Halina't kumanta at sumayaw!

Sa Yahweh by Gary Valenciano [Live from ARISE 3.0 2014]

Naalala ko bigla ang kantang Sa Yahweh ni Gary Valenciano. Itinugtog ko ito
at pinakinggan namin ng mga bata. Natuwa naman sila. Sino nga ba ang hindi
mapapasayaw sa galaw ni "Mr. Pure Energy"?

Ngayong Hunyo, adhika kong linangin namin ang aming kakayahang magsalita
ng Filipino. Ngunit gusto kong ibahin ang pamamaraan ng aming pag-aral nito.

Ayoko nang ituro ang Filipino bilang isang asignatura lamang. Hindi
binibigyang hustisya ang karangyaan ng Kulturang Filipino.

Nais kong gumamit ng mas organikong pamamaraan. Tiyak na kinakailangan
pa naming dagdagan ang aming pakikinig, pagsasalita, pagbabasa
at pagsusulat ng Filipino. Pero susubukan naming gawin itong lahat
sa isang mas masaya at mas makabuluhang pamamaraan.

Kayo, anong kantang OPM ang nagpapangiti sa inyo? Ipamahagi niyo ito
sa inyong mga anak! Halina't kumanta at sumayaw!

Christmas Activities for Moms 2018

Here's a little something for the Moms (and Dads!).

Christmas Coloring Pages


Whimsical Coloring Pages


Inspirational Coloring Pages


Grateful and Blessed and Cup of Tea
by Dawn Nicole


Joy Coloring Page by Thirty Handmade Days


Quick and Easy Christmas Decorating Ideas via Stonegable

Lest we forget, Aunt Leila's wise advice on the true spirit of Advent
and Christmas.


Are you feeling the holiday rush? Taking Time for You by Julie Bogart
has awesome suggestions on loosening up! Yes you can, even if all you
have is 30 seconds, better yet if more. Did I mention that I needed this!!!

Last but not least, this awesome reminder on how to make Advent
and Christmas right.

Christmas Activities for Children 2018

If your kids love I Spy, they'll get a kick out of this Find and
Colour Christmas by Picklebums

There's loads of Christmas Colouring Fun here and here.

Create a Baby Jesus Ornament.

Or maybe DIY a Nativity Set like this or this.

Try out this Wise Men Adventure activity and bid good bye to
that mischievous little elf.

Christmas Plans 2018

I'm really looking forward to Christmas 2018. Christmas 2017 was a season
of transition for the family. We did a big move during the holidays. We also
had a baaaadddddd case of the tummy bug. Things just went by in a blur.
This year, I hope to slow down and enjoy Advent and Christmas Time with
my not-so-littles.

Im hosting a Christmas Read Aloud session or two for our Homeschool Coop. 
Im posting some of my resources here.

A glimpse of Christmas in our home...

TRADITIONS

Sacraments
Mass and Confession

Our Crib and Christmas Tree

Countdown to Christmas
In previous years I borrowed Christmas books from the local library.
It was a great joy for the children and I to spend a few minutes each day
reading new and old Christmas stories. This year, we no longer have access
to that library. Nevertheless, I managed to buy us some Christmas books.
And so, the Christmas Read Aloud Tradition continues...

SCRIPTURE + POETRY

Luke 2:1-14
Each year, we pull out this passage on The Birth of Jesus Christ.
It is the one passage we've consistently read these past few years.
May these words and their essence remain etched in our hearts.

A few other poems worth reading during Advent and Christmas Time:

In the Bleak Midwinter
In the bleak mid-winter...
by Christina Rosetti

A Christmas Carol
The Shepherds had an angel...
by Christina Rosetti

A Christmas Carol
by GK Chesterton

The Animals' Carol
by Charles Causley

A Visit from St. Nicholas (and the poems inspired by it)
by Clement Clarke Moore


BITS AND PIECES

Random thoughts for Moms by the lovely Elizabeth Foss.
A great reminder to have some Margin and Rest for Advent from
Kortney Garrison


RESOURCES

Good books are hard to come by where we're at. These are free
Christmas eBooks available online.

