Custodians of Beauty

We made fresh butter on the feast of St. Brigid (Feb 1) and the kids LOVED it!  They eagerly took turns shaking the jar full of cream, listening and waiting for the sloshing to cease. What does St. Brigid have to do with cows and cream you might ask? Well, along with being one of Ireland's most famous saints, she is patron of midwives, dairy maids, and newborn babies. I read the story of  Brigid and the Butter to the kids while they enjoyed their slices of the freshly buttered bread. St. Brigid was born into slavery around the year 451. She was taken from her mother at birth, but at the age of ten, rejoined her on the farm working for their master. St. Brigid gave generously. She offered milk and butter to the poor and hungry, even when that meant she and her mother would go without food. Tradition holds that she knew St. Patrick and that he may have baptized her. When she grew up she became a consecrated sister, spreading Christ's love to all in Ireland. She later be...

It's been rainy, wet and cold. Low, gray clouds covered the sky for most of the week. As the storms rolled in, we watched and listened to the rumblings of the thunder. Come to think of it, my kids aren't afraid of storms. I've always told them that God sends the rain (and the lighting) to help the plants, flowers and trees grow big and strong. The day after a storm, they like run out to inspect our yard. What do they find? The grass is a brilliant green, flowers have pushed through the dirt and the trees are sprouting leaf buds! Oh, and a worm or two stranded on the pavement. It's such an exciting time for them, watching things grow! My favorite rainy day book is  Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco. I promised the girls we would make this delicious cake next time it stormed, and so we did! Babushka's Thunder Cake recipe is written at the back of the book. I used a slightly different recipe for our cake. Unfortunately, it sat in the oven a bit too long and came ...

Fast or slow, high or low, saints are always on the go! This brightly colored book, "Saints on the Go", by Chantal Baros from Shining Light Dolls company, is filled with stories of the saints and their modes of transportation. Short rhymes retell the stories of thirteen saints. From horse drawn carriages and buckboard wagons to trolleys and steam engines, the saints sure did know how to get around! This book has a fun "easter egg"-- hidden on each page is an ichthus (Jesus fish symbol). Our kids try to race each other to be the first to find the fish. I was excited to see that this book included saints, such as St. Katharine Drexel, St. Maximillian Kolbe, and St. Josemaria Escriva who are written about less frequently in children's books. Also published by Shining Light Dolls, is the delightful board book, " The Virgin Mary Around the World ".  Just like " Saints on the Go ", this book is vibrant with color and explains our faith in a...

The plan was to write this book review after Easter, but I just couldn't resist. As soon as it arrived in my mailbox, I eagerly revealed the "quiet time surprise" to my four year old and we found a warm, sunny spot on the couch and read the story together. It's a challenge to find good, solid, children's books that are rich with the traditions of our faith. Unfortunately, a large majority of material out there is watered down, the content simplified or vague, and the artwork is terrible. How can we expect our kids to get excited about the Communion of Saints and the Mysteries of our faith if all they see is hippie Jesus walking with the butterflies? The good news is that, in the past eights years, there's been a revival of catholic picture books. These books portray the Church in all it's beauty and wonder. This book, John Mary Vianney: The Holy Curé of Ars is from the series "The Life of a Saint" published by Ignatius Press. We have ano...

Birthday time! I'm excited to share another playful party with you. Get ready to dive under the sea with the mermaids and fishies! During the weeks leading up to the party, I reserved a bunch of children's picture books from our local library about ocean life. I was excited to immerse the girls in this new topic and teach them about the wonders of the sea. They now recognize the names of several sea creatures, where they live, and what they eat.  Our favorites include:  The Usborne Big Book of Sea Creatures ,  Has large fold-out pages and realistic illustrations of the ocean life. Little Sea Turtle . A tiny finger puppet board book with a short story about the life of a sea turtle. The Secrets of the Seashore  , From the "Shine a Light" series of Usborne books. The kids loved holding the pages up to the window to find the hidden creatures living in their habitats. What Will I Be?  Peek under each flap to see how the butterfly, polar bear, turtle, f...

The Little Drummer Boy , illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats is by far, the most anticipated Advent/Christmas board book in our household. Each page is illuminated with Keats's majestic artwork. The combination of both mediums, paint and collage, bring an exotic flair to the familiar narrative.  For those unaccustomed to the story, it is about a boy who notices kings traveling from distant lands and follows them to the stable. He watches the kings lay precious gifts beside the baby. The poor little drummer boy  has no present to give. S o he plays from his heart, a simple song for the King.  The Little Drummer Boy song is broken up line by line in the book, which makes it easy for young readers to follow along. My 3 year old can read this book from memory! It's one of her favorite books to bring into bed for "quiet time." One of Keats's beautiful illustrations from the book. The kings are depicted looking exceptionally regal in t...

As we prepare our hearts for the coming of our King, the girls and I have been reading some fun stories.  I've collected Christmas/advent books throughout the year when I spot them at garage sales or St. Vinney's. It's great to have a stash of "new" books to bring out during this time of waiting. The Crippled Lamb , by Max Lucado was passed down to us by my husband's grandmother. It's a story about a little lamb named Joshua who has a limp leg. He feels left out because he can't run and jump around with the other lambs. S ince he is too weak to make the journey to the new meadow, he  is sent to the stable for the night. God had a special plan for Joshua that night. It's a tender-loving story with beautiful oil painting illustrations by Liz Bonham. The illustrations of baby Jesus are adorable. A cute, bright-eyed little infant nestled in the hay. My three year old just loves this book. Parts of the book are repetitive , (...

Our Lady of Fatima by  Charles Bosseron Chambers On the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, October 7th, the girls and I spent the afternoon coloring pictures of our Blessed Mother and  reading " A Children's Rosary ".  The pages are illustrated with the mysteries of the rosary. After reading the title of the mystery, I asked my 3-year old to explain what was happening in each picture. She says, "baby in belly" for the second Joyful Mystery and "baby Jesus born" for the third Joyful Mystery. She has been learning the mysteries of the rosary with the help of the ever-joyful Brother Francis . We have two episodes of the series and they are played over and over again. The girls favorite song is "Let's pray, Let's pray!" Kisses for Jesus "Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men to receive the fruits of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life." CCC 1677 ...