have never reached the end of a hand soap pump. Instead, moving day would arrive and we would have to toss a 1/3-full one and then buy a new one at the next place. Spices -forget it! I love my spices, but moving men are insistent that they won't pack anything open or perishable - so the amount of cardamom and ground cloves I have sprinkled in dumpsters across the continental US is rather sad. But here we are - I got to use all of my own cinnamon! Nearly seven months in beautiful Germany and we are finally feeling established (it is all relative). My 14-month-old son is in a real crib and we actually have a land line for the first time since we have been married. It feels good. As we settle in for Holy Week and I pull old craft projects down off of our kitchen cork tiles to replace them with paper palms and cloak-draped crosses it feels peaceful. I feel great joy for my children and husband that the Army has granted us a few years to make our house a home.

Though I suspect there is still some sort of subconscious adrenaline-junkie lurking inside of us, because we haven't accepted this new sense of calm whole-heartedly. Now that things are finally settling into place around here, we have found out that we will be welcoming an AWOL newborn in late October! Nonetheless, what a nice feeling to be able to welcome this new baby into a home he will grow in and learn to love, rather than cradling a 3-day old while the packers tape boxes around us. Thank you, God. A blessed holy week to all.

Safe Driving with a Lively Backseat

QUIZ QUESTION: Which one is the greatest menace behind the wheel?

1) A college student driving a Beemer while simultaneously listening to her Ipod, Facebooking on her Blackberry, laughing on her cellphone, sipping a $12 Starbucks drink and applying mascara

2) A blind and deaf 85 year old driving out of the church parking lot

3) A 16 year old test-driving his uncle’s red Ferrari while test-drinking his grandfather’s homemade whiskey

4) An overworked, underloved 55 year old banker gunning his new Harley past the playground where the pretty moms hang

5) Me, behind the wheel of a Camry, with Angelina screaming loudly enough to shatter the windshield (she strongly dislikes car rides), Bean incessantly requesting fresh-squeezed orange juice, Bella insisting that I talk like Peter Pan while she pretends to be Wendy Darling, and our slightly-too-peppy Fisher Price Car Songs CD in the background.

The correct answer is (5). I won't describe the three "thank you guardian angels" near-incidents that I've created in the past two months. Suffice it to say we're basically entirely pedestrian these days (thanks to the great, walkable village where we live) until I get the situation under control. Do you have any suggestions on car rules/guidelines for lively little passengers and ways to enforce rules while driving? Or should we go ahead and install an automated sound-proof window that separates the front seat from the rest of the vehicle in our Toyota limousine?

The Springtime of Pope John Paul II

Yesterday marked the 4th anniversary of Pope J.P. 2's passing, I know I am a day late, but I didn't want anyone to miss this excellent piece in First Things. What a man, what a mind, what an inspiration.

When Baby Makes Happy

Baby J, you light up our world. Your sweetness is palpable. Your ever-present smile is a reminder to me of God's love for his children. You ride around on my hip with delight, taking in your world and growing each day. You soften your boisterous brothers. You humble your daddy and me that we are lucky enough to be your parents. You are living proof that every new life is always a blessing. God bless you, sweet boy.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Spring is well underway in Texas and our family has spent the last several weekends up to our knees and elbows in dirt. Gardening is such a beautiful way to introduce your children to the wonder and beauty of nature.

One of my earliest memories is from kindergarten. I can remember what my classroom looked like only because it was the back drop to my little styrofoam cup with a seed in it. We watered our seeds every day and watched in wonder as they sprouted and pushed their way through the loose soil to show us their green heads. We compared them everyday to see whose was growing the most. We tended them with care, learning responsibility for taking care of something that was depending on us for its life.

I am the first to confess that I know very little about gardening. Where we live, we don't even have soil, we have clay. If I ever decide to take up pottery, I will have to look no further than my back door for the raw materials, but our ground is no friend to gardening. So I have been reading books and attended a lecture by our local garden club.

Generally, I am a believer in "it's the process, not the product", but it helps to have the right organic material (compost) to make something grow. But if you've got good soil, water and sun, you should be set. Some books to get started: Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew and (especially for Texans) anything by Howard Garrett. See if you have a local gardening club. There are usually experienced gardeners in the area who are thrilled to give a gardening novice some pointers. Check you library for books and programs.

There are tons and tons of books on gardening with kids. Check some out from your library to get ideas. One of my favorites is Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots.

Consider what is feasiable. At our old home, we did not have a big yard, but I dedicated a 5x5 block of space and we constructed an inexpensive raised bed to grow herbs and tomatoes. Even if you are in an apartment with no yard, there are many herbs and plants that you can grow indoors. A friend mentioned that Costco had tomato plants in containers last week (they may not be available in the northeast yet). Perfect for a porch or patio. And if space and budget are absolutely prohibitive, a stryofoam cups and a 50 cent pack of seeds are still enough to captivate. Wonder with your child. Drop whatever you are doing when you hear the first shouts of, "Mommy, Look! Something's growing!" and share the moment with your child. Let your child tell you what he sees.

I have much more to say about this subject, but it will have to wait for another time. I could to a whole post on gardening/planting books for kids. So many great ones! How Groundhog's Garden Grew is a good one to illustrate the gardening process. And, of course, anything by Beatrix Potter.