Ambleside Online's Christmas Poems and Stories
The Baldwin Project's Christmas Stories
The Project Gutenberg Christmas Bookshelf

Unit Study: Japan

Im planning to do a Unit Study: Japan. Here are a few things I'd like to cover...
Let's see how things go...

Top of Mind:
I. General facts about Japan:
- flag, continent, capital, population, currency, geography, seasons, clothing, government leader, etc
II. Historical facts
III. Important people, events and places
- Artist: Yayoi Kusama
III. Stories and Folk Tales
IV. Japanese Words and Phrases
V. Create something Japanese
- Sudoku
- Origami
- Color a Kimono
- Sushi Making Day
- Draw Japanese Cartoons (Kodomomuke)
VI. Immersion Trip
- Write about My favourite day, thing, place, memory, _______


Some useful links:

Kids Web Japan
Japan Printables
Geography Study
Smashbooks

Love

Love love love. Where to begin?

Love can be warm and cozy. Hugs and kisses for a happy moment. 

A long hug on a disappointing day. Coffee and conversations while 

on a long drive. Lounging and laughter on a relaxed weekend.  

Love can be cold and harsh. Going to work when you prefer to stay 

at home. Doing mundane chores when you’d much rather relax. 

Waking up at odd hours to comfort a crying baby. Raising a child. 

Staying strong for the sick and dying. Foregoing luxury now in favour 

of the future.  Saying no when things aren’t right. Agreeing to disagree 

when you can’t compromise. Asking for forgiveness when you are 

in the wrong. Letting go when you’re itching to hold back. 

Love can be fire and passion. Embracing change despite the fears. 

Moving forward because it’s for the best. Baking a beautiful cake 

for a special occasion. Cooking a favourite dish to celebrate a 

success. Sex with the one you’re married to for life. Raising a child. 

Encouraging someone to pursue their dreams. 

We do ourselves a disservice when we expect a song, a book or 

a movie to portray an accurate depiction of love. How can something 

so immense and glorious be expressed in such short a time? Expect 

to see a mere moment of love. Nothing more. Real life and real love 

is an intricate tapestry of emotions and experiences. It is different things 

at different times. Love is something nurtured and cultivated for 
a lifetime. If you must, look to those who live a life of love. Learn from 
their stories of failure and success. Avoid the pitfalls and trappings. 

Do what needs doing constantly and consistently. Pray, act and believe 

that you too will reap the fruits of your labour of love.

Remember remember remember. LOVE is ancient and eternal. Love 

springs forth from the Almighty who is Father, Son and Spirit. God 

who is Creator, Redeemer and Paraclete. The One for whom our hearts 

will always be restless until it rests in Thee. You cannot give what you 

do not have. And so, you and I must, could and should — 

love and be loved by LOVE.  

Love in a chorus? Love in a page? Love in a scene? 

That’s not all there is. That’s not all it can be. 

It’s more more more.

Raising Readers

If I had my way, you would often find the children and I gathered
around a circle. Or sitting cozily on the sofa. Or idly lounging around.
We'd be spending hours on end reading good books. We'd be reading
away without a care in the world.

If. I. Had. My. Way.... But I don't....

I live in a world where life is just happy busy. There are toys to be
played. There are gadgets fighting for our attention. There are chores
to be done. We're simply not reading as much as I'd want for us to.

So here I am again, trying to put more consistency in our reading time.
Reading in our different ages and stages. Trying to find our rhythm.

A Cup of Tea

A Cup of Tea

When the world is all at odds
And the mind is all at sea
Then cease the useless tedium
And brew a cup of tea.
There is magic in its fragrance,
There is solace in its taste;
And the laden moments vanish
Somehow into space.
The world becomes a lovely thing!
There’s beauty as you’ll see;
All because you briefly stopped
To brew a cup of tea.

- - - - -

"Poetry is the mainstay of oral tradition and, over centuries, can communicate 
the innermost values of diverse cultures.

In celebrating World Poetry Day, March 21, UNESCO recognizes the unique
ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind."

