Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Catholic Homeschooling Resources

A World Changed

In spring of 2020, just about every parent with school aged children in the Covid-19 Universe, got a taste of home schooling. Granted, my home schooling friends have said that distance learning during a pandemic is not the same (and is harder than) “normal” homeschooling. Either way, our worlds have been turned upside down.

Now that the school year is closing, many parents are considering their options for next year. With Covid-19, many public and private schools are changing the format of traditional schooling and distance learning will most likely be incorporated into the new school year. Due to this fact, some families are considering homeschooling their children next year. For others, like myself, some schools are closing for good. Our beloved 75-year old school, that has been our family for thirteen years, is another victim of Covid-19.

A Catholic education is very importance to us and we’re doing all we can to ensure our kids have a solid Catholic foundation from PK-8th grade. We’ve applied to another local Catholic school, however, there are far more applicants than available spaces, so we need a backup plan. For us, that is homeschooling.

Homeschooling Is an Old Friend

I’m not a stranger to homeschooling. When I was a sophomore in high school my mom started to homeschool, and four of my eight brothers and sisters were entirely homeschooled. In my early 20’s my mom hired me to help her homeschool my younger siblings. Years later when I got married, Brian and I assumed we’d also homeschool, but after praying about it, we felt called to a traditional Catholic education. However, I’ve always been surrounded by family and friends who’ve homeschooled their children.

As I research the different Catholic homeschooling options, I thought I’d share the information with you in case you are in a similar situation.

Homeschool Options

When my mom started homeschooling decades ago, it was relatively new and there weren’t many options. Today it’s much more common (even more so post Covid-19) and there are numerous choices. The most common forms of homeschooling are as follows:

An Accredited Homeschool Program/ PSP – These homeschool programs, also known as a PSP (private school satellite program) have prepared books, curriculum, and online support. This is a great option for newcomers. It can also be reassuring that you are part of an accredited school, which makes things like state legal issues, transcripts and high school credits easier.

A Non-Accredited Homeschool Program/ PSP – These have the same features as above, minus the accreditation. However, the schools will work with the parents to navigate any issues they may have with transcripts and course credits. Many of the schools have successful graduates move on to top colleges.

Self-Designed Curriculum – This is a popular choice for parents who want the freedom to tailor their child’s education. There are many programs that offer guidance to setting up a curriculum and getting the online support they need. A parent that goes this route usually sets up their homeschool as a private school. This can be done relatively easily with the help of the HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association.) More on that below.

Charter Schools/Private Tutors/ISP – Families that don’t join a PSP or set up their own private school, have the option to join a public school independent study program (ISP), hire a tutor, or join a public charter school program that caters to homeschoolers. This can vary state by state so it’s best to check out your state requirements with the HSLDA. For those in California, I found this site informative on the subject.  One mom explained to me, “We are enrolled in a charter school here in California, which means we get funding that covers most/all our non-religious materials as well as many classes. We also can purchase technology through them. I know charter schools aren’t for everyone, but we have had a wonderful experience with them.”

Co-op – A co-op is a group of like-minded homeschoolers who get together, usually once or twice a week, for homeschooling support. This can be through classes (ie. math, writing, history, art, music, etc.) taught together – by another qualified parent or hired teacher. There can also be social activities such as park days, field trips, and religious celebrations. The social aspects and support are especially important to the students, as well as the parents. Many Catholic co-ops do a combination of both.

Legal Help – The majority of the homeschoolers I talked to recommended becoming a member of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA.) The HSLDA helps parents navigate their state’s homeschool laws, complete homeschool paperwork, legal issues, as well as providing personalized advice from their team of educational consultants. (The link for California homeschooling laws is here.)

Resources

These are the most popular accredited Catholic Homeschool Programs:

Mother of Divine Grace School

“Mother of Divine Grace School was founded in 1995 to provide parents with the information, resources, and support necessary to educate their children according to the classical tradition. Laura Berquist’s book, Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum, had aroused the interest of thousands and she responded to their requests by developing a distance education program and offering home schooling consulting services. As with her book, the emphasis of the study program and the consulting services is to help parents to teach their children the tools of learning. Located in Ojai, CA, Mother of Divine Grace School serves over 4,500 students.

