Fun New Games from Laura

Over at our Lesson Plan and Sunday Gospel Activity pages, I've just added two great new games from "Lesson Plan Laura", our resident catechist!

• Actions Speak Louder Than Words Game - Fun game reviews liturgical postures and actions used during the Mass
• Holy Mass Game - A wonderful game to test your knowledge of the parts of the Mass and objects used during the Mass, with an extra special set of questions for little ones

Laura also shared some great links for Christian "file folder games" groups, folks who are using creative activities in religious education. Here are the links that Laura has shared:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OLD_Creative_Kingdom/

Old Creative Kingdom- File folder games pertaining to the Old Testament.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEW_Creative_Kingdom/

New Creative Kingdom- File folder games pertaining to the New Testament.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OTHER_Creative_Kingdom/

Other Creative Kingdom- File folder games that relate to other Christian subjects: Holidays, Church, Liturgy, Prayer, Rosary, Sacraments, Saints, Stations of the Cross, etc. The group also includes: Can Games, Card Games, Memory Games, Circle Time Games, Sequence Games, etc.

On my devotional wish list

I would love to have this set of outdoor Stations of the Cross for my back yard some day:

A beautiful and rustic 14 piece set of the Stations of the Cross for outdoor or indoor use. These are made of solid cedar wood and finished with cedar or walnut exterior grade stain. Each image is individually printed on metal plates which are then permanently fastened to the Shrine. These make great pieces for gardens, prayer paths, Church yards, or home chapels!

Newly Revised Resource

Have you checked out the all new and improved Rosary Army website? Greg and Jennifer have been hard at work revamping this incredible resource. Check it out for information, community, prayer aids, and inspiration, not to mention access to the awesome Rosary Army podcast.

Another Great Giveaway

I'm so happy to announce our latest contest - enter now for your chance to win one of three copies of Milo and the Green Wagon by Lisa Umina. The early reviews of this book are great - I loved it too! It teaches the concept of community service to young children, showing that even little people can make a big difference. To enter this contest, email lisa@catholicmom.com by February 29 with the words "Milo Giveaway" in the subject line. Be sure to include your mailing address in case you're a winner! Thanks to Lisa Umina for writing such a wonderful book!

Adam's New Braces

I just finished writing an article over at Productivity @ Home about darling Adam and his new braces. If you have kids with braces, I'd love to hearing your coping suggestions! We're doing better this week with pain management, but he still seems to be having difficulties complying with keeping his rubber bands in all day and night. I have to check with him several times a day to make sure he's wearing them as prescribed. Also, what are some good food choices for kids with braces - it seems like many of his favorites are on the "no no" list. Thanks for any helping comments you can offer!

Guest Columnist Genevieve Kineke

Fresh from her return from the Vatican, I am pleased to offer a four-part series of columns by Genevieve Kineke, author of The Authentic Catholic Woman

This week's column looks at our prejudices and preconceptions when examining the Papal letter Mulieris Dignitatem. Genevieve and our good friend Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle recently returned from attending a conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Click here for additional information on this event.

CatholicMom.com Weekly Column Roundup

As usual, Monday brings another wonderful bunch of columns from our tremendous CatholicMom.com columnists. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Project for the 150th Anniversary of Lourdes by Alice Gunther

Finding God Among Us by Cay Gibson featuring Recipe for Chicken Vegetable Soup

Fasting: Therapy for the Soul by Patrice Fagnant MacArthur

The Great "No TV" Experiment: Week Three by Heidi Hess Saxton

What Will Your Lent Look Like? by Janet Cassidy

The Greatness of Gratefulness by Michele Howe

My Plan Didn't Make It by Jaime Gregory

It's Hard to Focus When Life's Just a Blur by Marybeth Hicks

How to Make Your Toddler Possessed by Lisa Barker

Wonderful New Blog

Our friend and Adoption columnist Heidi Hess Saxton has a wonderful new blog entitled Behold Your Mother: A Bouquet of Love to Mary from Her Children. The blog is intended to accompany the release of Heidi's latest book, which will be coming very soon. Please take time to visit Heidi's new blog for stories, prayers, questions, quotes and more. Thank you Heidi for this lovely new place to visit!