- UNESCO

Easy DIY Play Dough

After going through tubs and tubs of store bought play dough, we've
finally made our own homemade play dough. The kids are ecstatic
because we now have a fresh supply of play dough as soon as our
stock runs out.

The kids just love love love making this play dough. There very few
ingredients so they just dump everything in the bowl and mix away.
Minimal to no supervision required. And because the ingredients are
your everyday pantry items, you need not worry about spending extra
to make the play dough. Just mix up all the ingredients and you're done.

There are different ways of making play dough. This version is quick
and easy to make. No cooking required! It's a small batch which means
it wont be around for very long. If you have littles, I'm sure you know
what I mean when I say that the stuff can get nasty as the kids play
with it. If you want a bigger batch, just double the recipe. Voila! The
homemade play dough is now double the fun.

Easy DIY Play Dough

* 1 cup flour

* 1/2 cup salt

* 1/2 cup water
* 1 tbsp cooking oil
* 2 tsp cream of tartar

- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended.

  Store in an airtight container.

Go Grow Glow Foods

M's recent homework was on healthy lunch choices.
He had cut outs of what a healthy school lunch should look like.
It was a chance for us to talk about which foods were a good idea
for morning tea and lunch.

I thought it was a good idea to continue the discussion and talk
about Go, Grow and Glow Foods. What they are and why they're
important in keeping us healthy:
Go foods provide us with energy.
Grow foods help us grow bigger and stronger.
Glow foods give our skin glow and boost our immune system.

"Treats" are meant to be out of the ordinary (def.) and are not
a major food group.

Obesity is all too common in our society today. Good health isn't
something we suddenly have. It's about consistently making good
health choices and practicing self care. This is isn't a one time talk.
It's an ongoing conversation that our family will be having for many
years to come.

Resources:
Go Grow Glow Guide (NAQ Nutrition)
Harvard Healthy Eating Plate
Food Plate Template + Food
HealthyBalanced Plate Activity

Shakespeare for Children {2016}

Shakespeare!?!

If you find the thought intimidating, well you and me both. I know
of a few moms who read Shakespeare to their children because
Shakespeare is something dear to them. They are intimate with
the works and are merely passing the torch to the next generation.

I, on the other hand, have a very limited knowledge of Shakespeare.
I know of Romeo and Juliet but not much more beyond that.

Now here I am today, a mom of a 6yo, a 3.5yo and a 1.5yo, excited
to be introducing The Bard's works to my little ones.


Here are some books we'll be taking along for the journey:

Tales from Shakespeare by Charles & Mary Lamb presents
Shakespeare's works as simple stories for the children to enjoy.
The book was first published in 1807, and is said to have started
the sub genre which we now know to be Children's Shakespeare.

Once the kids are nicely settled and eating their afternoon snack,
I pull out Tales from Shakespeare and read a few pages at a time.
I usually start with a recap of what's happened then continue on
past where we ended. Nothing fancy. Just mom and the kids
reading a book and enjoying the afternoon. I'll be honest, I'll be
lucky to get in 10minutes of read aloud time. Patience. Patience.
Patience. It all builds up. When the kids get squirmy, I put down
the book and we're done for the day.

Tales from Shakespeare is available online for free. You may
find the out of copyright version here.

Shakespeare's Stories for Young Readers by E. Nesbit is another
classic Children's Shakespeare book. I posted this next so you
can compare it against the Lamb version. Either would be a good
introductory book for children.

You may find the free out of copyright version here.

I so love Teach Your Child Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig. Ludwig
introduces us to some of his favourite passages and explains what's
going on in the text. What's the story about? Why did this character
say such? What key passages should we take to heart? As a
playwright and theatre director, Ludwig's experience translated
into a book that has made the plays come to life.

Our family has been slowly trying to incorporate memory work
into our meal times. We've tried poetry and bible verses. Shakespeare
is getting thrown into the mix as well. Teach Your Child Shakespeare
has great tips on how to go about memorizing Shakespeare. This book
is worth looking into if you want to take this route.


Books you may want to consider, depending on the age and
interest of your child:

I know some moms who're fans of the Shakespeare's retellings by
Bruce Coville. The pictures are beautifully drawn and the stories
are well written. The books remind me of the illustrated classics
that I read when I was a child.