Mother of Divine Grace School offers a Catholic, classical approach to home schooling. It is a program that has been developed by “trial and error”. We understand the challenges that home-schoolers face and thus we offer different levels of service. We want to meet the needs of each individual family, and we realize that these needs will vary from family to family. Our consultants, teachers, lesson plans, materials, standardized testing, and assessments can provide families with clear educational goals, the appropriate level of support, as well as the needed structure and flexibility. These will lead to academic success.”

Comments:

  • “MODG has developed a specific group of counselors for people considering homeschooling due to COVID. I just chatted with our consultant about it. They can work out what would need to happen to finish out a year and keep track of credits for middle-high school kids who want an accredited transcript for applying to colleges or transferring back into brick and mortar school when that’s possible. (This is the form.) – Kirby, MN
  • “I love MODG. It works well with my family!” – Mary, CA
  • “I’ve used Mother of Divine Grace as a guide. They have inexpensive syllabi and you can purchase the books to go along with it. I loved that they told you what to do every day, especially in the beginning. I really needed that.” – Amy, CA

 

Seton Home Study Program

“Seton is an accredited school assisting homeschooling parents by providing an academically excellent and authentically Catholic curriculum. Our entire staff here at Seton will assist you in customizing our curriculum to be the perfect fit for your child. The students and families enrolled with Seton have the unique opportunity to partake of the fullness of Catholic truth as they experience the beauty, freedom, and peace that comes from Catholic moral and academic formation in a family setting.

Your enrollment provides you with much more than just a box of books. It provides an accredited education, a strong support system, and a community of staff and homeschoolers who are in your corner. It provides access to academic and support counseling, grading and record keeping, and a solid Catholic curriculum that promotes strong Catholic values in each and every subject.”

Comments:

  • “This is the program my mom used decades ago when homeschooling wasn’t as common as it is now. There was a lot of work and it was challenging, but the education you receive is excellent. The school was also exceptional at helping out the parents with any needs that arose.” – Bobbi (me 😊)
  • “We have used Seton for the past 8 years because I love having everything, including lesson plans, sent straight to me. Another thing I love is that Seton has academic counselors available by phone or email all the time. So, any question, big or small, there is always someone to help you out!” – Nicole, CA
  • “Personally, I wasn’t homeschooled and I’m not familiar with books or anything. I didn’t want to have to figure things out. I wanted to follow a curriculum that was already made and done and that’s good. That’s why we chose Seton. It’s exactly what we needed. I’m planning to add (or take out) things as needed when we become more experienced with homeschooling, but for a starting place I love that it’s very complete, it’s serious, it’s well known, and it’s especially a good Catholic foundation.” – Julieta.

 

Kolbe Academy Home School

“Kolbe Academy, like our namesake, is rooted in tradition and relevant to the world today. We seek to harness the power of technology to offer a truly Catholic, classical, and flexible education. With salvation as the ultimate goal, Kolbe’s educational programs allow parents to tailor the formation of their children in the Catholic tradition, with a classical approach. In particular, Kolbe is the leader in online Catholic, classical education.

In our online program, students learn in a virtual classroom among peers with a live instructor who facilitates discussion, lectures, and grades the coursework. Our goal is achieved only through the partnering of parents and a faculty and staff that is dedicated to teaching and modeling for students the good, the true, and the beautiful.”

 

Our Lady of the Rosary

“Our Lady of the Rosary School Inc is an international Catholic homeschool organization which offers complete curriculums for students from grades pre-kindergarten through twelve. Our Lady of the Rosary School Inc is more than simply a school, however. We are an apostolate dedicated to saving the souls of children by giving them the opportunity to receive a superior, truly Catholic education in the best possible environment – the home.

Our mission is to help parents teach their children the Catholic Faith in its entirety using sound Catholic educational materials, covering all subjects. We have been helping parents educate their children since 1983, providing them with the materials they need to give their children a sound, well-rounded, exceptional Catholic education. This Catholic education helps prepare children for further academic growth and development in the safe, wholesome environment of their own home.”

 

Other Catholic Homeschooling Programs

Catholic Heritage Curricula (This was the favorite of the homeschoolers I questioned.)

“Catholic Heritage Curricula (CHC) was founded in 1993 with one simple goal: to aid and support Catholic families in educating their children for eternity. Years ago, the two families from which CHC sprang lived in isolated, rural communities in Oregon and California. Without access to parochial schools, but desiring a Catholic education for their children, they turned to homeschooling. Like you, they sought materials that would provide sound academics while also tenderly nurturing in little souls a love for their Heavenly Father.

