A First Reconciliation Lapbook ~

Buck and Honeybee received their First Reconciliations recently.  We made these lapbooks and added some of the things we studied as we prepared. 

First, we glued 2 manila folders back to back.  I picked out two whose tabs matched up. 

The House Cat made the cover page for us with Microsoft Clip Art.  She's so much better at that than I am.  What would take me an hour - takes her 5 min. 

As you open the folder, you find the sheet they made as we studied the Ten Commandments.  That Resource Site had this activity which we used for this page. 

They cut out the commandments and put them in order.

On the opposite page we made these little flaps that contain the questions for a gentle examination of conscience for children based on each commandment.  We cut and glued each one accordingly.

The first folder ~

Flip over the folder page and you have a the steps for a good confession.

 On the last page they wrote in the three things that happen to you after you make a good confession.

The second folder ~

They were both so excited to receive their First Reconciliations! 

Now they ask to go every week.

And a child shall lead them!

How to get rid of those pesky highlighted words ~

Have you noticed that some of the words in your online reading are highlighted?  Is this bothering you as much as it was me???  If you hover over them and you see the words text-enhance appear, I have good news....

You can remove this!!!!  I just figured out how!!!

For IE 7 here's what you do:

1. Select the Tools option
2. Manage Add ons
3. Toolbars and Extentions
4. Look for Yontoo, LLC and disable!

I'm so glad to be rid of those highlighted links that want to lead me to places I don't want to go!! 

It also fixed the problem of my text being really slow to appear while typing a blog post.

Anyway, I'm happy with this Lenten cleaning....  Now I'm off to prune roses :)

A Lenten Litany ~

Let my fasting turn me to the needs of others,

and not my own hungers.

Have Mercy, O Lord.

Let my charity be a sign of your generosity,

not an occasion for sinful pride.

Have Mercy, O Lord.

Let my prayer make me a witness to your grace,

leading me to acts of justice.

Have Mercy, O Lord.

Let my sufferings make me one with Christ,

who suffered for our salvation.

Have Mercy, O Lord.

Let my good deeds not be merely for show,

but for helping your kingdom come.

Have Mercy, O Lord.

Let my broken relationships be healed in reconciliation,

leading me beyond my isolation.

Have Mercy, O Lord.

Let my very life be consecrated to your will,

as this Lent leads to Easter's new life.

Have Mercy, O Lord.

Have Mercy, O Lord!

Let my every thought, word, and deed

during these Lenten days

be a sign of my love for you,

and of your love for the world.

Amen.

What's Lent All About?

Something to ponder today ~

Lent is far less about giving some­thing up and far more about mak­ing ourselves more available to God. If all we do is avoid eating sweets or watching too much television — without taking the opportunity to seek out the Lord more deeply—we will have missed the primary pur­pose of this holy season.

So when you draw up your Lenten plan today, be sure to include increased time for prayer and Confession. Make it a point to fast not only from certain kinds of food but also from things like mood­iness, anger, and a sharp tongue. This can be a season of deep trans­formation for all of us if we make a plan to draw near to God. (taken from The Word Among Us Meditations)

Turning out the Lights during Lent ~

A good friend sent this article my way today and I am definitely inspired to give this a try.  I'm thinking Friday evening would be the perfect time!

We're getting ready for Lent over here.  How about you?

Sweet 13 ~

Snuggle Bug is officialy a teenager.

I kept thinking sweet 13 over and over.  Yes, I know the phrase is "Sweet 16" but, our girl is so precious I just couldn't help it!

She and I made her cake this morning.  It turned out so pretty!

  She also received a big surprise from her NaeNae!

We are so thankful for our sweet gift from above!

I to MM ~ He Gets It!

Last night I read this book to Buck. 

 It amazed me how quickly he picked up on counting with Roman Numerals.

A great math picture book!

A Wonderful Article ~

Have you read Jennifer's new article in Mater et Magistra entitled Joyfully Staying the Course, A Plan to Refocus and Refresh in the winter months?  If not, you should and it's never been easier to do so!  Just click on over and you can enjoy the article after signing up to receive their new digital magazine!  Definitely worth the $15 a year subscription!

Valentine's Day Crafts ~

Homemade Valentines 2012 ~

This year we made simple Valentine Bookmarks to share with our homeschool group after First Friday Mass.  The House Cat made the bookmarks and Buck and Honeybee taped heart shaped suckers to the back.

The House Cat made these little bookmarks to share.

In years past we enjoyed making these heart crafts ~

Beatitude Hearts

Love Is

Have a blessed day!

An Old French Prayer for Friends ~

Blessed Mother of those whose names you can read in my heart, watch over them with every care.  Make their way easy and their labors fruitful.  Dry their tears if they weep; sanctify their joys; raise their courage if they weaken; restore their hope if they lose heart, their health if they be ill, truth if they err, and repentance if they fall.  Amen.

(taken from A Little Way of Homeschooling)