Im sure young children will have fun with The Shakespeare Can Be
Fun! books. The approach of this series is more modern than the
other books mentioned. I'm sure my children will easily relate to
the illustrations in the book. Im tempted to go with this series next.

Mr. William Shakespeare's Plays by Marcia Williams is another
popular modern book that would appeal to children who like
comic books. The text is a bit small so it might appeal to those
who are already confident readers.


There you have it, a few books on Shakespeare for Children.
I hope you enjoy reading the books as much as we do in our home!

More FREE ABC Resources {2016}

Here are a few more ABC Resources we'll be using this year.

Raising Rocks Stars Writing Practice Sheets by 1+1+1

Alphabet Writing Sheets by Wild About Teaching

Alphabet Writing Sheets by Confessions of a Homeschooler

ABC Find It by 1+1+1

Beginning Sounds Coloring Sheets by Measured Mom

FREE ABC Resources {2016}

This 2016 is going to be an exciting school year for us.

2015 was about laying a good foundation for Pea. Baby R was still a baby
and tagging along.

Our focus was on learning the alphabet, counting from 1-20, learning
basic colors and shapes. We mostly read books. But we did use some
printables from Kindergaten Mom.

Link for FREE Kindergarten Mom ABC Printables

We spent lots of time playing with play dough, legos and toys. We drew a lot
and learned how to use our scissors.

We went outside and played in the garden for every day play.

We continued to go to the playgroup. And went to playgrounds.

We watched learning videos when it was time for Mom to do the cooking.

It was a happy busy year.

This year, we're eager to try out some new resources.

We're drawing inspiration from activities of The Measured Mom.
And starting out with these FREE ABC Resources from This Reading Mama:



Link for FREE Alphabet Worksheets

Link for FREE ABC Printable Packs 

Pea is now 3yo. R is already 1.5yo. How time flies.
And so it is that we press onwards until we're reading, writing
and doing maths.

p.s.
Some of the things we've been doing in the past can be found here.

2016 Calendars

Calendar by scrappystinkyinkymess

2016 is off to a slooooow start.
We had recently gone on an extended holiday and had just gotten back.
The kids' body clocks are still trying to get back to normal.
I'm just playing catch up.

So yeah, I forgot to buy a desk flip calendar. You read that right, Desk Flip.
Apparently, searching for something Desk Top will just lead you
to computer desktop images. Many thanks to MaryAnne and Kristen
for our 2016 calendar.

If you're still here, thank you :)

p.s. Check out scrappystinkyinkymess if you're into book folding.
Wow! So that's how it's done!

Sensory Bin: Red

Sensory Bin: Red

Me:
Look P,
- a red helicopter,
- a red A
- a red wrench and a red bolt
- a red cog
- red "Legos"
So P, what color is this?

P enthusiastically replies (with the brightest eyes and the widest smiles):
Pink!

Well, she is in a season of Pink after all!

What's wrong with me?

This is why I never really made sensory bins. M didn't like them. 

I'm guessing P is not interested in them either.

Why?

- because all red is probably not much fun 

- because she was in the mood for "developing her gross motor skills" 

(Baby R and I had to go to the bedroom. Tot P tagged along and had a 

grand time making a pillow mountain and jumping around)

- because she'd rather play with something else period. Yes, kids are 

like that.

Maybe this is what she sees?

 I'll give it a few more tries before I decide if sensory bins are a go or no go.
There are other fun ways for P to learn. We can always use other methods
to achieve the same desired learning outcome. None of them will involve a
written exam.

p.s. My apologies for the off shots. We're still in between cameras. Just
making do with what's here.

How to Start Your Pre-K / Kindergarten Home Program

This post is here because I wanted to re-plan for P who's now 2 y.o.
I also have a few friends who're considering homeschooling their kids
who're in the Pre-K / Kindergarten years.

M has gone of to Year 1 at a regular school. He's adjusted quite well.
Of course there are still areas for improvement. But nothing out of
the ordinary for a 5y.o.