Gathering from the wisdom and experience of homeschoolers living in all parts of the world, CHC developed a gentle, flexible approach to academics that avoids ‘burnout,’ and instead lays a joyful foundation, resulting in children who achieve at and above grade level. CHC’s lesson plans and materials are constructed to allow maximum choice and flexibility to fit your student, while at the same time providing a complete education. CHC’s educational program is absolutely faithful to the Magisterium, low in cost, solidly academic, but easily taught at home. There are no tuition or enrollment fees, simply the cost of the materials.”

Comments:

  • “We use Catholic Heritage Curricula. It is more affordable, and we love it! They have lessons done for you, which is time saving.” – Krystle
  • “We have been very happy with Catholic Heritage Curricula (CHC) from kinder-3rd grade so far. We use the complete program and feel it is a good, gentle but effective, program (for our family).” – Allison
  • “I love CHC! We don’t use it exclusively, but it is very sweet and neither too hard nor too easy.” – Micaela

 

Mater Amabilis

“Mater Amabilis is a structured, Charlotte Mason style curriculum for Catholics. The authors are British mother of three, Dr. Kathryn Faulkner and American mother of ten, Michele Quigley. The seeds of Mater Amabilis were sown in October 2003 when Michele Quigley visited England to carry out research in the Charlotte Mason archive at Ambleside and to spend time with Dr. Kathryn Faulkner and her family. In discussing the ideas of Charlotte Mason they discovered that each had followed a similar course in their home education. After becoming interested in Charlotte Mason, they each had each begun to introduce a number of her ideas into their homeschooling. As they read more of her own writings they came to understand that the style of education offered by Charlotte Mason (and her educational organization, the PNEU) was both highly structured and highly efficient. Thus they found themselves adopting what they believed was a more complete application of her principles and method. With a desire to share what they had learned and encourage other Catholic home educating parents in this method of education, Mater Amabilis was born and went online in June 2004 as a FREE Charlotte Mason style curriculum for Catholics.”

 

Schola Rosa Online

“Our mission is docere ut salventur ~ “education for salvation.” We seek to aid each student and family to come closer to Christ so as to be saved by His grace. In order to achieve this we provide: an orthodox, Christo-centric, classical curriculum that teaches truth and grows the sacramental Christian identity of the child and family; a means for communities to practice Christian solidarity and foster local Catholic culture in co-ops; a joyful, community of scholars to aid in teaching middle school and highschool students in the online academy; a useful, affordable, high quality catalogue of educational products and services.”

 

St. Thomas Aquinas Academy

“St. Thomas Aquinas Academy is an independent home school program, established in 1995. We are dedicated to the Catholic formation and education of children by the persons granted the grace and commission to do so by Our Heavenly Father – the child’s own parents. To that end we offer a twelve-year Catholic liberal arts curriculum for the homeschooling family.

From Pre-1st to Grade 12 the St. Thomas Aquinas Academy classical home school curriculum is designed as one graceful whole, with a unit study flavor, that easily adapts to many grade levels learning at the same kitchen table. We encourage a relaxed teaching style, tuned to the natural developmental phases of the child’s intellect. We help you teach your child to learn, resulting in a competent, confident child with a life-long enthusiasm for learning, ready for college, work, or family life – whatever his or her calling may be.”

 

Angelicum Academy

The Angelicum Academy is a Catholic homeschool and liberal education program based on the liberal arts and the classical great books of Western civilization (as well as online Socratic discussions).”

 

Catholic Schoolhouse

“Catholic Schoolhouse publishes a three-year cycle of memory work for your family. Catholic Schoolhouse goes beyond memory work–it is a comprehensive scope and sequence; a foundation to build a true one-room schoolhouse for your family. But we are so much more than our books…we are a family! Joining or forming a Catholic Schoolhouse chapter brings you right into the middle of a loving, prayerful community of families, both locally and nationwide.

Using Catholic Schoolhouse as a comprehensive scope and sequence you can build a program of study for your family. Everyone studies the same topics, just at different levels. Catholic Schoolhouse materials are now available for all, whether part of a chapter or to use with just your family at home! **During the COVID-19 crisis, our Catholic Schoolhouse App is free until August 31.” (The material can be used with a Catholic co-op.)

 

Sources for Curriculum, Books, Online Classes and Individual Subjects

Homeschool Connections Online (Catholic // Middle and High School Online Lessons)

Classical Academic Press (Christian Curriculum)

Memoria Press (Christian curriculum)

The Good and Beautiful (Christian curriculum)

Rainbow Resource (Many recommended this one-stop-shop for homeschooling material.)

