When Life Gives You Lemons in 7QT

Linking up with Kelly again for my second post of the week--yay, I met my goal!

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As I have hinted in my past posts, we are in the never ending joyous process of purchasing a new home.  We had chosen a small, but reputable,  Christian mortgage company thinking we should support that type of business and feeling like we could be confident that they were using the money wisely and honorably.  WHILE I cannot speak to the way that the money is used, the service we received was anything but lovingly Christian.  After our closing was delayed by TWO MONTHS, the loan officer requested that we again extend it and submit another pile of papers, I think they needed wallpaper for a new office for we surely supplied enough paper to do so.

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Anyway, we knew we had to find another way.  We thought and prayed and were blessed with an alternative route.  We were able to borrow money from our 401K's at a rate of 6% over 10 years, but here is the bonus, 4% of that goes back into our accounts which means they will actually be making money instead of losing it!  We still had a gap, and we prevailed upon our family to find a few people who would lend us $5,000 each to be paid back over five years at the rate of 2%--a win for everyone, what bank is paying 2%??

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However, we still needed a small amount to close the gap and cover closing costs, now that all our cash for moving and closing had been thrown into buying the home.  It just so happened our three little investments children had the exact amount we needed.  Can I hear an AMEN!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good!

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Enter the homeschooling lesson, because when life gives you lemons, you create a unit study.  We had already been learning about wise money choices and building businesses.  Why not learn about compounding interest and loan agreements???  Hmmm, we might be onto something.

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I checked If You Made a Million out of the library and also found this website to explain earning interest to kids.

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Then there is this video 

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Lastly, I typed up loan agreements to fill out and sign with each of the children.  So that it's all legal and everything and to add to the learning experience.  I will be sending a copy of the loan agreement to all my subscribers next week.  You don't have to borrow thousands from your child for this lesson, you could start with $100 or even $10.  The importance is them understanding that when one borrows money it costs money and has to be paid back on a schedule, and also the wonder of compounding interest, no matter the pathetic nature of bank investments these days.  I am hoping it will encourage the children to think more about what they do with their spending cash and how they can plan for the future.  Please remember to subscribe, if you haven't already.  Thanks.

 

 

Let's Get Planning: First Communion Preparation

I am attempting a posting blitz today--my goal is four posts.  We will see how it goes, this is post number 2.  (Deep breath) Linking up with Kelly.

Buddy is preparing for First Holy Communion next spring--I can't believe it.  Below is our plan for preparation that includes some of our favorite books!

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We are including P. A Halpin's Children's Retreats book.  This beautiful book is out of print and fairly expensive out in cyber space. I was blessed to find it for under $10 at a used curriculum fair.   I am on the search for an e-version and will update if I find it. In a search for a place to purchase this book, I discovered the Janet P. McKenzie has published readers for Confession and Confirmation based on Halpin's classic.  In addition, she has First Communion Journals for girls and boys.  I am ordering the St Paul version for Buddy.

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I am hoping Newman Press will bring back this classic.  It is such a sweet book of stories of various children's experiences on the day of their First Holy Communion.  Again, it is exorbitantly expensive for a used copy--who is really paying $130!!!  I will be searching for any deals on this for my readers.  I bought this for $4 at a used curriculum fair.  I better warn the kids about extra gentle care for this one.

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Yet another out of print book, my apologies, friends. However this can be found for reasonable prices.  All of the books in this series are amazing.  We have almost all of them.  In fact, we have a book that contains the stories for each sacrament.  I have read it to the children three times so far, they cry every time it ends that there is no more to read--they are so touched by the stories.

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This story is absolutely beautiful, even more so that the illustrations.  A beautiful book cover to cover.  Based on a true story, it is inspiring for all ages. 

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Come meet a young saint who inspired the Pope to lower the age of Communion. All of Mary Fabyan Windeatt's books are well done.  I think I will enjoy this as much as the children, this is my first time reading this book.  I also highly recommend the Holy Heroes radio drama of Blessed Imelda. 

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This book is a classic.  Though it may seem dated, I believe it still has value.  In addition, our parish just started a monthly Latin Mass.   This will serve to explain both our weekly Novo Ordo Mass as well as the monthly Latin one.

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Lastly, we will compile a First Communion Notebook.  For Cowgirl, I followed a lovely blog that told me just what to do.  That blog has since been taken down.  So I am going to create my own notebook layout.  I will post page link at the top of the blog and add a photograph, and instructions as we complete the pages.  I am hoping that will keep us from scrambling to finish them all at the last minute.  My Buddy is the great procrastinator. :)

  

Let's Get Planning: Learning on the Go!

