I upped the WPM (words per minute) goal for both of my boys on our typing program this week.  Back when we started it, the program suggested a starting goal of 15 WPM for the kids.  Now, they consistently beat the goal.  In fact, this week, Noah did a speed test and came up with 26 WPM.

I told him that I definitely needed to increase his goal.  He suggested maybe I should increase it to 16 or 17 WPM then.

“But you just got 26 words per minute, buddy.  Why would I do that?” I questioned.  “How about 30 words a minute?”

I then had to get a whole earful from both boys about how the speed test gave shorter words.  It was much easier to get a higher word count.  Noah insisted that 30 was too high.  “Who could type that fast?  I’ll never type that fast!” he said, in a panic.

We finally agreed on 20 WPM.

Then, however, I had to show him how I did one of the lessons, since I had set myself up as a student when we first installed the software, just to be sure everything was in good working order without skewing their profiles.  Since the program knew my typing abilities from when I set up my profile, it threw every horrible thing at me.  There were tons of numbers, brackets, and symbols galore.  I felt like I typed slower than I had since I was in high school and was first learning touch typing.

My score was 47 WPM.  A speed test later came up at 84 WPM.  Noah’s eyes were wide and I assured him that he would, indeed, one day type more than 30 WPM.

~ 2 ~

I put off taking typing in high school and was perfectly happy with my quick hunting and pecking method for typing.  My junior year, I finally broke down so that my Mom would stop pestering me about it and signed up for a year-long keyboarding class.

You see, my parents never talked to me about my schedule in high school at all.  I made my own choices, and we just never talked about it.  But, that darn keyboarding class came up over and over, but I continually declined the suggestions.

Of course, mothers often know best, don’t they.  Thanks to my Mom for pushing on that one.  It has been the single most useful class that I took in high school.

~ 3 ~

Wait.  That can’t really be right, can it?

No, I think I have to go with my English-types of classes, which included four years of Honors English, two years on the newspaper (which was a class at my high school), and creative writing.

But, that keyboarding class is still pretty high up on the list.

What do you think was your most useful class in high school?

 ~ 4 ~

Do you know what a really good brother look like?

~ 5 ~

I have an embarrassing confession.

I got a new computer just under two weeks ago because the graphics/video card on my current computer was slowing going out over the course of many months (and Eric was unable to find an appropriate replacement).  I paid for said new computer on a credit card that I use for business stuff, and I actually already managed to pay it off in that short amount of time.  Bonus!

Eric sweetly set it all up for me.  He took a ton of time installing things, and then I spent several hours organizing the messy filing system on the old laptop so that I could start all fresh.

So, here’s the thing that is embarrassing and is getting to the point where I think it is making Eric sad…

I have yet to use the new computer.  I continue to use the one that my hands are on right now, even though I sometimes run into a problem where everything on the screen looks funky and I have to scroll around to make it look right again.

Eric finally just put it in another room.  He said it was depressing to him to see it sitting out, but not being used. Tonight, I finally promised that by the end of the weekend, I’ll be on the new computer.

~ 6 ~

I thought it would have been funny to put the computer out and have Molly using it when Eric got home one night, but that seemed too annoying and mean.

It would have been kind of funny though too.

~ 7 ~

We officially have eleven days of school left for this school year, and I can’t decide who is more anxious for us to be done – them or me.  In all honesty, I think it’s me.

We don’t have any big summer time plans, but I think we’ll be keeping busy.  I’m just hoping that we manage to get some downtime!  I really, really need it.

—

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

keyboard photo credit

7 Quick Takes: May 17, 2013 (Vol. 151) is a post from: Many Little Blessings. This material is copyrighted and should not appear on other websites. Thank you!

It’s been a while since I’ve had toddlers around my house.  However, after I was done having toddlers around the house, I spent five years working as an in-home developmental therapist to children under three with developmental delays and disabilities.

That gave me a chance to try out a lot of toys and materials with a lot of different kids.  One of the things that I thought was especially fun about that was being able to see trends in what the kids had sustained play with and in what they didn’t really have an interest in.  I’m geeky that I can’t help but love numbers and trends from a sociological type of perspective.

Wait, hang on.  I was going to talk about toys, right?  Sorry about that.

I was thinking about some of those favorite toys and materials that the toddlers I saw loved the most and that often helped most with the developmental milestones that we were working on.  I wanted to shared some of their favorites with you.  Of course, I’m also big into the idea that you can find educational activities just about anywhere.