All About Reading/ Spelling Programs

Institute for Excellence in  Writing

Read Aloud Revival

Easy Grammar

Math Mammoth

Math U See

Math Aids  (Great for making math charts or drill sheets.)

Teaching Textbooks (Math)

Story of Civilization Books (History)

 

Recommended Reading

Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum: A Guide to Catholic Home Education by Laura Berquist – Highly recommended by many homeschoolers, especially for those looking to build their own curriculum.

Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie – This was recommended by numerous homeschoolers.

Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-Directed Learners by Lori McWilliam Pickert – “This is in the ‘unschooling’ camp but a good read anyway. It could be a nice way to supplement your current curriculum, to do during ‘summer school,’ and to encourage children to explore an interest.” – Gina, VA

 

Tips from Catholic Homeschooling Parents

“My best advice is that if you have the desire to homeschool, you are completely capable and qualified. Also, homeschooling does not take up a full school day. Kindergartners require about an hour of instruction a day. About 2-3 hours a day for children up to 3/4 grade. Middle schoolers and high schoolers can usually be done their work in 4 hours or so!

Also, find or start a co-op! It’s a place for children to meet, usually once a week for a few hours, to partake in parent led extracurricular. Think Art, Lego Club, book clubs, science experiments etc. Our co-op always starts with Mass. It’s a wonderful way for kids AND mamas to catch up with each other!” – Nicole, CA

* * * * *

“When I was deciding on a homeschooling program, I talked to many people. I found that depending who you are talking with, they are going to tell you according to what they like and their experience. That might help a little, but at the end of the day choosing your homeschool curriculum is SO PERSONAL. You must find what you like and what works for your own family.” – Julieta, TX

* * * * *

“Trust yourself. Don’t over plan (you will). PRAY even if you do nothing else. You’re shaping minds and souls; the subject matter is just some of the tools by which we achieve that end.” – Bethany, WA

* * * * *

“The most important little nugget of info I can give is to do what works best for you and your kids and not to worry if it doesn’t look like everybody else’s. It’s great to get ideas from others, but you don’t have to look like their homeschool. I have two kids with severe learning disabilities, and it is so hard to not compare them to others, but it’s not even a true comparison. On the rough days, I realize those are the days when I lose sight of that. It can be so overwhelming. We pulled our two oldest out of school, so I can relate to the mindfulness of it all. It’s a challenge to grasp how it can be done so differently than a brick and mortar school. It’s freeing and terrifying at the same time. Prayers for all the new homeschooling families coming this fall. It truly has been the biggest blessing to our family over the years.” Julie, TX

* * * * *

“When we decided to homeschool, it was an overwhelming decision and I was so afraid. I’ve realized, working at a school that I absolutely loved for 12 years, that schooling is a vocation. There is no “one size fits all.” It’s really what works best for your family that is important.” – Amy, CA

* * * * *

Other Helpful Links

A Beginner’s Guide to Catholic Home Education

Catholic All Year Blog – Homeschooling Posts

Cathy Duffy Homeschool Reviews

This list is just touching the homeschooling surface, but I hope it gives you a starting point. I don’t know yet what educational path we’ll be taking in Fall, but my heart is open to wherever God leads us.

If you are a homeschooler and have a helpful resource or tip for a newcomer, please share them in the comments. Thank you!

PS – You can follow me on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, 😉


Sharing in Sam and Nia’s Joy & Loss: Every Life Matters

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(I wrote this last night, although I didn’t get a chance to post it until now.) It’s just past midnight and I can’t sleep. Earlier today I saw vloggers Sam and Nia’s video of Sam announcing to Nia that she’s pregnant. (Don’t ask how. It makes sense once you watch the video.) The video is cute, crazy and hilarious and it made me cry happy tears each time I watched it. (I may have watched it more than once.) I wasn’t the only person who enjoyed it. It went viral with almost 10,ooo,ooo views in a couple days.

After watching it I thought to myself, they are brave to announce the pregnancy this early. I’d be scared that I’d lose the baby. I know I shouldn’t think like that but it was a knee jerk reaction of my own fear.

The following day their daily video was them sharing the news with family and friends.