Let me start by saying you don't really need to do much. Maintain
a child-friendly home and your child will have plenty of opportunity
to learn and explore at his/her own pace.

Pam has a great post on this.

10 Things we focused on:
1) Love, being and doing good, and living our Catholic faith.
2) Learning good health habits.
3) Learning self care.
4) Reading books.
5) Doing practical math.
6) Learning other age-appropriate skills.
7) Watching educational videos.
8) Using assorted materials for learning: colouring books, paper,
print outs, blocks, puzzles, crayons, etc
9) Exploring personal interests.
10) Play play play.

It really was quite random and ordinary. In a way, I envy those who
have pinterest-worthy pictures. M didn't stay interested in something
long enough so we never had one particular curriculum / activity /
etc. Not enough for me to say that we had a theme. We really just
went along doing our thing - learning and growing as best as we could.

Game changers:
1) Keeping things consistent.
- We blocked off time in the morning just for homeschooling. We made
sure to do 30 minutes of reading plus a learning activity or two.
2) Planning.
- We referred to book lists, maintained a decent monthly "book basket",
always had interesting activities available, ensured that supplies were
adequate, reviewed what worked or not, etc.
- We did basic math in the beginning. We used Early Bird Kindergarten
Math books (Singapore Math) when M turned 4y.o.
3) Choosing a less tech lifestyle.
- We invested in toys so the kids had something to play with. Rotating
the toys was necessary because kids easily tire of a toy. Sharing toys
was always a requirement.
- We kept the t.v. off until it was late afternoon. No hours and hours
of mindless t.v. The kids had no choice but to do something.
4) Playgroup / Outdoor play.
- The children and I would go to playgroup twice a week, weather
permitting. It was a chance for us to go out. The playgroup had toys
and an outdoor playground so they were able to play in a different
environment.
- There are other children in the compound and all the kids just play
in the garden. Free weekends would include a trip to the playground.
5) Valuing happy memories.


Additional Resources for you:
- Mother Hubbards Cupboard
- ABC Jesus Loves Me
- DTLK Letter Crafts
- Twisty Noodle Printouts
- Catholic Letter Crafts
- Tot School


Is that all there is to it? Well yes and no. There's more that we'd like
to do. I'm sure we'll never get to doing it all. But as a whole, it's all
been good.


Click here for Book Lists. (future update)
Click here for Supplies List. (future update)

Click here for Organizing Tools. (future)

Are you a working mom? Check out How to Get Your Child Ready
for Kindergarten / Year 1 for a simplified home school program.

Photo Credit: Dennis S.

How to Get Your Child Ready for Year 1

How to Get Ready for Year 1?

Recently, I've been asked this question by two different friends with
very different lives. I thought of posting my answers here in case
anyone else is wondering the same.

It serves as a good review for me too. We are starting over. P just
turned two. Tot School is back!

-----------------------

Si is a friend who works full time. Her hubby works with an early
morning shift while she works at night. This schedule allows for
at least one parent to look after the children. They have no helpers
nor family with them.

It is a busy life.

So what can a mom, with such a schedule, do to get a child ready for
Year 1?

Firstly, find out what your school expects of a child entering Year 1.
Some schools will have no expectations of the child. Other schools
have requirements for accepting students: the child already knows their
ABCs, can count 1-20, can write their name, etc.

It would be good to find out a year before your child starts school. The
earlier that you know, the more time that you have to prepare. Focus
on igniting a passion for learning. The skills will follow.

But what if the start of school is just around the corner? Or you're just
too busy managing everything that all you have is a few minutes a day
for "school work"?

My one thing would be: Read with your child.
Enjoy each other's company. Get lost in a good book together. Talk
about what's happening on the page. If time permits, create something.
These are precious years. Love love love. Focus on igniting a passion
for learning. The skills will follow.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

My email to Si:

Sorry for the late email. I now reserve library books online so that
we can pick them up by next weekend. It takes around 1.5 weeks
for all books to arrive.