10 Favorite Toddler Toys During My Times as a Developmental Therapist

Blocks

I know that seems cliche.  But, really – they loved them.  Sure, some kids didn’t really love them, but most of the kids I saw loved them.  For toddlers, I preferred the classic blocks with color on some sides, as well as letters, numbers, and pictures on them.  Not only are they great for building, but they offer so many opportunities to talk about the colors, numbers, letters, and pictures.

For more complex building, especially as kids get older, I would recommend blocks that come in different shapes.  Molly got this set of blocks for Christmas when she was around three years old because we noticed how much she loved building intricate structures.  At eight and a half years old, she still has them and uses them to build palaces and the like for Littlest Pet Shop dolls.

Play-doh

Okay, so I’m going to admit something here.  I don’t enjoy Play-doh.  It gets messy, pieces get on the carpet, it’s kind of a pain.  Kids, however, love Play-doh.  From a therapy stand point, I especially liked to have a set that had a lot of things like plastic knives, scissors, shape cutters, rolling pins, etc.  These were great for working on fine motor skills.

As a bonus, Play-doh was perfect for working with kids with sensory sensitivities.  I loved when I got one child to go from hating it to eventually requesting to play with it.  Of course, I also had one child that literally climbed up his mother who was standing at the time.  (Don’t feel bad – I put it away and didn’t force it.)

Play Kitchen

I know this seems like a bigger one, but the kids really loved it.  Boys and girls, mind you.  Here is a fun, large play kitchen.  For therapy, I actually used a small one that I was able to cart around easily.  While this isn’t the one that I used, this looks like a nice portable play kitchen.

Locks and Latches Box

This Locks and Latches Box was absolutely one of the favorite toys of everything I had.  I brought over toys in a five week rotation, and when the kids saw that I had this one with me, they would get so excited.  I think I probably had a child or two that weren’t crazy about it over the five year period of therapy that I did.  But, everyone else loved it.

It probably helped that we sometimes played silly games with it.  So, it wasn’t just the latches, but the silly games that I would introduce with it.

I don’t know if it’s because of safety issues or something else, but it appears that this isn’t available anymore.  Really, I already knew that though, because I had some parents that would look all over for it.  They often settled for the Latches Board instead, if they really wanted it.  But, it wasn’t nearly as exciting as that box.

Velcro Pull Apart Food

There are many themed options as far as this goes – pizza, birthday cake, sandwiches, fruit and vegetables, and more.  I used an inexpensive plastic set that I could never find again in order to replace pieces that went missing.  These were loved by the toddler and their siblings.

In fact, I once caught an older sibling trying to steal some of the pieces because she loved the velcro food so much.  Because the kids I saw loved them so much too, I was very aware of which pieces were missing that time, and when I asked her to help me find them, she knew she’d been caught and “found” them for me.

Classic Fisher-Price Toys

Toys used to hold up so well, didn’t they?  Toys held up so well, in fact, that I actually used to take some toys to therapy sessions that my siblings and I played with when we were growing up.  I’m sorry, but those current Fisher-Price Castles and Cash Registers just can’t hold a candle to the vintage ones.

Shape and Color Sorters

Another classic kid toy, the list just wouldn’t be the same without it.  I had some kids that I saw that couldn’t be bothered to play with these, but others would want to play with a set like this shape and color sorter for long stretches of time.  This is a good jumping off point for not only working on sorting, but also talking about different colors and shapes, as well as counting.

Of course, there are also more classic shape sorters like this Melissa and Doug box and this simpler Fisher-Price shape sorter.

Baby Dolls and Doll Accessories

As a general rule, girls that I saw loved the baby dolls and accessories.  A very large percentage of the boys at this age also loved the baby doll.  I think one of the draws was that I always had accessories that went along with the baby doll.  I never just brought along a doll, but also brought along things like bed and nighttime accessories, feeding accessories, bath items, and more.  The kids loved doing some of the same things that their parents did for them or for baby siblings.

Tool Set

Again, with no surprise, this was a hit with both genders.  I had the portable tool set that I have shown in the picture with this post.  I found it second hand, and loved that it was very portable.  I think the kids also thought it was a novelty to be able to open a small case and have so many activities available to them.  I liked that it offered lots of vocabulary opportunities as well as fine motor skills.