However, two days later a parent’s greatest fear happened. They lost their little one in miscarriage. I was sobbing as I watched. It reminded me of the joy Brian and I experienced at our six pregnancies, with the expectations, hopes and dreams we had for our babies and our growing family. It also reminded me of how painful it was when two of our babies were lost in early miscarriage. My heart ached for them. I didn’t want them to go through this but all I could do was pray that God would give them the strength to endure and eventually make them stronger and closer to Him (and each other) in the end.

Nia says in the video that she was upset that she waited so long to take a pregnancy test (she didn’t want to be disappointed if she wasn’t pregnant) and if she had taken it sooner she would have had more time to bond with her baby. Those words broke my heart because it reminded me of my earlier fear. It was if God was whispering to me that I can’t let worry of what might happen stop me from enjoying the present and the blessings that stand before me. It was a reminder that I can’t let fear stop me from truly letting go and putting my life in God’s hands.

joan_imprint_1These footprints belong to my little niece who died the day she was born.

I can’t help but think about what has happened because of Sam and Nia’s openness in sharing their experience with us. Thousands of people saw them rejoice in the life of this new little baby. (They felt their bay was a girl.) Their daughter’s life brought countless laughter and happy tears to not only family but virtual friends and complete strangers. She gave us a glimpse of the miracle of creation and how new life can bring hope and joy to the world.

The loss of this little girl has also allowed us to grieve and mourn. She reminded us that just because a baby is tiny and may be unacknowledged by some people, it doesn’t change the fact that she was alive with a beating heart. She had purpose and her short life has meaning.

Sam said in the video, “We’re so hurt but we’re so thankful God used us like this.”

I do hope their daughter’s short life continues to touch the hearts of others. I hope it is a reminder that all life is precious. I hope it is an encouragement to parents who have lost a child that they are not wrong to grieve their babies nor are they wrong to celebrate the short time they did have together.

Let’s make a special effort today to pray for those who have lost a child and to give some extra love to those closest to us and never take the life we share for granted.

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads Letterboxd, Spotify or Instagram. 😉


Favorite Advent Traditions: Keeping Christ in Christmas

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I am excited to be a part of Beth Anne’s Advent Blog Hop! I love reading about the traditions Catholic families use to keep Christ in Christmas and today I’m sharing the activities we do. Some of these we’ve been doing for years and others we’ve just started.

NOTE: Don’t try to do all these activities unless you have super powers or at least are immune to doing-too-much-at-once stress. (Ask me how I know. 😉 ) If you are just starting out, choose one activity that would work for your family. Then you can add on as the years go by if you’d like.

The Advent Wreath

revolution of love blog - advent_candleThe Advent wreath is probably the most familiar and easiest of the Advent traditions and it remains a favorite of the kids. There is something special about turning down the lights and watching the flames flicker in the darkness.

There are many ready made advent wreaths from Catholic online stores but it is also easy to make one of your own. I went to our local Trader Joe’s and picked up one of their fresh wreaths. You could also use clipped branches from your Christmas tree arranged in a circle or make your own wreath with materials from a craft store.

Next you need 4 candles – three purple and one pink. Starting with the first Sunday of Advent, you light the first candle. The second week light two candles and so forth. The third Sunday is known as Gaudete Sunday (Gaudete is Latin for “rejoice.”) We light the pink candle to symbolizing our growing joy that Christmas is almost here. (The priest will also wear rose colored vestments at Mass that week.) The last week is another purple candle.

We used to use the long taper candles but they were always toppling over. Finally I found four hefty sized candles at Hobby Lobby and we place them in our wreathe. (The only downside is that they are lavender scented so the kids think it smells like a fancy bathroom around them.) 😉 If you can’t find colored candles you could use white candles and tie purple/pink ribbons on them. (Away from the flame.) And if you have little ones who can’t keep their hands off the flame, you can use the battery operated candles!

Are you on a tight budget? Go to Pinterest and search “paper advent wreaths.” You’ll find all kinds of ideas including ones with construction paper and toilet paper rolls. It’s not really about the wreath itself, it is more about taking a few moments to quiet yourself and think about he coming Savior.

With that said, in a perfect world, each night we gather around the Advent wreath, light the candle(s) and say our night prayers. However, it was hit and miss since evenings are hectic with homework, bathing, getting the boys to bed early, prep for the next morning, etc. Family evening prayer was just not happening. So Brian suggested we switch our prayer to before we say our dinner grace. It is the one time in the day when we are always all together at the same time. It has worked so  much better!