Name That Tune - Catholic Edition

Reader Tammy is looking for piano music for a song that has the following lyrics. If you can help, please post a comment below. Tammy thanks you, and I do too!

O Sacred heart of Jesus truly present in the Holy Eucharist I give all my love to You.X2 Then Father behold your son….

Free Stations Booklet

The Catholic Information Service of the Knights of Columbus is offering a free "Way of the Cross" booklet featuring traditional and modern meditations of the Stations of the Cross.

Click here to order your booklet.

Great Resource for Lent from OSV

One of my favorite resources for Lent is Catholic Faith Facts Q&A for Lent And Easter (Catholic Faith Facts) by Theresa Driscoll and Kelly Renz. Here's some information on this fun little product, which is a great tool for kids of all ages:

Quiz yourself and others with fascinating Catholic Faith Facts! Students, catechumens, youth, and families ... Play your way to a fuller Lenten experience. Everyone will have fun celebrating and embracing their Catholic identity with Catholic Faith Facts: Q & A for Lent and Easter. Each card features three questions of varying degrees of difficulty about one aspect of Lent or Easter: perfect for the Church, the classroom, or the dinner table! Build confidence in your understanding of Catholic Tradition while developing a deeper appreciation for the richness of this glorious season.

Order Catholic Faith Facts Q&A for Lent And Easter (Catholic Faith Facts) and support CatholicMom.com.

Chocolate Breakfast

Happy Valentine's Day friends! Regardless of your personal opinion of this holiday, it's a wonderful opportunity to remember to tell our loved ones just how much they mean to us. For families, it's also the perfect opportunity to create new family traditions - simple ideas that when done over the years become the fiber of memories for our children that will be passed down to their children.

Around the Hendey house, we traditionally celebrate Valentine's Day with "Chocolate Breakfast". Granted, this blog post won't be filed under the "nutrition and fitness" category, but it's ok to make exceptions every once in a while, right? Chocolate breakfast started about five years ago, when we had a Valentine's Day where Dad would be absent, working a shift in the ER. We decided to celebrate early, and a tradition was born. In those days, my kids were early morning risers, so they always had plenty of time before school. Nowadays, waking sleepy teenagers is a challenge, and inviting them to get up even earlier to enjoy family breakfast is a little dicey. So I was happy this morning when both boys woke up with smiles on their faces and joined Greg and I at the table for a celebration of familial love.

Chocolate breakfast is simple fare - chocolate milk (served in wine goblets, of course) and whatever types of decadent offerings I find at the grocery bakery the day before the celebration. In the past, it featured frozen chocolate chip waffles, chocolate bagels, or muffins. Today, we had "lava cakes" with rich fudge oozing out the top. A sign of my boys' maturity is the fact that they limited themselves on their chocolate intake and that Eric chose OJ over chocolate milk or hot cocoa. My gifts were the hugs and the special "thanks for breakfast mom" comments that I received as they strode off to the shower.

Family traditions are wonderful things - they don't have to cost a lot or be a big deal - they just have to come wrapped in love. The wonderful thing about Chocolate Breakfast is that the good feelings you receive in those pre-dawn hours keep you warm the whole day long, and that's a great way to celebrate!

Catholic Moments #36 - Maura Weis

This week, I share an interview with Maura Weis, author of Miles from the Sideline: A Mother's Journey With Her Special Needs Daughter. Maura relates her journey parenting a child with special needs and her work with her non-profit organization, Hannah and Friends. Be sure to enter our latest contest for your chance to win Milo and the Green Wagon, the new children's book by our friend Lisa Umina - Milo learns the joy of helping others. We share feedback and look at Holy Heroes, a great resource for Catholic kids. To share your comments, email us at catholicmoments@mac.com or comment at www.catholicmoments.com or call our new telephone feedback line at (206)339-9272.

