Feed the Hungry

One of my decisions during this Lent was to volunteer as a family at Feed My Starving Children.  We have gone there once before and was great.  Since one of the Corporal Work of Mercys is Feeding the hungry, this was the best way to fulfill it.  On the day we had signed up to go happened to be the most tiring day for me as well as for Sony at work and kids were so tired that they fell asleep on the way there.  The volunteering time we chose was on a Tuesday from 8pm to 9:30pm.  It was bed time for kids but still we went since we had made the decision to do it. 

Only 5 year olds and up can participate in packing the food.  This year George participated.  He woke up when we got there and was not too happy.  He wanted to go back home.  Anna also woke up once we got there but was just very cranky and was on my shoulders for most of the time. 

In my mind I questioned myself whether it was the best decision to come there that day.  Especially with sleepy and unhappy kids, me and Sony extremely tired and also knowing that the short nap the kids got in the car will keep them awake for the night. 

But when you make a sacrifice for the Lord, even when it does not make any sense, God sees it.  He appreciates it.  Guess what!! My unhappy George who did not want to participate became so excited once he started helping pack the food.  At the end he said” Mamma, I loved it.  I want to do this again” 

Anna woke up and started crying for good 15 minutes but afterwards she also started enjoying the music and watching what everyone was doing.  Those who cannot pack food can stay back and stick the expiry stickers on the bags.  We both sat and I was able to put stickers on at least 50 bags. 

Later on me and Sony switched places and I started helping with packing food with George while Sony took Anna.  Ultimately we all were happy.  Kids had a great time.  Despite the fact that me and Sony were extremely tired we felt great satisfaction and joy in being able to do something beautiful with our children. 

At the end of the whole packing they show us a video of the people who are getting the food we packed.  This time they showed 4 kids in Africa who were abandoned by their dad.  Mom could not take care of them by herself and by trying to feed them with the little she could bring home kept the kids alive, but she died leaving these 4 children, oldest being 8 years old and youngest being just 18 months.  When the people found these children they were just bones and youngest child was only 9 pounds and he was 2 years old at the time.  They started giving them the food from America packed by Feed my starving children group and now the child is 3 years old and weighs 23 pounds.  They said that these children did not know how to smile.  They were scared and abandoned and living in a small hut.  Now after taking care of them they are able to smile and we could see all this in the video.  The children and them smiling and talking, they were thanking us for packing food and sending it there. 

It is after watching this video I truly felt how important it was for us to go there and offer the least we could in feeding the hungry.  With teary eyes I thought to myself how blessed we and our children are that we never get to know the pain of hunger, our children have everything in plenty.  At the end they give us a sample of the food and George tasted it and he did not like it at all.  He asked me how they can eat this good.   It doesn’t taste good at all.  I was able to tell him they did not have a choice and they would starve if they don’t eat this food.  I was also able to tell him how we have so many choices and yet we complain about the food we have on our table. 

A beautiful lesson learned.  

How do you show your love for Jesus??

Lent is a beautiful time to reflect upon the Love of Jesus for us.  It is a time to look into ourselves and as the question, "how much do I love Him?".  I have been reading the book on Mathew Kelly's latest book 'Rediscover Jesus'. Great book!!  I have not finished it yet but it has been helping me to reflect upon my relationship with Jesus everyday.

This year Lent has been truly a blessing and an entirely different experience all together.  I would say most of the difference come from children being one more year older.  Life has changed completely from last year Lent, now that I am also expecting the third baby, due in May.  As a mother every season, or every 3 to 4 months, routines, schedules, priorities etc changes since children at this young age bring so many unexpected changes.  An infant to a baby, baby to a toddler, toddler to a preschooler, then to kindergarten and new babies coming on board.  Life is pretty interesting every day.  I love it even though it can get overwhelming and tiring.  My life with my children are the best years of my life especially when they are so little.  I cherish them, every moment.  Even when it gets so hard I try to think, how short these days and years will be.  Its going to pass by so quickly before my eyes.  They are going to grow and get bigger and will be gone off to college.  I would never want to regret at that time about not having enough time spend with them when they were little.  This thought helps me to get through those very tiring and exhausting days.

Homeschooling them and having them at home with me all the time brings so much joy and peace into my life.  I learn and grow so much in my faith and in my love for Christ especially because they are with me when I wake up and through out the day until I go to bed.

George will fill my ears with his stories and imaginations from the time he wakes up.  Anna brings me all the love through her hugs and kisses.  They both draw and color so many pictures for me and in their precious voices tells me “mamma, I made this for you”.  Awww…it melts my heart every single time.  Sometimes it is 3 to 4 times a day and after a point I wish they would just stop and leave me alone but when I put some extra thinking, I realize they are really showing their love for me in the best ways they can.  Anna will make her tea and cup cakes in her little kitchen and bring them to me and waits to see the expression on my face.  I would sip through that tasty tea and yummy cup cakes and tell her that I absolutely loved it.  That’s all she wants to hear that mommy is satisfied and she made me happy.

This little guy wanted to help me wash the dishes 

Children are such joy and they teach you so many good lessons.  They make me wonder how many times I show this love for my Jesus.  Do I really love him or I just go to him when I am in need of something?  Who is Jesus to me?  Have I ever asked myself?  Jesus asked his disciples “who do you say that I am”? 