The boys are eager to turn down the lights while Brian lights the candles and I read the reflection from  Sarah Reinhard’s book Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families. (It only cost $1.99 at Amazon and $0.99 on Kindle). It has wonderful daily reflections that are simple enough for the kids to understand.  Most days we use the reflection book. Other days when we have evening activities scheduled, Brian says a short spontaneous prayer. The main thing is that we are praying something together.

(Click here for a simple prayer from Loyola Press to say each week when lighting the candle.)

UPDATE: Fast forward two years and we are now in the habit of saying night prayers and a decade of the rosary as a family before the kids go to bed. We light our Advent wreath before our prayer time. Remember, baby steps. Start small and then you take on a little more as the kids get older. 🙂

The Advent Calendar

After we say our Advent wreath prayer, the “person of the day” gets to open the next box in our Advent calendar. We started this tradition years ago as a way to combat the seasonal “gimmies” (give me this, give me that). To help bring the focus back on Christ and sharing his love with others, we started the tradition of making our Advent Calendar into an Act of Love Calendar. We explained that we can show our love for Jesus by sharing that love with others and what we do for others, we do for Our Lord.

Revolution of Love Blog - advent_calendar_pic_1A couple years back I found this little country house Advent calendar at Target and I loved it!

advent_calendar_pic_2WNormally you would put in a treat or little toy for each day but instead I put little slips of paper with different acts of love our family could do each day.

revolution of love blog - advent_calendar_pic_4W2 If an activity doesn’t suit our family or I have something else in mind, then I write my own act.

revolution of love blog - advent_calendar_pic_7At dinner time, we each take a turn sharing something about our day. During Advent this will sometimes include sharing about our act of love. For example, Andrew shared how on the day he was supposed to help someone in need, he helped a classmate that fell down at recess and walked him to the school office to get a band aid.

Another time we had to be a peacemaker so I shared that instead of losing my temper and yelling at the kids, I first went into my room and screamed into my pillow, then came out of my bedroom and corrected the boys calmly. (They got a kick out of that one.) This sharing helps us to see how we can apply our faith into the daily fabric of our lives.

If you are looking for a nativity box, Target has some other cute ones. Amazon also has a pretty Wooden Nativity Advent Calendar with 24 Magnetic Figures. Or if you prefer a wall calendar there is the Traditional Nativity Advent Calendar Personalized Version or the cute Little People Nativity Advent Calendar. But you certainly don’t need to spend money on these fancy boxes!

For the full post and links for the Acts of Love calendar, visit the full post here.

 

A Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa)Revolution of Love Blog - A letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa) - letter_baby_jesusWI posted earlier this week about this activity we added to our family this year. You can get all the details here but in a nutshell, a few years back, I asked some fellow Catholic moms how they keep Christ in Christmas. A friend shared with me how she has her kids write letters to Baby Jesus instead of Santa. I loved the idea.

The boys still believe in Santa and they wanted to write their wish lists but I liked the idea of a letter to Baby Jesus so I incorporated the two.  I put together a simple form letter that I could print off and give everyone to fill out.

Before they can get to the wish list part, they first have to think about what they will give Baby Jesus as a gift.

revolution of love blog - jesus_letter_2Then they chose a person they would especially pray for during Advent.

revolution of love blog - jesus_letter_1When they were done, they folded up their letters and put them in their shoes for St. Nicholas to deliver to Baby Jesus. In the morning they found their letters gone and their treats instead.

If you’d like to print of a copy of the Letter to Baby Jesus for your little ones, I posted the PDF here. Also, I made a second version for those who don’t want the Santa aspect. It can be found here.  🙂

For the full post, visit here – A Favorite Advent Tradition: A Christmas Letter to Baby Jesus (Instead of Santa).

Advent Adventures

Photo Credit

I have enjoyed using the Holy Heroes activities for Advent in the past and now, along with their daily activity emails, they have their worksheets in a book form.It has made it much easier to have all the worksheets already printed out and in one place!

