Lent for Kids- reprise

I originally posted this last year but we are using a lot of the same resources and activities this year so I am sharing it again. I will try to post some new thoughts, crafts, links and pictures in the coming weeks.

With Lucas being almost 3 (and a human sponge) and our family attending a housechurch right now, I have been thinking a lot lately about the ways Hubby and I will teach him about Scripture and the church calender. He loves stories of all kinds so we try to use that vehicle as much as possible for teaching him about God. And just as during Advent, I want this Lenten season preceding Easter to be rich and full of learning experiences for our whole family. Lent is a unique season of focusing on prayer, on making God our priority and giving sacrificially to others. Last year, Lucas was a little young to be able to "get it." But this year, he is ready and eager to learn. He has the most tender and teachable heart and it is my job (and Hubby's) to fill his mind and heart and soul with the knowledge of God and the story of His redemptive work in us.

Here are some of the ways our family is observing Lent this year and making it inviting and exciting and meaningful for Lucas too.

Our big activity this year is our Jesus Tree. It is basically a felt tree with 47 different cut out characters (cut out by me, and yes it DID take forever!) that help tell the story of Jesus from his presentation at the temple as a boy through the resurrection. Each day, you and your little ones read a scripture or story from the Bible and then place the character on the tree. Lucas is WAY into telling stories so this is right up our alley. It is cool to work through the progression of Christ's life and parables and for me to have a plan and schedule to help me be intentional about it every day. Lucas is learning the stories and I feel like I may actually be teaching him something. Today was day4, Ash Wednesday being day 1, and there are 47 days in Lent total (including Sundays)- so you still have time to get going. This was a bit labor intensive (still is actually, I haven't finished cutting the pieces yet and they are quite intricate) but it will be something our family will hopefully use for years and years as we teach the boys about Lent and its significance in our lives and in the church.
Today's reading was from Matthew 4, the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert. The piece for the tree was a group of stones. Lucas said, "Mommy, why did Jesus not eat the rocks if He was hungry?" What valuable discussion we had then about obeying God even when it is hard and depending on God to sustain us! Cool lesson for such a little guy.

Here is our tree with the first week of symbols (I put extras up just so you could get a better idea of the concept.)

Our other little craft is a Lenten Chain. One of the ladies in our housechurch (God bless her!!) made these for all the kids. There are 40 purple links and 7white links for the Sundays. Each purple link has something for the child to do that day. Like draw a picture of why you love Jesus, clean your room, pray for kids who have less than you, tell your mommy thank you for all she does for your family, etc... Lucas loves to pull the link off for the day. Actually, he loves to pull links off in general so I have had to put it back together a couple times! :) But we have had fun with the activities so far. Tonight, he sat in his bed and prayed (with prompting) for kids "in Chicago and in Florida" (the main two places he is aware of in the world) that don't have a bed or food. "Help them to love God," he said (unprompted). Way to make your mama smile, Lucas!! I actually don't know what all the activites will be for the next 43 days, so kinda fun for mama too! :)

Another cool idea I saw last year and filed in the "cool idea to try someday" area of my brain... the Jelly Bean Prayer. I was recently reminded of this by a friend and, though we may not do it this year, we will do it someday because it is very, very cool. The basic idea is that the child earns a different color jelly bean for different tasks or behaviors throughout Lent. Then, on Easter morning, the jar is filled the rest of the way with white, unearned jelly beans teaching them the priceless lesson of God's amazing grace and love for us.

Links to other Lenten Activities for kids:
CatholicMom.com- some really great ideas and resources, even if you aren't Catholic (which I am not)
Homemaking through the Church Year- a great blog I often refer to for ideas and activities; She is hosting a Lenten Carnival which will have more lenten links than a girl could hope for! :)
Two Square Meals- one of my dearest friends who wrote a great post last Lenten season on how to include your kids in fasting during Lent.
Domestic-Church.org- some cool craft ideas, including this Lenten cross craft which I have prepped to do this week.
Heart Prayer During Lent- prayer ideas and scripts for leading your child in prayer and confession
Another cool list of activities... and yet another.

I hope this is helpful to you and inspires you to do some fun and teachable activities with your kids this Easter season. If you have ideas or resources to add, I would love it if you would share. If you want a copy of the templates I used to make the Jesus Tree, comment here or send me an e-mail.

May this Lenten season be reflective, refreshing to your soul, a time of deepening your faith and nurturing your heart. May it be full of precious and tender moments with your little ones, teachable for you both.



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Valentine's Day- Toddler Style

As promised, here are some pictures of today's toddler valentine brunch. All the hard work paid off and we had a great time. Anytime there are 6 mamas, 6 babies (5months to 3weeks old), and 6 toddlers on the verge of turning 3 all in the same little townhouse, fun times are ahead. :) It was a bit crazy but mostly very fun. The kids decorated little bags for their valentine exchange and also decorated sugar cookies (which was their favorite part, I think). Later, I found red sprinkles in my hair, Caden's diaper, our upstairs bathroom, and other places throughout the house. I guess they had fun! I certainly did and I hope the other mommies did too!