She insists that she helps me unload the dishwasher

Her tea parties and I have to sit with her while she makes me tea, cakes etc 

He is asking me and you the same question.   Who is He to us?  How much time do I spent with him?   My children take time out of their play time and other exciting things they could possibly be doing and make these lovely coloring and art works for me because they truly love me and they are thankful.  They show it to me in their little ways.  What are my little ways in loving back Jesus?  Is it by going to mass?  Is it through my personal prayer time?  Is it by doing charity?  Or is it by making sacrifices? 

Let us ask him.  Let us be with him in silence and hear him.  He will tell us.  He will reveal it to us.  This Lent I have been trying to spend at least 10 minutes in prayer with him alone.  I read the bible and just try to listen to him.  During this time I experience a kind of peace that I don’t get anywhere else.  He inspires me with many things.  He makes me feel loved and accepted.  He tells me even though many of my work go unnoticed, He is watching.  He sees all the hard work and pain.  There is no other love like His.  The one who gave up His life for you and me. 

During this Holy Week, let us show him how much we love him in the best ways we can.  

Little Saints Catholic Preschool Program

Little Saints Catholic Preschool Program is a preschool curriculum I bought two years ago for George when he was only 3 years old.  I came to know about this program through one of the blogs I read and I loved the ideas she shared about this curriculum.  It was put together by a catholic mom with the help of few friends and she has done a terrific job bringing all aspects together which are very necessary for a preschooler.  It was not very expensive either.  

This program is with classical disciplines and explores 40 themes geared to the interests of preschoolers.  At the beginning of each theme is a list of outstanding children’s picture books, many of them classic, which are related to each subject.  These books provide the foundation upon which each lesson builds.  It also incorporates poetry, nursery rhymes, traditional finger plays, music appreciation, art and learning games which utilize all five senses and develop cognitive skills.   

We do this format in such a way that we begin with the word of god, song, story time.  The story time takes a pretty good amount of time since sometimes they would want to read the same book again and again.  The best part about homeschooling is that we can be flexible and work according to the kids readiness.  

The learning game for the lesson At the Supermarket.  They are really playing how they will shop at the market.  

Making 3D Vegetable by stuffing tissues inside a carrot made of paper

Once the story time is over we go into doing the learning game which could be time consuming depending on what kind of game it is.  Sometimes it could be an obstacle course which takes a good amount of time and energy or otherwise it could be matching pictures or a puzzle.  Depending on the time it takes we do the art project after we take a break. 

The books we read for each lesson is already suggested in the lesson plan.  Most of these books I have been able to find in the library.  Even though the book recommends you to buy them I personally don’t have the money to go buy these expensive books and since I find most of them in my local library it works out perfectly for us.  

This was the art project for the Lesson Pets and Pals

Learning game from the lesson Pets and Pals

This program definitely puts a lot of work on the mom.  As you can see in the picture I had to cut out all those fishes and attach the paper clips.  Make the pipe cleaner and stick a magnet to it.  I always prepare the night before but there are times when I have even prepared things that morning.   It can take some time and you need to have the items in hand ahead of time so that way you don’t have to run to the store each time. The directions for each game and art work is given to us.  The extra materials can be used with as many kids as you want since we are taking copies of each activity.  So once you buy this curriculum you can use it with all your children.  

This was so much fun.  They enjoying fishing with their magnet rods

The other thing I like about this program is that several bible stories and feast day celebrations, Christian symbolism and character building opportunities are woven throughout the program year.  Little saints is intended to supplement formal religious education through concrete experiences.  

The music appreciation part of the program is something very beautiful and attractive to the kids.  You would never imagine these well known classical pieces like Mozart and Beethoven would be liked by a 3 or 4 year old.  I was so surprised to find out how much children pay attention to the music and how this music can really quiet them down and help them focus on the project they are working on.  Not only do I play these music while they are doing the art project but I use it anytime when they are doing any kind of silent work in their school room.  I would have never expected George to be even paying attention to the classical songs but he loves it and he enjoys it.  This really brings the creativity in them and also helps them to start appreciating music from a very young age. 

Art Project for the Lesson Children around the World

Making a homemade Pinata.  Learning about the continent South America

We used light sabers to break the pinata..haha as you can tell children enjoy this stuff and they have so many opportunities to learn about continents and the World in such a creative way

Eating the goodies I put inside the pinata

This program divides the lesson plan for each month.  We don't have to follow it and we don't have to do all 40 lessons.  We can pick and choose the ones that are important to us and the ones that we think will help our children.  Some of the lessons we have finished are I belong to God, Alphabet Fun, My five senses, Number fun, My family, In the country, My Family, Its about time, Colors, Fall is here, My home and neighborhood, At the supermarket, Pets and pals, Children around the World, Life in the city, Winter Fun, My America /The presentation.  I have included some of the pictures here so you get an idea how things work.

Art Project for the Lesson Life in the city (making a skyline)

Creating a city with all the things we have at home.  This was the art project for the Lesson Life in the city

They had  a zoo, airport, buildings, church, train lines, roads etc

Art Project for the lesson Children around the World.  It shows how God is watching over the whole earth and the golden rays is a sign of his love that is being poured out to all of us every day.  

Art work from the lesson Pets and Pals

This is from Winter Fun learning how the ice melts and how water becomes ice.  Evaporation, how it snows etc

Learning about America

Making Abraham Lincons Cabin

Cabin almost done

Learning game from the Lesson In the Country

Art project from Number Fun

From the Lesson I belong to God

Project from I belong to God.  Making a picture album for the child to look back from their day of birth up till now

Love these books

If you would like to buy this curriculum for your own children you can get it at Little Saints Preschool Program.  You can also find a more detailed description of these program lesson by lesson at Shower of Roses