Large Knob Puzzles

Puzzles can be fun for toddlers, but they’re sometimes difficult.  That’s why I love the large knob puzzles.  They are easier for them to manipulate.  Plus, they have so many different themes, which makes for a wonderful way to work on vocabulary and concepts.  For example, a farm puzzle offers the perfect opportunity to work on the names of animals and their sounds.

What are/were some of your children’s favorite toddler toys?

This post is also part of the iHomeschool Network 10 in 10.

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block photo credit

This post contains affiliate links.  They help support this site – thank you!  (Disclosure Policy)

10 Toys that Toddlers Love is a post from: Many Little Blessings. This material is copyrighted and should not appear on other websites. Thank you!

My best dozen pieces of homeschooling advice – Simple Homeschool
Such fabulous homeschooling advice!  Heck – I think an awful lot of it is just great advice for parents in general.

Why You Don’t Need Another Productivity Tool to Manage Your Time – Work…Your Way
I’ve been guilty of this before.  You know, thinking that one more shiny gadget or planner or office supply is going to be the answer to all of my productivity problems.  None of those things ever are though, of course.

Gardening with Children – Catholic Mothers Online
I’m beginning to fear that my garden may not get planted because it’s getting close to time to plant and my garden isn’t ready at all.  But, these reasons for gardening with children are so good.

Free Printable School Calendar for 2013-2014 – Five J’s
I love using Joy’s printable calendars for keeping track of attendance in our homeschool.  Thanks, Joy!

Top Ten Art Supplies for Kids – The Homeschool Classroom
I’m a sucker for art supplies, so I loved looking through this list that Rob wrote.  I’m just thankful that we already had two of more expensive items on the list.  Whew!

Copper Hand Stamped Wallet Sized Card – Snappin Studio
Not a post, but I saw this on Etsy and I think it would make such a wonderful, heartfelt gift for someone.  Very cool!

Many Little Links is a post from: Many Little Blessings. This material is copyrighted and should not appear on other websites. Thank you!

I can’t believe that I haven’t shared a picture of the most exciting thing that happened around here last month…

And, with this wonderful event, all three of our children now receive Holy Communion.

~ 2 ~

I was getting pretty misty-eyed on the morning of the First Communion.  I couldn’t decide if it was because Molly is our only girl or because she is our youngest or if it was because I thought about helping her get dressed up in her fancy white dress to drive her to church, and I thought, “I’ll probably be doing this same thing again some day.”  Time just slips away so fast.

~ 3 ~

We loved that floral wreath that we ended up deciding on for Molly.  We originally planned on doing a veil with a headband.  Then, we thought about a tiara and veil.  But, finally, we decided on a floral crown.

We were so happy with Holly’s Flower Shoppe on Etsy!  Holly was sweet and got the wreath to us quickly.  I would definitely recommend her shop for a variety of floral needs.

~ 4 ~

Last year, we went to visit some friends because they had a cello and offered that Molly could check one out in person to decide if she wanted to try her hand at taking cello lessons.  While we were at their house, we found that they actually had many different instruments and they let us try all kinds of different ones.  I declared it to be the coolest house ever.

So, now fast forward almost a year, and we were entertaining a friend of Molly’s (an overnight stay, hence the pajamas).  Her friend saw our piano and excitedly asked if anyone played.  Then, I saw her wide-eyed excitement when her eyes met with Molly’s cello.  “A cello!”

Right at that moment, I thought, “We get to be the cool house tonight!”

So, I offered that, as long as she promised to be careful, she could try Molly’s cello.  The friend was thrilled.

After she played for a while, I asked if she wanted to try the piano.

“Yes!”

While she and Molly were banging around on the piano, I went and grabbed our mandolin, which she strummed away on after getting her fill of the piano.  And, finally, I brought out my acoustic guitar for the kids to all try out.

So fabulous!

~ 5 ~

The kids decided they would play a song together, and even (shockingly) got Noah to join them.  You know, usually wild, uncoordinated music and Autism don’t go hand-in-hand.

Noah played the piano, Jack on the mandolin, Molly on the guitar, and M’s friend was on the cello.  In a surprising twist, they had Noah, who would be playing an actual song, start so they could get the rhythm.  They then all joined in and tried to match him.

Sure, it was still kind of crazy, but not quite the cacophony that we expected with four people playing and only one of them using an instrument they knew how to play.

~ 6 ~

Okay, completely changing the topic here.