Lucas and a friend coloring on their bags

Decorating cookies

Can I eat it now? Yummy!

Caden (on right) with one of his baby friends- doesn't he look ginormous but oh-so cute!!



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The First Thanksgiving

No, not the one with the Pilgrims and Indians. I mean my first thanksgiving. And not the one in 1977. I mean this one, 2008, my first Thanksgiving in the kitchen. My first Thanksgiving as the matriarch of the family, responsible for the food and the traditions.

I am grateful that my first time responsible for the full meal was without critics guests to worry about. I only needed to please Hubby and Lucas and the dog, none of which are apt to criticise a warm, home cooked meal if it comes to the table. Well, at least not the dog. :)
I called my mother for her Southern cornbread dressing recipe and checked out the ButterBall website for tips on cooking and carving a turkey. But beyond what food I was to serve my family, my mind was also focused on the traditions that will be born out of this first Thanksgiving as just us, our family.

This holiday is about so many different things. The food, the football, taking time to reflect on the things we are truly thankful for, time with loved ones... I admit I did miss being with my parents and sister or hubby's family this Thanksgiving. There is something special about the bonds you feel with family as you celebrate a meal and all your blessings together. But truthfully, I really loved our quiet little day, just us. That is in no way a reflection on the loved one's we were not be able to share the day with this year. Our local family was all busy or out of town and we made the decision to not travel this holiday season. It is instead a reflection of my desire to create the same warm, loving family memories for my boys as my mom and my mother-in-law have done for me and Hubby over the years.

I put great effort into planning our day. I wanted the food to be a mix of my history and Hubby's history and something new that is just us. Something that my boys will say for years to come... "that is what my mom made for us on Thanksgiving." I made my mom's Southern dressing (instead of stuffing) and Hubby's grandma's traditional rolls. I am not sure that I brought anything new or uniquely me to the table this year (I was at work at the hospital until 1am the night before so there wasn't much time to spare). But I guess there is time for that in years to come.

Also in the spirit of building traditions, I have been trying to find and plan crafts and activities to start teaching Lucas about the significance of the day/season. He is at such a teachable age and I am trying to make the most of it. Plus, it is just fun and keeps him busy! :)

But my favorite part of our day was not the meal or even the turkey craft (pictured on right- felt pieces that he could put together different ways) that I made for Lucas to do. It was being with my boys and having us all sit around the table together. it was spending the day together and just being a family. This is my family, the four of us. The one I am responsible for nurturing and protecting and growing. I have responsibilities in my extended family too, and I certainly honor those. But this is different. This is mine. I admit I got a little emotional and teary as Hubby prayed for our meal and gave thanks to God for Lucas and Caden and all our blessings. We thanked God for Micah and asked Him to protect Lucas and Caden and grow them into strong men who love and serve God. My experience with the depths of grief and loss tends to make me feel these moments very deeply. Those times when the physical moment reaches beyond the seconds and minutes and seems to bring perspective and deep significance. I can't help but kiss Caden's head and touch Lucas' face. These are my boys.. my life. And although my family won't ever be totally whole this side of heaven, I feel extremely grateful for what God has given me. I am the queen here among my boys.

And as cheesy as this may sound, I looked over at Lucas today as we sat in the theater watching Madagascar 2 (Lucas' first movie theater experience) and got teary again. This is my baby, my Lucas, and he is growing up so fast. And as he does, so does my responsibility and desire to strengthen our bonds as a family.

So this Thanksgiving holiday, I am grateful for my family (all inclusive). But I am especially thankful for my family and for these precious tradition-building, bond strengthening times when it is just us.

Me cooking with Caden's help... He was sleeping, and that was extremely helpful. :)

My boys around our Thanksgiving table.

Lucas enjoying some homemade pumpkin pie.. especially the whipped cream on top!

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Teaching Thankfulness

During this season of celebrating the things we are thankful for, I have made it my task to teach Lucas how to express gratitude and appreciation for intangible blessings. It is easy for a toddler to see how we would be thankful for toy dinos and cars and mac-n-cheese. But learning to express thankfulness for other things is a bit more of a challenge. Doing our Thanksgiving Tree is just one of the exercises we are using to help Lucas talk about the things he is thankful for.

I found a fallen branch and put it in a small vase on our kitchen table. I then punched holes in a couple dozen leaves cut out of designer scrapbook paper. We sat together as a family and expressed the things we are thankful for, writing them on a leaf and then hanging it with some twine on the tree. At first, Lucas was mostly thankful for birds, and giraffes and other random animals. He was so proud of himself when he would come up with something else he was thankful for. By the end of the activity, he was expressing thankfulness for his soft bed and his brother and mommy and daddy. He said he is thankful for snow "because it is white and pretty." Lucas loved hanging the leaves on the branch and now when we are eating a meal at the table, we look at a couple of the leaves and talk about the things we are thankful for. We even have a couple of extra leaves on the table that we write on if we think of something we forgot.