Linking up with Kelly.

We live in a semi-suburban, rural area.  My children are very involved in multiple activities.  This translates into a lot of time in the car!  Any activity requires at least 25 minutes, sometimes an hour, drive each way.  All this running around is exhausting for me great for the kids, but it was making completing all our work difficult.  The solution, school in the car!  Now during these drives we could just try to ignore the "He's touching me!" "She's bothering me!" struggles enjoy quality family time, or we can use some educational distractions enrichments to help pass the time.  Here is our school on the road plan for this year.

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I really wanted to introduce the children to the great composers of history, but how and with what time?  Then I found a selection of these on cassette tape for a steal on Cathswap.  We tried them out and my kids were entranced.  I purchased the entire set for this year.  What I like best about this series is that is retells the story of each composer's life interspersed with their works from each time period.  At the end there is a "Mini concert" of each composer's best works.

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This is another gem that I picked up second hand.  We have the original series on cassette tape.  Although the Cd or DVD sets are close to $50, they are worth every penny.  Sr John Vianney has such a gentle way of presenting the Faith in a loving tone.  It is completely mesmerizing. 

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Twin Sisters Music Productions has a number of products that are perfect for learning on the go.  Christian Book Distributors carries numerous mp3 downloads.  We will be using States and Capitals.

We are also using History Songs and Geography Songs from Audio Memory Publishing.

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We are continuing our study of Latin with Song School Latin.  We have a portable DVD/Mp3 player to watch the videos once of twice a week on the go.  We try to listen to the accompanying CD at least three times a week to help get that vocabulary stuck in our head! 



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My children really enjoy read alouds and audio books.  In addition to our Morning Meeting read alouds, and Unit Study read alouds, my husband reads to them for forty minutes every night from selections of his own choosing.  However, that isn't enough for this literature hungry family.  We have exhausted the audiobooks at our local library, so I have been happy to find numerous free downloads online.  With the help of an MP3 player and this speaker case, we now have more books to listen to than we have hours in the day.  My plan is to listen to at least 6 books over the course of the year.  Here are my selections Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, Eight Cousins, The Red Badge of Courage, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Anne of Avonlea and Peter Pan.

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To supplement our geography study, we will be listening to classics from around the world.  My big four list is this:  West African Folk Tales, Japanese Fairy Tales, The Heroes,  and American Indian Fairy Tales. 

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Lastly, comes science, which I hope to find a way to explore more deeply on the road.  We will be listening to the following books, The Burgess Bird Book,  The Burgess Animal Book, and The Insect Folk.  I also found all these wonderful episodes of Mr. Wizard's World on Youtube.  I am trying to find a way to download them to my Kindle so that we can take it on the road.

How do you study on the road?



Let's Get Planning: Farmer Boy Unit Study

Linking up with Kelly.

Buddy is so interested in Farmer Boy.  My children truly love the Ingalls family and remind me constantly that they are cousins.  So, I decided to create a unit study for him.

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Farmer Boy inspired science- I have the following science activities planned to correlate with the book, we will complete them when we reach that section of the book.

1. Ice experiment- Over at Raising the Barrs there is an interesting activity to teach children about storing ice, reminiscent of Almanzo cutting ice and storing it in the ice house for summer. 
2. Milk and popcorn experiment- How much popcorn can you fit in a full glass of milk?  Find out the way Almanzo did by following this activity by Homeschool in the Hills. 
3. Soap Making-  I am very afraid of lye, but I want to try our hand at making soap like the Wilders' did.  Country Farm Lifestyles has so many soap recipes.  I plan on us starting with the Honey soap recipe and if I can muster my resolve in the spring, try the beginner soap with lye.  This is an exercise in stretching myself, so we will both be learning. 
4. Molasses Candy Pull- A little food science is fitting for studying Almanzo, a boy with an appetite the size of Texas.   In the dead of winter, when we are stuck inside with multiple feet of snow all around, I plan on following this activity from All Things Beautiful.

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Reading and Listening- A large part of this unit is reading.  I will be reading aloud Farmer Boy and Farmer Boy Heads West. From the library, we are going to use the My First Little House Books that tell the Little House stories but break them down for newer readers. These Buddy will read himself.  My plan is at least two books per a week.