What’s up with Minecraft?  Why is this game with horrible graphics so popular?  Seriously – what am I missing?

The kids were showing me some of the things they were building and I was kind of at a loss.  I did, however, think it was nice that when the kids were starting a town, they wanted to make sure that a church was one of the first things they built.

~ 7 ~

I am pretty sure that I broke every rule of professional bloggers in my actions on Wednesday.

I had been exploring some graphics to get ideas for a makeover for The Homeschool Classroom for a few weeks.  Then, last week, I started working on pieces for the makeover, including trying out things on my test site.  Once I had most of the graphics done and all of the tweaks that I was making were fine on the test blog, I started making changes on the actual blog.

Of course, the smart thing to do would be to either take down the site for a few hours or do it in the middle of the night or on a weekend.  Instead, I just worked through it a change at a time throughout the whole day on Wednesday.

Yeah, I’m a rebel like that.

Be sure to go check out the new look for The Homeschool Classroom.  It’s a big change, and I’m very excited about it.

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This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

7 Quick Takes: May 10, 2013 (Vol. 150) is a post from: Many Little Blessings. This material is copyrighted and should not appear on other websites. Thank you!

I’m excited that just like last year, iHomeschool Network is hosting their 10 in 10 series starting now through the next 10 weeks.  As a member at iHN, I’ll be participating, and it will also mean some new faces in the link up for Top Ten Tuesday as well.  Fun!

Don’t worry, non-homeschoolers, only a few of the weeks have topics that are specifically about homeschooling.  But, this week happens to be one of them.  I’m sharing some things that I’ve learned about myself while homeschooling.

But, first…

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by Catholic Child:

Faith, hope & love. It all begins at home! That’s why Catholic Child Catalog is dedicated to bringing families the finest in faith-filled fun and learning. Still family owned and operated, Catholic Child can be found online at http://www.catholicchild.com/

Free Personalization on any and all Prayer Pillowcases, when you shop with Code sweetdrms now through Friday, May 10th.

10 Things I’ve Learned about Myself While Homeschooling

1. I genuinely enjoy being with my kids.  They’re just generally these really great kids that I find myself connecting with in a whole new way as they get older.  They make me laugh, make me think, and make me grow.

2. I need alone time.  As much as I love being with my kids, I definitely need to find some time to be alone each week.  I’m an extrovert but I thrive on having some time all to myself.  Thankfully, Eric is a good guy and he makes sure that I get that time.

3. I’m a poor manager of my time.  I don’t remember being quite this bad with time management before we started homeschooling.  But, I would venture a guess that even if the kids were in school now, I’d have some of the same problems.  The online nature of our society sure makes it easy to be distracted.

4. I sometimes lack patience when explaining the same concept over and over or if someone can’t figure out a very easy question.  I didn’t, generally, struggle in school.  Things came pretty easily for me.  I think this is one reason that I sometimes find myself at a loss on my fourth or fifth time explaining the same thing.

5. My degree in elementary education doesn’t really help for homeschooling.  It may have helped when I was teaching school, although, I have to be honest and say that I don’t even think it prepared me well for that.  But, I can tell you that I’m certain it actually hinders me while homeschooling because I have a hard time thinking outside of the traditional education box.

6. My degree in special education might be a little more helpful.  While this makes sense with having a child with special needs, I think it helps more because in special ed, you need to be able to be a little more creative in meeting the students’ needs sometimes.

7. If I don’t write up our plans ahead of time, I’m going to be in a bad mood.  I feel frazzled and in a bad mood, it makes the kids in a less than stellar mood, and then I get in an even worse mood.  When everything is planned ahead of time, we just feel more put together.

8. I get a twinge of satisfaction walking out of a school with my kids in tow.  Since we used to do some therapies at my boys’ old school (Molly never went there), we found ourselves frequently visiting the school.  Almost every single time we walked out after therapy, I loved being able to just walk right back out of there with them.

9. Homeschooling high school terrifies me.  Next year at this time, I really need to have a plan in place for what we’ll be using for high school.  I have no clue right now, and I’m beginning to be obsessive in my searching for a solution.

10. As much as I was focused on grades and scores when I was in school, I don’t care about them for my kids.  I prided myself on my good grades throughout my school career.  I still do it, because I realized while writing this that I was dying to tell you all about my high standardized test scores and my 4.0 graduation GPA in graduate school.  It probably should not be a shock that my priest once told me in confession that it sounded like a lot of the things I was confessing had to do with pride.