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It is very rewarding as a mother to see him "getting it." He understands, as well as a toddler can, what it means to be thankful. And I think his little mind is capable of understanding way deeper than most adults give kids credit for. I know he is truly comprehending by things he is now expressing thankfulness for. At breakfast today, he was thankful for hugs. Abstract concepts like gratitude can often be complex for adults, but for kids it is plain and simple. He likes being hugged so, therefore, he is thankful for hugs. So honest and true and refreshing when so many other things feel so complicated. Leave it to my toddler to flip this around and teach me about being truly thankful for the important things.

My very favorite thing about out Thanksgiving Tree so far... when Lucas asks me what I am thankful for. He asks in his half question/half suggestion way that brings a wide smile to my face. "Mommy, you're thankful for the beach? Mommy, you're thankful for your boys?" Yes, and YES!!! Oh, so thankful!

How do you teach your children about being thankful and other more abstract concepts? Even teaching kids about being kind and loving and other similar virtuous concepts is easier because it involves more action- things I can teach him to do and say. But I also want to teach Lucas about virtues of the heart-ways of being and thinking like thankfulness, compassion, mercy, grace.... We are off to a good start but I am always looking for more ideas. Got any??

Oh, and I am thankful for you... my real life and bloggy friends and family. :)

P.S.~ I have a whole list of fun toddler activities that I will be trying out with Lucas in the next few months. Having things to help me keep him busy is a must or we will both go insane this winter. I look forward to sharing some of the ideas I have found with you and would love to hear any ideas y'all have. And check out these fun websites with lots of ideas for pre-school crafts and activities.
Kiddio
IttyBitty Love
Let's Explore

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Hodge-Podge

I want to keep posting babywearing pics and info for the next few days as a continued celebration of International Babywearing week. But, I also have a few more things to share so this is going to be a hodge-podge post... lots of different things put together.

This is another of my most recent favorite babywearing pictures. Here Caden is in my stretchy Sleepywrap (yesterday's pic was of my Ellaroo woven wrap). You wouldn't know I am mainly a ring-sling girl by the pictures I have shared so far. But I love this picture because, although it may be hard to see, Caden's eyes are focused on his mama. He is cuddled close and content, staring up at me. What a perfect place to be! I am about to cook dinner in this picture which brings me to my second favorite thing about babywearing- I can cuddle my babe and get things done at the same time. I can cook, wash dishes, play cars with Lucas, breastfeed, walk the dog, blog, answer the phone (or at least check the caller-id to see if I want to answer it), ... and any number of other things too! I give Caden (and Lucas) the mommy-time they need while being able to accomplish other things too. Sometimes, for me, the challenge becomes giving myself and Caden some non-on-the-go bonding time where I make myself actually sit and enjoy the 20min of nursing looking right in his eyes instead of trying to do too much at the same time. But there are times when you just can't help it. The baby needs to eat and the dog need to pee and Lucas is melting down out of hunger all at the same time. Where is my sling?!?!

And beyond just celebrating babywearing, today I am celebrating my littlest boy. My sweet little snuggle-bug is 3months old today! Oh, where is the time going?! He loves to "stand" in my lap. His little face lights up when Hubby or Lucas or I sit by him and talk to him and play. He has the most precious smile and laugh of any baby around. And when I lean in to kiss his sweet neck and cheeks, he grabs my hair or puts his hands on my cheek. He is truly an adorable little guy who makes me smile all day long.

And because I feel like this blog has been particularly Caden-heavy lately, here is one of my recent favs of my sweet little Lucas. He has the amazing ability to be both 100% the cutest and the most exasperating kids I have ever known. He is verbal beyond his 2+ years and comes up with some of the most hilarious things. Remind me to tell you what he says (totally unprompted) about Barack Obama sometime... you will crack up!

Tonight, we made play-dough thanks to some inspiration from a fellow mommy-blogger. Lucas thought it was WAY cool to cook play-dough on the stove. My hands turned all different colors from the food-coloring and this made Lucas laugh. "Mommy, your hands look like rainbows!"

My next craft attempt with him is going to be a "Thanksgiving Tree." A friend of mine did it with her daughter last year and I just today saw a post that reminded me of the idea. I am excited to try it.

Some of you have commented or sent me e-mails asking about wearing toddlers and how to babywear in colder weather. Thanks so much for your questions. I will post about that tomorrow. And keep the questions coming. :)

I conclude this hodge-podge post with a salute to all the veterans who have given so much for our country. I am grateful for your courage and sacrifice. I am most proud of my dad, who has given his whole life in service to his country and his family. Thank you Dad, for all you have done and the legacy of strength and honor you are for my boys.

Happy Veteran's Day Y'all!! Hug your favorite Vet today!

And don't forget to check back here everyday this week for more babywearing celebration.

Random enough for ya'?

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