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Monday, November 28, 2011

advent for kids


We had a very relaxing thanksgiving weekend.  A much needed time for us to be together as a family. I hope you all had a weekend filled with good things as well.
We are now in the second day of advent.  I am trying hard to help our kids know the reason for this season.  I want them to focus their time on others more than themselves.  This is very tricky this time of year when every add and commercial is about here is what "YOU" need.  They of course will have Christmas presents and more than they need I am sure.  But I want this time before, this advent season to be a time to focus on the gift of Jesus and the love we need to share with others.
Here are two things we have started in our home.  The first is the Paper Advent Wreath.  I simply used cut outs from my daughters hand prints to make the wreath and the correct colors for the candles.  We simply light with our paper flames on the correct Sundays and made labels of what each represents under it.  We can talk about the Sundays homily when we "light" the candles.
The second craft is an easy paper chain with the Sundays in Advent made in the correct candle color.  Each night before bed  I have the kids take 1 link from the chain and they say a Hail Mary in honor of someone or something.  They choose who to say the prayer for but I give  ideas if there is a specific request they might not  have thought of.
I will add more things we are doing in family time later.  What is your family doing to prepare for Christmas?

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thanksgiving thoughts

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for. I am married to a wonderful husband who works very hard to make our ends meet.  We have been blessed with 3 I dare say best kids around.  We live in our own house that keeps us warm and dry. We drive cars in good working order.  We all have clothes that are somewhat fashionable and fit us.  Our fridge is filled with healthy foods.  We are blessed with a wonderful extended family who loves us and a wonderful church parish that we are a part of.  According to the "experts" we are not rich in fact their charts would put us pretty low.  But they are not around our dinner table and they aren't with us as we attend Mass.  The don't know the love and laughter within our families.  They haven't met our friends.  Sure, we are not spending as much this Christmas, and we are catching sales and cutting coupons because we have to not for a game.  But in my eyes, we are rich.  I will be heading to church in a few for a Thanksgiving Mass and when I go down on my knees I will tell my God just that and thank him for all of the blessings in our lives including the one he sent us thru his Son.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Christmas project

http://www.hearthsong.com/Doorway-Puppet-Theater_p68.html



Need to figure out how to make this for a Christmas gift for our youngest.  What are your Christmas projects?

Friday, November 4, 2011

A Thumbs up from the peanut gallery.

 As I put supper on the table and called the kids in to eat.  On the menu was GF breaded chicken tenders I had fried up, sauteed Kale greens  and some roasted potatoes.  The boys looked at the kale and curled their noses in unison.  I told them how good it was for them and they had to eat it.  We said our prayer and began eating.  One son who I will not name said "Once you get past how weird it feels in your mouth, it's not too bad."  Then the other boy agreed.  I think the Kale growers of the world should take that as a complement.  Our daughter loves it, but then again she has never had the bad for you junk food they have.  Maybe this healthy eating thing is taking off in the Buttry house after all.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

A very good thing

For those who know me, know that my daughter has multiple food allergies and celiac disease as well.  I also recently found out I can't eat gluten myself.  This makes having had to learn how to cook again.
One thing I have found that makes a wonderful breakfast is Bisquick gluten free baking mix.  I had to adapt even their recipe for pancakes because Lily Rose cannot have milk or eggs either.  So this is what I came up with and they are the best.  Thanks to my friend Kim for sharing the flax seed part.

Banana pancakes  (free from gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, )  may contain some soy.

1C of GF Bisquick mix
1tsp flax seed meal
1tsp water
1tsp canola oil
apple juice
1 banana
real maple syrup

First mix 1 tsp of whole ground flax seed meal (I used Bob's red mill)
with 1tsp of water.  This will make an ugly brown paste. That is your egg replacer.  Next mix in your Bisquick GF mix, then add 1tsp of canola oil (it calls for 2 tbsp but I thought that was too much), For your liquid mix with apple juice till you get your desired consistency. Then follow by mixing in 1/2 of a banana diced small.  Drop spoonfuls onto your hot griddle and cook as you would any pancake.  Top with the other 1/2 of the banana slices and real maple syrup(NOT pancake syrup).  Enjoy!!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

State of affairs

As I sit here preparing to go to Mass for All Saints Day and All Souls Day on Wednesday, I am thinking of those in my family who have passed this year and those who have been gone for years now.  This year I have lost 2 Aunts, both older and what we  think of as someones time.  They both lived full lives, both leaving behind children, grandchildren, siblings and more.  Their lives have touched many, they left us with funny memories and smiles of who they were.  I also lost a cousin of only 19 years.  He was actually my cousins youngest child.  He too touched so many but as we laid him to rest there was no laughter of good times, just tears and questions of why things happen when they do.  I lost another cousin at the young age of  49.  He left behind both parents, siblings and a wife and 3 children.  His youngest child is my middle ones age.  I think about these members of my family and the stories we have of them.  I can't help to wonder of my own life and the memories being made, the lessons learned and still being learned.  I of course want to be with my God one day but pray I get a long life full of plenty of time with my children, husband , family and such.  I think about the Saints before us and the hardships they endured.  Could I have endured the things they did and keep my faith.  I suppose today is a day for prayer for our loved ones who are gone and a day for us to take inventory of our own souls.  And a time to be thankful for the time we have to make the memories we are making.