They say it's good to be reading 20 minutes daily with one's child.
That might be too much, you may want to start with 1-2 books
per day. To make it easy for you/your husband --- you can make
it a rule: 20-30 minute learning activity before "fun" tv :)

After a few weeks/months, your child will notice the "high
frequency words" and she can start reading those aloud. Example:
the, is, etc. She might also see phonics patterns on her own.
Example: cat, hat, mat, etc.

We started our daily reading at 2y.o. -- M started reading on his
own by 3y.o. (Other homeschoolers will tell you that it is normal
for kids to start reading at that age.) It could go faster/slower/same
with your child. Whatever the case, if you read to her daily, I'm
sure she will learn how to read. Even if she has started learning
how to read, you will still have to read to her to increase her
vocabulary. The older sibling can help by reading to her too.

Here are some books you might want to start with (all available
at the local library but most have to be ordered in advance as
they are owned by the other branches)
I. Author: Dr. Seuss / Theo LeSieg
(many good books by this author!)
- Hop on Pop
- Dr. Seuss ABC
- The Cat in the Hat
- Ten Apples Up on Top
- The Eye Book
II. Author: Eric Carle
(many good books by this author!)
- Brown Bear Brown Bear
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- From Head to Toe
- Pancakes Pancakes
III. Author: Stan Berenstain
(many good books by this author!)
- Inside Upside Outside Down
- Bears On Wheels
IV. Author: PD Eastman
- Go Dog Go
- The Best Nest
- Are You My Mother

Book Series:
(whatever's available in the library)
- I Can Read
- Step Into Reading
- etc

Youtube Videos:
(each channel has a playlist, just choose: ABCs, numbers,
time, etc)
- https://www.youtube.com/user/KidsTV123
- https://www.youtube.com/user/havefunteaching
- https://www.youtube.com/user/storybots
- alphablocks (search in youtube)
- sesame street (search in youtube)

Others:
I. ABC Puzzle
(you can buy it from the dollar store) for her to play with
II. "Magnetic writing board"
III. "ABC Workbooks" / Notebook / Pencil / Crayon
IV. Books with characters / themes
Example: Dora, Disney Characters, etc
Example: Baking, Nature, etc
V. Letter crafts
- you don't need to do/complete all:
http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/56908/how-to-homeschool-preschool
VI. On the Montessori order of teaching the alphabet
- this style makes it easier to combine letters that can form words:
How to Teach Your Child the Alphabet
VII. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons book
- I've never tried this book. Some people have said it is good.
Something to consider. But personally, I find it too formal.

I rotate activities because children easily get bored. Let's say today
the ABC puzzle is out. The kids will be excited to use it for 1-2 weeks.
When they tire of it, that is kept and out comes the magnetic board, etc.
This also keeps things nice and neat.

Have fun!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Need a practical list of day to day activities that moms can easily do with
their child?

This is a good read: 33 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten.

How about you, what suggestions do you have for a busy working mom
who wants to get their child ready for Year 1?


Photo Credit: Shardayy

Christmas Traditions 2014

Christmas is just around the corner. Love love love it!

A few years ago I had one profound realization.

I was totally missing the whole point of Christmas!?!

It wasn't something I was consciously doing. 

It was just how things were.

Christmas is a time of caring and sharing.

Christmas is about family and friends.

Christmas is a time of merry making and good cheer.

Christmas is when I take a well deserved break.

Christmas is about Santa and the gifts on the sleigh.

Christmas is about the elf on the shelf.

And the list goes on and on

Don't get me wrong. Christmas is a season of celebration.

And, enjoy it we should!

Decorate your home

Cook up a feast 

Dress up for fun

Meet up with family and friends

Donate to others

But let's remember first and foremost,

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ.

The 30th of November marks the 1st week of Advent.

Advent is a period of four weeks leading up to Christmas.

It's four weeks of preparing one's heart for the coming 

of the Lord.

I was hoping to have a nice and pretty Jesse Tree this year.

But let's not kid ourselves, I do not have time for extra prep work.

And to top it off our trusty printer seems to have conked out. Ugh!

I found a strip of craft paper and a broken toy part in the printer.

Hurray! Our printer still works!