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Almanzo loved to eat, a man after Buddy's own stomach heart.  Buddy also really enjoys cooking and wants to learn more recipes.  We are going to cook a selection of recipes from the Little House Cookbook together, including planning a Little House feast from which even Almanzo would walk away full.  In addition, I found the recipes for Vinegar Pie; and Apples and Onions--can't wait to try them. (If I can figure out how to make a gluten and milk free version as well)

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Wilder Biographies- In studying about these beloved ancestors, I want Buddy to learn more about them than just what is in the books.  So, I will be reading the following books aloud Childhood of Famous Americans: Laura Ingalls Wilder,  The Story of the Wilders: All About Almanzo and His Family, and Laura Ingalls Wilder Country.  There is also a lovely documentary, Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura.  It is a little pricey on DVD, but can be rented via Amazon Instant Video for only $1.99. (You can purchase the streamed movie for only $2 more!)

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Life on the Prairie- So you want to live on the prairie?  Well, here are some books to show you what life there is really like.  The first, The Prairie Traveler, is actually a period book that has been reprinted.  It was originally written as a guide for those heading west to homestead. The e-version is available at the Gutenberg Project for free.  Diary of an Early American Boy is partially based on the diary of Noah Blake. It provides another view of the world Almanzo experienced.  Lastly, Pioneer Girl: Growing up on the Prairie is a true story of one of Laura's contemporaries that provides a deeper glimpse into everyday chores and activities.

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Farm Animals- What Farmer Boy unit would be complete without learning more about animals on the farm.  While Buddy has been saving his money to buy a team of oxen, I suggested we start a little smaller and work our way up.  I signed him up for The Bunny Bunch, a 4-H group that teaches children how to care for rabbits.  Within the next couple of months, he will get a rabbit of his own, that we will care for and get to show in the county fair--very Almanzo indeed!  We have also been helping to care for friends' chickens and learning more about what them online.  Buddy wants an entire flock--we may be getting a few in the spring, God willing.

From Currclick*, I downloaded the following free items to enhance our animal study, since I cannot buy every farm animal to experience them first hand.  OHC Farming unit, Down on the Farm Notebooking Pages, and The Critters of Wind Haven Farm.   To help with the notebooking  pages, I am setting up a visiting to a new(er) farm in our town that is currently raising chickens, pigs, and cows all in pastures, the old fashioned way. Noah the Farmer always offers for people to visit, so we are taking him up on the offer.

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Field Trips- In addition to our trip to the farm, I have a few hands on experiences so that Buddy can live like Almanzo, not just read about him.  The first is going on as I type, Buddy is doing a Hands on History Camp put on by our local historical society.  They are learning and living the early 19th century lifestyles all week.  He is having a blast!  He told me that doing laundry is so much fun, all he wants for his birthday is a washboard, metal wash tub, and a bar of soap and he will do all the laundry there is to wash....hmmm.

We have always talked about taking the kids maple sugaring, but it has yet to happen.  SO, I am including it in our lesson plans for this year.  Once we learn the process of making the syrup, I hope we have enough clean snow to make the famed maple snow candy from the sugaring dance.  

Lastly, I am taking the kids on a road trip to see the actual Wilder farm.  It is a long drive and will definitely be an overnight trip, but it will be worth it.  I'm saving my pennies and hoping we can make it happen this spring. 

This unit is read aloud heavy, as is all our curriculum this year (I told Hubby he needs to buy me some good reading glasses and a large reusable water bottle if I am to make it through :) However, i will not be reading every book, every day.  I am going to divide the books up into daily chunks so that we can complete them within a year.  So on a given day, we may read 15 pages of Farmer Boy, 10 pages of Laura Ingalls Wilder's biography, and 10 pages of The Prairie Traveler.  This way it is more manageable and will keep us on track. I will be posting additional resources on my Pinterest board, be sure to check it out!

*These are affiliate links, though the resources are free, if you purchase any other curriculum, I will receive a small percentage of the purchase price in the form of a credit to provide new curriculum for my homeschool.  Thank you!

 

Let's Get Planning: Equine Studies Unit

Cowgirl, as her nickname suggests, is a horse lover.  She eats, sleeps, breathes horses.  We have read about them and learned about them, but this year, I decided to design an entire curriculum.  Cowgirl is entering middle school, but this curriculum could be adapted for younger students, as well.