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For Bella and Andrew, there are a lot of various activities and puzzles they can do. For Matthew and John-Paul, they like to do the coloring pages. (They also like the Childhood of Jesus Coloring Book.) The Advent book also solved a problem I had with the next Advent tradition…

Filling Jesus’ Crib with Straw

Like the letter to Jesus, for years I’ve been wanting to do the activity of filling Baby Jesus’ crib with soft “straw.” Every time one of the kids completes their act of love or does some other sacrifice, they can put a piece of straw in Jesus’ crib. Or if I see someone doing their chores without complaint or sharing a toy with a sibling, I will tell them they they were acting very loving and they can put in a straw for Jesus. (It is the same concept as the sacrifice beans we did for Lent and that was a hit with the boys.)baby_jesus

I kept putting off starting the activity until I could buy a baby Jesus like the one we had growing up. Well, I have yet to buy one and thought I would just skip it again this year. But when I bought the Advent Adventures book, I was excited to see they had a paper version.

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With some tape, scissors and yarn to cut up as straw…

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We now have our Baby Jesus manger. (The book also comes with a paper Baby Jesus to cut out and place in the manger on Christmas morning.)

A Nativity Set for the Littles

Anyone with children knows that they are very hands on. They also know how their blood pressure rises every time their little one grabs the ceramic Mary or St. Joseph from the nativity set and starts running down the hallway with it. One of the best investments I ever made was purchasing the Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set. They can be a bit pricey but it was worth it! A nativity scene that the kids can touch and move around makes life sooo much easier. Amazon has the Fisher Price deluxe models and the simple “To Go” Set.

A Birthday Party for Jesus

It is a family tradition that on each child’s birthday the dining room table is decorated with a birthday sign and stuffed animals to “greet” them when they wake up. Being Jesus’ birthday, it is only natural that it is celebrated in a similar fashion. Since Christ is the guest of honor (not Santa) our St. Nick plush holds Jesus’ birthday sign. I also place on the table the birthday cake we made for Jesus’ party.

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On Christmas morning we all gather around the table that holds the empty manger. We place a large white candle in the center of the advent wreathe and light it. Mom or Dad (or an honored sibling) places the child Jesus in his manger and we sing Happy Birthday. Then the festivities begin.

 

The Spirit of Giving

John-Paul, Matthew and Andrew packing stockings for soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.

Nothing invokes greediness quite as quickly as a materialistic holiday season. To help conquer this, it is helpful to keep kids (and adults) focused on the spirit of giving, especially those less fortunate. If you have older kids this can be done through working at a soup kitchen, food pantry, or visiting the elderly. This year Bella will be singing Christmas carols at a local Catholic convalescent home with her youth group.

Most parishes have programs where you pick a name or number and buy a gift for a specific child. Brian’s work also sponsors a local needy family so we have a number of choices. I make sure to pick a young boy that the boys will sponsor, a tween/teen girl for Bella and Brian and I will pick someone on the list that is often overlooked – an older boy or a single mom. The kids, including little ones, can do extra jobs and chores around the house to earn some extra money (or use their tithing money if they get an allowance) in order to buy small gifts for these needy children. Or they can help you buy canned good for the local food bank.

This is a great lesson in selflessness for the kids – a certain 5 year old of mine was shedding dramatic tears when he realized the skateboard we bought was going to little Jose and not him. Moreover, it is a lesson of real patience for me to let the kids get involved. I love buying gifts for people and making it special but it is another thing when you are walking down the grocery aisle with three opinionated little boys arguing over which items to purchase for the food baskets for the homeless. (Seriously?) It’s easy for me to say forget it and just do it myself but I need this lesson in sacrificial giving as much, if not more, as they do.

 

Plan Ahead for Charitable Gifts

I’ll admit that the extra gift giving can add up to a lot of extra money! Luckily, I have been looking for bargains throughout the year. Once a month during one of my many Target visits, I’ll check out the dollar section for various care package items. You can pick up small toiletries, snacks and hand warmers to give to military troops or the homeless or you can find coloring books, games, craft projects, socks etc to fit into a child’s care package. During off-season sales or Pre-Thanksgiving sales or Black Friday sales I find generic gifts like baby dolls or skateboards for the Angel Tree children. To help the kids understand sacrificing for others, we’ll give away some of their older toys to St. Vincent de Paul and as a family we’ll give up one of our “Pizza Nights” and eat sandwiches or leftovers instead. The money we saved goes towards buying gifts and food for others.