Links for this episode:
Miles from the Sideline: A Mother's Journey With Her Special Needs Daughter by Maura Weis with Jessica Trobaugh Temple
Hannah and Friends - Nonprofit foundation improving the quality of life for children and adults with special needs
Holy Heroes
CatholicMom.com Contests
Lisa's Facebook Profile
Catholic Mom Catholic Company Store
Subscribe to Catholic Moments at iTunes
Subscribe to Catholic Moments in a Reader

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments Podcast #36

What's in Your Kids' Lunchbox Today?

Thanks to our fabulous section of Meatless Recipes on CatholicMom.com, I have plenty of ideas for what to cook for dinner during Lent. But I'm stumped on lunchbox ideas...aside from peanut butter sandwiches, what do your kids enjoy taking to school for lunch on Lenten Fridays? I'd love to hear your ideas here in the comments, or email me at lisa@catholicmom.com. My kids thank you in advance for your suggestions!

Catholic Moments #35 - Lenten Kid Cast

In this podcast, we kick off Lent with an update on Lisa's family visitors, review a "kids" cartoon, share a Lent quiz and discuss Lenten devotions. To share your comments, email us at catholicmoments@mac.com or comment at www.catholicmoments.com or call our new telephone feedback line at (206)339-9272.

Links for this episode:
Take Out Magazine
CatholicMom.com Contests
Lisa's Facebook Profile
Catholic Mom Catholic Company Store
Subscribe to Catholic Moments at iTunes
Subscribe to Catholic Moments in a Reader

Click here to listen to Catholic Moments Podcast #35

Our Lenten Journey Begins

Blessings to all of you today on Ash Wednesday, as we begin our journey towards Easter.

As I spend this week hosting my mother, parenting my own teen age sons, and caring for my toddler nephews, I am reminded of both the fullness of this life and also of it's many demands on each of us. With days packed full of laundry, preparing meals, driving to activities and trying to have a listening heart, it can feel overwhelming to try to look at living life with more spiritual devotion.

Many of us would love do extra volunteer work outside the home as a form of almsgiving or spend long hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament in adoration, but this may not be the best choice for our families. We can offer our very best to Jesus in our own homes through our little acts of prayer, fasting and sharing with others. As I receive the ashes today and commence this Lenten journey towards the joy of Easter, I will keep each of you and your families in my prayers!

If you are still looking for Lenten resources, including tasty meatless meal recipes, be sure to visit our Lent page at CatholicMom.com.

Lenten Guess the Question

Reader Ruth is looking for the March 2006 issue of Catechist magazine, which contained the "Lenten Guess the Question" game. Do you have a copy? Does anyone know about this game? Can you help? If yes, comment here or email lisa@catholicmom.com.
Thanks!

Fun with Nephews

I just wanted to let everyone know that this week, I have the joy of caring for my two Chicago nephews Evan (3) and Tyler (1) while their Mommy and Daddy are in Las Vegas celebrating ten years of marriage. It's such fun to have the boys - they are showing me my age! If blogging is limited this week, it's because I'd rather be playing! Hope to share some pictures of these cuties soon!

CatholicMom.com Weekly Column Roundup

Hi everyone! As usual, we've got some great columns over at CatholicMom.com this week. I hope you can take a few minutes to enjoy some of the following:

40 Lenten Resolutions by Sherry Antonetti

The Many Facets of Motherhood: Yearning for Divine Grace by Meredith Henning

The Relationship between Prayer and Free Will by Patrice Fagnant MacArthur

Staying Active in Cold Weather Months by Lynn Bode, Fitness Focus

Big Man inside Boy is Slow to Emerge by Marybeth Hicks

Mom's Rigged Cookie Pot by Lisa Barker

Heidi's Super Weekend

I loved this post by our CatholicMom.com Adoption columnist, Heidi Hess Saxton. Isn't it amazing how a husband helping, some good cuddling and a little rest can make the world seem wonderful? Great post Heidi! Thanks for sharing and inspiring!