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Horse Literature- This part of the curriculum I am leaving open ended.  There is so much out there to read.  We have read a number of Margurite Henry books--although, quite honestly, she wrote enough books to fill a couple school years of reading--and I would like Cowgirl to re-read some of our favorites and explore a few additional titles by Ms. Henry.  Black Beauty by Anna Sewell has always been a favorite in our home, and we will revisit it for other parts of this unit study.  Ii am focusing on two other authors as well, Kathleen Duey for her historical fiction Hoofbeats series and Patricia Hermes Horse Diaries series.  Historical fiction is a family favorite genre, but I think it also adds richness to the horse studies.  All of these are available at our local library, although I plan on purchasing a few as audiobooks.  The literature component supports all the other components of this unit study.  We will keep a log of books read.  I am hoping to cover quite a bit of ground through the literature but I am allowing this section to be self-paced.

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Horse Anatomy- I purchased Horse Anatomy: A Coloring Atlas.  It was expensive, and I apparently purchased it without realizing that it cost over $30.  However, this will be an ongoing project.  It is not a coloring book designed for children but a real in-depth study of horse anatomy presented as a coloring project.  If you are looking for a significantly cheaper coloring book designed for younger people, check out Dover Horse Anatomy.  (I think that was the one I really planned to order, this is what happens when I over multi-task!)

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Equine Science- We purchased this book second hand for $5.  Which is a real bargain.  I like that it is comprehensive, yet accessible to young learners.  I would definitely place this as a middle school level book, however it could be completed with assistance by younger students.  The 4-H mall carries very nice equine science workbooks.  They were my original plan, until we found this beautiful book.  You can get both books for less than half the price of the book above. 

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The Role of Horses in History- The legacy of the horse spans centuries and continents.  Horses were an integral part of history for generation, long before they became pets and competitors.  I think to truly appreciate the horse's nature, we need to study what it has contributed to mankind as one of God's most beautiful creatures.  I purchased this e-book for $2.99.  I was unable to find it in print anywhere.  I also have several books about the Pony Express.  Learn about Horses has a nice little summary of the horse's role in history.  Horse Talk has an extensive list of articles about different horses through history, as well.  We can't forget the role that race horses have played in recent history, check out The Top Tens for short biographies of the top ten greatest race horses of all time.

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In-depth Breed Study- Cowgirl will be choosing two horse breeds to research.  She is familiar with many breeds, but I want her to dig a bit deeper.  This will count as her research and writing portion of the unit study.  For each breed, she will be writing a 3-5 paragraph essay (based on the system she learned from IEW Writing Intensive).  Topics to be covered in the essay:

1. Origin of the breed including country of origin
2. Strengths of the breed
3. Breed weaknesses
4. Markings and characteristics
5. Modern uses for the breed
6. Historical uses for the breed
7. Any special care or maintenance that is specific to each breed

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Barn Management and Safety- Cowgirl will be completing the Youth Safety course through My Horse University.  It is a free on-line course that includes a certificate of completion.  We are also using the resources at Think Like a Horse.  In addition, we found a local 4-H horse club and I plan to set up a "shadow" day at the barn where Cowgirl rides so that she can experience an entire day of running a barn and caring for horses.

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Currclick Resources- Have you tried Currclick?  It is an online source for curriculum, clubs, and classes.  The prices range start from free, and right now there is a huge back to homeschool sale going on with up to 60% off.  I had already planned on using a number of resources from them, but picked up even more through the sale.  Here is a list of what we are using.{These are affiliate links}

1.  Horse Lapbooking Project
2. In Art-Horses
3. 9 Great Horse Stories (now only $0.10!)
4. All About Horses Bundle (on sale for only $0.45--incredible!)
5. Horse Novel Literature Study
6. Horse Lapbook/Mini Study (on sale for $0.50--that's why I picked it up!)
7. Happy Scribe Copybook-Horses

I have been using Currclick for as long as I have been homeschooling. They have amazing, low cost resources.  I like them so much, I decided to become an affiliate, which means that if you click on any of my Currclick links and purchase any item, I receive a small percentage back in credit to purchase more curriculum for my homeschool.  Thanks.

I will be posting additional resources on my Pinterest boards, please check them out soon!
 God bless!


I'm linking up with Kelly who is just wrapping up an amazing series on SMA, please click over and show her some love!  She says she isn't a superhero, but I have met Kelly and she is one special person and an incredible mom!

Let's Get Planning: Early American History

Two Seven Quick Takes in one week.  I'm on a role and have actually met my goal of four posts in one week. (My next Catholic 365 article will be published on August 4th).  Here are our history plans for the year.  We are mainly focusing on American history this year after doing a lot of world history the past three years.  We will be picking up at pre-revolutionary times and finishing up pre-Civil War.