Here are some simple Advent and Christmas activities for the family:

1. Scripture Reading

Sometime this year, the playgroup gave us a copy of the Jesus Storybook
Bible. The Jesus Storybook Bible reads more like a book than a bible.
Our goal is to read one chapter a day starting on the 1st of December
and ending on Christmas day.
Jesus Storybook Bible Reading Plan
Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Calendar

2. The Christmas Novena
Sarah and Elizabeth are all excited for this Christmas novena.
I wanted to do something that will require me to pause daily.
At midnight.. In piercing cold are words that truly tug at my heart.
It chokes me up to think of any of my children being born
in such cruel and harsh conditions.
Poor baby Jesus. And heartbreaking for Mother Mary and St. Joseph.
Tug tug tug!
So yeah, maybe this will be a good novena for me to pray this year.

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
in which the Son of God was born
of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.
In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God
to hear my prayer and grant my desires,
through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ,
and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.
* Pray 15x daily from the 30th of Nov until Christmas Day*

3. The O Antiphons
The O Antiphons are a seven day countdown to Christmas.
It celebrates seven Messianic titles of Jesus.
We pray it to remind ourselves and to invite the Lord to "Come"

4. Luke 2:1-20
Misty's home has this Advent tradition of reading Luke 2 daily.
Twice a day, the kids read Luke 2 with the intention of
memorizing the verses. In a few years, the kids will have
known the Birth of Jesus verses by heart. Sounds promising!

5. Christmas books and carols

So yeah, we've been reading Christmas themed books as
early as end October. I envy those moms who have enough
books for a proper Christmas book basket. Almost all our
Christmas books are borrowed from the library. We started
early as there is no way of knowing what will be available
in December.

Just about the same time, we started singing Christ-centered
Christmas Carols for bedtime.
M: Mama what does faithful mean?
Me: Why do you ask?
(All the while wondering why he was asking)
M: Because -- O come all ye faithful
Me: Oh, that means people who believe in God
(Whew, relieved that it did not involve anything "age appropriate")

6. Give up and Give more
Give up and Give more is an annual tradition in The Feast
that we attend. In a nutshell, sacrifice on a few simple
pleasures and donate the money to a worth cause.

At the barest level, give up some of your ME time and
pray more for/with someone who really needs it.

7. Go to Confession and Attend Mass

Attending mass is a basic thing for hubby and I. It's as basic as

eating and sleeping. It isn't something that I originally thought
of putting here. But maybe this is here for someone else???
Confession is something we try to do once a quarter.
I pray that availing of the sacraments is ingrained in the kids.
Something that is part and parcel of their lifelong relationship
with Christ. All with God's grace.

Some moms have wisely said that all you need are 1-3
Christmas traditions. Anything more is extra.

What traditions do you have in your family? What are your plans
for Christmas 2014? Til next time, stay blessed!

Novena of Surrender

The original text of the Novena of Surrender was taken from: 
Jesus, You take over! It is the prayer of Fr. Dolindo Ruotolo (servant 
of God) - written as though Jesus Himself is speaking to the reader. 

Beautiful words.

I chanced upon the Novena of Surrender by accident. Admittedly, 
there have been times when I've had need of prayers like these. 
Times when I've been tired, angry or frustrated. In such times
I try to say thank you to God for the challenges. They serve as good
reminders of who really is the Lord of my life. TRY is the word 
because it is oh so hard to do at the heat of the moment.

By His grace, life is all calm right now. I am at the moment recharging
the batteries. Our life will be very busy soon. The Novena of Surrender
is a gentle reminder that He takes care of everything.

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Novena of Surrender

Day 1
Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care
of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you 
in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me 
produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult 
situations.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! 
(10 times)

Day 2
Surrender to me does not mean to fret, to be upset, or 
to lose hope, nor does it mean offering to me a worried prayer 
asking me to follow you and change your worry into prayer. 
It is against this surrender, deeply against it, to worry, 
to be nervous and to desire to think about the consequences 
of anything. It is like the confusion that children feel when 
they ask their mother to see to their needs, and then try 
to take care of those needs for themselves so that their 
childlike efforts get in their mother’s way. Surrender means 
to placidly close the eyes of the soul, to turn away from thoughts 
of tribulation and to put yourself in my care, so that only I act. 
Saying “You take care of it.”