With a little creativity, planning and sacrifice, you can make your charitable gift giving more affordable for your family. (NOTE – If you are anything like me, you may also want to download the free printable from the post Keeping Track of Your Hidden Gifts from Orgjunkie.com. I wish I had that last year because I have two Christmas presents that I know I bought but I can’t figure out where I hid them! LOL)

 

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

Sometimes when I read posts like this on other mom blogs I think, “Aw! Look at all that stuff they are doing! How come we don’t do things like that? Look at those eight kids in matching home-sewn outfits, kneeling reverently as they pray the rosary. And look at the gluten and dairy free Christmas recipe they followed using only fresh produce from their organic home garden. Sigh. I’m lucky I barely (fill-in-the-blank) let alone what they are doing…”

Yeah, none of that kind of talk is allowed here.

revolution of love blog - advent_messyTruth be told, this looks great on paper but in real life it is messy and chaotic. We light the candles for our Advent prayer and two of the boys will be in laughing hysterically over one of their ill timed farts or they will be near blows because one brother blew out the candle when it was their turn. Most years the activities don’t start on the first day of Advent. For example, the baby crib to be filled with straw. I literally just put it together yesterday and it only had five straws in it so far. I added more so it wouldn’t look so skimpy for the photo.

Although we are all trying to be more loving, more generous and more patient this Advent, it is not an easy road. When Brian came home yesterday I was nearly in tears because days of stormy weather and having the boys cooped up in the house had them climbing up the walls. Matthew and John-Paul are two playful buddies but sometimes they reach a point where they are arguing over everything. No, really. Everything. The ridiculousness of it coupled with the noise and fighting becomes like nails on a chalkboard. I finally blew up at them and I yelled at them like I hadn’t yelled in a long time. It was not pretty. It made me feel hypocritical for writing this “happy” post today.

The point is that even thought we try to use these tools, it is not always roses and sunshine. We all fall short. That is when we turn to God (and confession) to give us the grace to pick ourselves back up. Then in between the realness there are moments when the kids “get it.” We see a loving gesture or a chore being done without being asked,  a spontaneous act of love or a contrite apology (from child and mother). When we see in ourselves that the second time around we held our temper or that we turned off the radio to pray the rosary or that we finished all the laundry instead of checking Facebook, then we know progress is being made slowly but surely.

The other good thing about Advent is that is is four weeks long. It is never too late to start a new tradition or refocus our attitude in general. And if you are season of life right now that consists of just making it through the day in one piece, then store these ideas for the future and offer to God the little acts that pop up throughout your day. No need for elaborate activities. God knows your heart.

With those thoughts, I wish you a blessed second half of Advent! If things are going well, keep up the good work. You are an inspiration! And if things have not been going well, let’s work on this together and pray for one another. 🙂

Lastly, a big thank you to Beth Anne for including me in the Advent blog hop! Check out the other featured bloggers this week.

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14 Days of Love Notes (& Free Love Note Printable)

Happy February! Now that Brian is home from the hospital, I am relishing my time with him. I want to remind him how much he means to me and how there are so many little things I love about him. (Why does it take a crisis to make us realize just how blessed we are??) Anyway, I decided to write him little love notes… 14 to be exact, in honor of Valentine’s Day. (Of course this can, and should, be done any time of the year but it is especially appropriate this month. 🙂

First I sat down and made a list of 14 things I love about Brian.

Then I created a Word Doc with small love notes that I can cut out.

Then I filled out each note with one of the reasons on my master list.

I liked the idea so much that I decided I’m going to do the same thing for each of the kids, although since I have 4 people in that category, I think I’ll do 7 days of love notes instead of 14. I changed the graphic to a mama and baby owl. 🙂

On Valentine’s day I’ll give each person their master list in my Valentine’s Day card to them.

If you’d like to make a copy of the Love Notes Printable, you can get it from my Google Drive folder here. (Note: When I printed it, it came out a little blurry compared to my regular Word Doc. Maybe it’ll be better if I learn how to put it in a PDF format next time. :-)) Either way, enjoy and share the love. 🙂

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads or Instagram. 😉


Quick Catch-Up & A Glimpse of Baby Rol #4

I have a few minutes before I have to get to work so I thought I’d make a quick post and catch up with you!

Life has been going well here. We are busy with the holidays and preparing our hearts for Christ. It is a little easier when I am pregnant (and can feel my little one squirming inside of me) to connect with Our Lady and how she must have felt waiting for the Savior’s birth as she felt Baby Jesus move and kick inside of her. Blessed be God!

Speaking of my little one, I am beyond the half way point now, at almost 2 weeks. We went for an ultrasound two weeks ago and we were able to see a glimpse of our little one’s face. Here is a pic of Baby Rol #4. Blessed be God!

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PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Periscope or Katch (past Periscopes), GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, 😉