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After months of researching and a flurry of emails back and forth to Jessica, I decided to purchase the Land of Our Lady series as our history anchor text last spring.  We have really been enjoying it.  It is well written and highlights Catholic achievements that most books skip.  No textbook is completely comprehensive, so we still supplement.  However, I feel that this series is the most comprehensive of the history textbooks I have previewed.  Next year, we will be working in Leaders of Freedom.

 

 

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We have been collecting the American Adventure series for a few years now.  We finally have enough in a row to use it as a continuous read in history.  These books could be a complete history study in themselves, I decided to continue to use Land of Our Lady so we get a Catholic perspectives as well.  Although I have not found anything anti-Catholic in the series, it is not a Catholic series so adding a Catholic touch make a more complete curricula.  We hope to read from volume #1 through volume #15. 

 

 

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One of my favorite genres is biographies.  The Famous Men series is well presented with full color illustrations.  We will be using the Famous Men of Modern Times to highlight some of the men that shaped our history.  I wish there were a Famous Women series that includes only women who worked for good.  I have been trying to find a companion to this but all of the famous women sources I have found include women that I would rather not celebrate--maybe I'll have to write my own.  We will be starting at Henry of Navarre and reading through the rest of the book.  This will bring us back aways before the revolution but I think it will help the children understand what was going on that fueled the creation of a new country.

 

 

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This is by far one of my very favorite saint books.  My children enjoy it as well.  We have read through Holy Friends a few times already, but it has been awhile since we did it cover to cover.  This year we will highlight Blessed Laura Vicuna, Saint Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, Saint Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Blessed Junipero Serra, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, Saint Theodore Guerin, and Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. 

 

 

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I think that Liberty's Kids is the best cartoon series ever!  I really wish they would decide to do another series on the Civil War or another historical time period.  My children were pretty much addicted to this series a few years ago when it was on Netflix.  When it was discontinued, there was near panic here.  However, I found the complete series on DVD through CBD for only $4.99.  Right now, it is priced at $7.49, which is still a deal. 

 

In addition, I also purchased  Adventures in Odyssey For God & Country.  Individual tracks of the series can be purchased as downloads for only $1.99 each here.

 

 

 

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I am excited to dig into this book this year.  I do not know how far we will make it with all the other reading we are doing, but the fact that it shows Washington praying on the cover makes me think that whatever we read will be worth it.  My children really like history so they will gladly continue reading this over the summer. 

 

 

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Lastly, I am hoping to create a timeline with the kids starting at the landing of the pilgrims and ending at the civil war.  I will need to figure out where to hand this, as wall space is very limited.  As we study famous people and saints we can add in their details as well.  A book timeline may be a better option.  When I decide and we begin working I will post pictures.

 

How are your plans coming along?  Any American history resources to recommend?





Let's Get Planning: Our Fabulous Fifty States

I'm doing a Seven Quick Takes post today, but will link it up on Friday once Kelly has the link-up going.  Here is the second unit study--please be advised, I am going in no particular order.

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We picked up, somewhere along the way, a states and capitals bingo game.  I wasn't able to find the exact one, but this is very similar.  Seems like a fun way to learn them, and I could use a refresher anyway.

 

 

This set is a bit pricey at $34, however I found a number of design your own bingo cards sites, like this one and this one, if you prefer to DIY it.

 

 

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Netflix is a tool that I often over look when lesson planning, but I discovered the series "How the States Got their Shapes" through one of their ad banners and decided I had to use it for our unit study.  I have watched most of season 1 and it is so interesting and entertaining, at the same time, I am learning more than I ever knew about state boundaries and how our history shaped them.  If you don't have Netflix, you can watch full episodes right on the History channel website.  There are even bonus features.  I don't know that all the episodes are there, but there is still a ton of good information.  Barnes & Nobles carries the book upon which the series is based.  Regardless of where you watch, check out Krazy Kuehner Days blog for worksheets corresponding to each episode.

 

 

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We are going to eat our way across the USA!  I started doing this with the kids a few years ago, but well, things got complicated and we never got very far.  I'm hoping to make it all the way through this year.  I will have to do some adapting to meet all our food allergy requirements, but as I do, I will post the modifications.  Another great resource, and my inspiration for doing this the first time, is Jessica's State by State Study collection of yummy recipes.