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! 
(10 times)

Day 3
How many things I do when the soul, in so much spiritual and 
material need turns to me, looks at me and says to me; 
“You take care of it,” then close its eyes and rests. In pain 
you pray for me to act, but that I act in the way you want. 
You do not turn to me, instead, you want me to adapt to your ideas. 
You are not sick people who ask the doctor to cure you, 
but rather sick people who tell the doctor how to. 
So do not act this way, but pray as I taught you in the Our Father: 
“Hallowed be thy Name”, that is, be glorified in my need. 
“Thy kingdom come”, that is, let all that is in us and in the world 
be in accord with your kingdom. “Thy will be done on Earth 
as it is in Heaven”, that is, in our need, decide as you see fit 
for our temporal and eternal life.If you say to me truly: “Thy will 
be done”. Which is the same as saying: “You take care of it”. 
I will intervene with all my omnipotence, and I will resolve 
the most difficult situations.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! 
(10 times)

Day 4
You see evil growing instead of weakening? Do not worry, 
Close your eyes and say to me with faith: “Thy will be done, 
You take care of it.” I say to you that I will take care of it, and that 
I will intervene as does a doctor and I will accomplish miracles 
when they are needed. Do you see that the sick person is 
getting worse? Do not be upset, but close your eyes and say 
“You take care of it.” I say to you that I will take care of it, 
and that there is no medicine more powerful than my 
loving intervention. By my love, I promise this to you.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! 
(10 times)

Day 5
And when I must lead you on a path different from the one 
you see, I will prepare you; I will carry you in my arms; I will 
let you find yourself, like children who have fallen asleep 
in their mother’s arms, on the other bank of the river. 
What troubles you and hurts you immensely are your reason, 
your thoughts and worry, and your desire at all costs to deal 
with what afflicts you.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! 
(10 times)

Day 6
You are sleepless; you want to judge everything, 
direct everything and see to everything and you surrender 
to human strength, or worse- to men themselves, trusting in 
their intervention,- this is what hinders my words and my views. 
Oh how much I wish from you this surrender, to help you 
and how I suffer when I see you so agitated! Satan tries 
to do exactly this: to agitate you and to remove you 
from my protection and to throw you into the jaws of 
human initiative. So, trust only in me, rest in me, 
surrender to me in everything.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! 
(10 times)

Day 7
I perform miracles in proportion to your full surrender to me 
and to your not thinking of yourselves. I sow treasure troves 
of graces when you are in the deepest poverty. No person 
of reason, no thinker, has ever performed miracles, not even 
among the saints. He does divine works whosoever surrenders 
to God. So don’t think about it any more, because you mind 
is acute and for you it is very hard to see evil and to trust in me 
and to not think of yourself. Do this for all your needs, do this 
all of you and you will see great continual silent miracles. 
I will take care of things, I promise this to you.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! 
(10 times)

Day 8
Close your eyes and let yourself be carried away on the flowing 
current of my grace; close your eyes and do not think of the present, 
turning your thoughts away from the future just as you would 
from temptation. Repose in me, believing in my goodness, and 
I promise you by my love that if you say “You take care of it.” 
I will take care of it all; I will console you, liberate you and 
guide you.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! 
(10 times)

Day 9
Pray always in readiness to surrender, and you will receive 
from it great peace and great rewards, even when I confer 
on you the grace of immolation, of repentance and of love. 
Then what does suffering matter? It seems impossible to you? 
Close your eyes and say with all your soul, “Jesus, you take care 
of it.” Do not be afraid, I will take care of things and you will 
bless my name by humbling yourself. A thousand prayers 
cannot equal one single act of surrender, remember this well. 
There is no novena more effective than this:“O Jesus, I surrender 
myself to you, take care of everything!”

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! 
(10 times)


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Original text:
Jesus, You take over!
Imprimatur 
+ Vincenzo Pelvi 
Auxiliary Bishop of Naples,Italy 
July 25, 2006 

Joining the fun at: 

Image Credit:
Gordon