 

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I picked up a few audio cassettes from Twin Sisters at the homeschool conference.  What better way to learn than listening as you motor along to this place and that.  I'm excited to see that iTunes has the albums available for download, since we only have a tape player in the car.  I am going to add it to the kids mp3 player playlist.  I normally only allow audiobooks on there, but this is for school so it's all good. 

 

 

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For the written portion of this unit study, I am going to purchase and print Catholic Inspired's One Nation Under God notebooking collection.  I really like that Jennifer created a great research project about our country with a Catholic twist.  Check out her other printables, too, so much good stuff!  I'm hoping I am able to get a printer and set it up before school starts up again.

 

 

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To help in completing the notebooking pages, I have assembled a collection of fun fact resources.  First, I have the 50 States Fandex, these are always so much fun to use.  We are also going to use Exploring the States by the Clever Factory, Travel the Great States by School Zone, All About America Sticker Book, and the Discover America State by State alphabet books.  I was unable to find a link to the sticker book we have (it's been around for awhile) but I discovered this Dover sticker book and think I will pick one up as well.

 

 

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Finally, we are going to have a license plate scavenger hunt.  We did this a few years ago and found every state except Hawaii.  There are many different versions of this and I actually plan on using two printables for this activity.  Mom's Minivan has a simple printout of all the state's names.  We are going to use it to keep a tally of how many we see of each state--our home state not withstanding--and then graph it at the end of the year.  iMom has a very nice version of the license plate game that I am so excited to find.  It is great because it has a picture of each license plate that the kids mark off as they spot them.  This is great because at least we know what we are searching for while zooming down the interstate.

 

 

That's our geography plan in a nutshell.  Any great state study resources I missed?



 



Let's Get Planning: First Confession Preparation

I have been working really hard to catch up in the planning department before our insanely busy August hits. (Why does summer break never seem to be relaxing?)  Here is the first in my series of unit studies that we are using next year.  I am taking more of a topical approach and moving away from so many textbooks and workbooks.  It really is closer to how we had been homeschooling before Little Man appeared on the scene and life got crazy crazier with my mom's advancing illness.  However, this is the most out of the box curriculum I have designed yet--it looks good on paper:)  I have decided I will need an extra tall glass of water and some good reading glass with me at all times, this curriculum is heavy on read-alouds, however, if you choose, the child could read independently.  We are just a read-aloud loving family.

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This book I picked up second hand but in like new condition.  It is published by Our Sunday Visitor. A workbook of sorts, it is more reading than answering questions and filled with colorful pictures.  I see on the website that there are a number of resources to go with this book, however, it could definitely be used as a stand alone, and that is what I intend to do.

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I know that I have sung the praises of Holy Heroes in the past, but they truly are one of my favorite Catholic companies.  My children have so enjoyed their Glory Stories.  This CD is volume 2 in the Altar Gang series, a very engaging series!  We have already been listening to this and it has surely joined the ranks of favorites.  By the way, if you order this CD, be sure to order your free copy of Volume 1 Glory Stories which included Blessed Imelda the patroness of First Communicants.

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Jessica at Shower of Roses is one of my most favorite homeschooling moms.  I love her not only for her amazing ideas, but for the beautiful person she is inside and out.  For a hands on part of our preparation, I plan on using her Ten Commandments lapbook.  I want to add a pocket for the little prayer card that was handed out in Church with the Act of Contrition printed on it.  I would also like to come up with a child friendly examination of conscience to include.  I will post pictures when we finish.

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We discovered Brother Francis at VBS a couple of years ago.  Well done and entertaining, every episode is a gem.  I plan to purchase this episode to add to our collection.

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These St Joseph picture books are so wonderful and very affordable, usually around $2.  Do not let their little size fool you, they are packed with information and solid catechism.  This book does have an examination of conscience that I may just type up and include in the lapbook so that Buddy can refer to it easily.

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Susan Brindle and her sisters have created my favorite sacrament books of all time.  We are blessed to have the entire set in one volume.  I have read it cover to cover at least three times with the children, every time they are in tears when it was over, begging for more.  These books are out of print, but if you can find one, please buy it.  You will not be disappointed!

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Jennifer at Catholic Inspired is another homeschooling mom that you must meet.  I have been following her blog since it was called "Craftolic" and have enjoyed everything she has had to offer.  A truly talented mom with many talented kids, Jennifer knows how to make Catechism come alive without watering it down.  Her Journey's End Game is a perfect example.  Be sure to check out Jennifer's site for even more exciting ideas for the sacraments.

Linking up with Bonnie because Kelly is at Edel.  Have a great time, Kelly!