Maybe it’s because it’s not about me, but we don’t even mess with grades in our homeschool.  The only time the kids see grades are in math (because we use Teaching Textbooks) and spelling.  Go figure!

What have you learned something about yourself that surprised you from an experience that you’ve had?

10 Things I’ve Learned about Myself While Homeschooling is a post from: Many Little Blessings. This material is copyrighted and should not appear on other websites. Thank you!

We feel very strongly about having big, special First Communion parties because we think that it is just one way that we show our kids that we think it’s one of the biggest, most special days of their lives.  While we’ve done a variety of things as far as invitations have gone over the years, it was a decision that came up each time.

I recently got to check out the invitation offerings from Communion Cards, as well as some of the other products that they offer.  (Disclosure: What that means is that I was not only excited to get to check them out and arrange a giveaway and discount for you guys, but I was also compensated for my time.  We all win!)

Not only does Communion Cards offer invitations, but they also offer thank you cards, response cards, keepsakes (bookmarks, for example), candy bar wrappers, personalized wrapping paper, and more.  Plus, if you follow the link to Other Occasions, you can find all kinds of other goodies!

When I got the package of samples, I was impressed not only by the variety of designs, but also by the quality of the cards and other items.  Although, Eric did have to ask (when he just saw everything sitting out), “Why do you have wrapping paper with someone’s picture on it?”

Not only does their wrapping paper have pictures on it, but it can also feature a personalized message.  The example they sent had a girl’s senior pictures on it and a message from Mom and Dad expressing both their pride and their excitement over how her future will unfold.  Get it?  Unfold, and it’s wrapping paper?  Well, I thought it was clever.

While the original idea of this post was just to be a review, I’m excited that the company offered up a giveaway and a discount code!

So, to save 10% on an order, just use the code MANYLITTLEBLESSINGS at checkout.

Now, on to the giveaway.  One randomly chosen winner will win a package that includes:

• 25 personalized thank you cards
• 25 personalized bookmarks
• 25 personalized candy wrappers OR a roll of personalized wrapping paper

The cool thing about this is that because none of them are invitations, you can actually buy something to use in the future!  To enter use the Rafflecopter widget here with a variety of ways to enter.  None of them are mandatory, so you should be able to find an option that you like best.  Of course, you can also do them all, if you want!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter by Monday, May 6, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST for a possibility to win the above mentioned package.  This is open to U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older.  Other important terms and conditions (please read).

Disclosure: As I already mentioned, I was compensated for my time in doing this review.  Communion Cards is also currently an advertiser on Many Little Blessings.  However, I was not told what to say and all opinions are my own.  Disclosure Policy.

Communion Cards Review Plus a Giveaway is a post from: Many Little Blessings. This material is copyrighted and should not appear on other websites. Thank you!

What helps one person get through a stressful situation is definitely different for each person. Here are some things that I’ve found that have helped me with either stressful situations or just times in life that have seemed more stressful in general.

10 Ways to Relax When You’re Too Stressed

1. Prayer. It’s a pretty darn good go-to in most situations, isn’t it? I find that sometimes when I’m super stressed though, I’ll start rehashing it all to God. Of course, He knows it already and then I’m often still stressed because I just spent the whole time milling over what was upsetting me.

I find it more calming in those times to either just sit in silent prayer (no thoughts, just stillness) or to do a Christ-centered deep breathing, thinking “Je” on a deep breath in and “sus” on a full breath out.

2. Music. Listen to your favorite music. I find that in stressful times, I prefer either very loud and fast music or music by Christian bands. Music that is fast, loud, and by Christian bands is even better. It also needs to be something I can sing along to, as that helps to refocus my thoughts onto the words, rather than whatever stress-filled thoughts I’m having.

3. Take a nap. Some things just seem a lot more manageable when you’re well rested.

4. Meet with a friend for coffee/tea/soda/whatever. Even if you don’t want to talk about what’s stressing you out, it can be so wonderful just to sit and visit.

5. Do some physical activity. It can help to clear your mind by going on a walk, a bike ride, exercise, Just Dance for the Wii, or whatever your physical activity of choice is.

6. Play with your kids. You know, if you have kids. But, this one comes with a caveat. Don’t let them pick the game or activity. If they pick something that you find tedious, you’re just going to feel more stressed. Pick something that will be fun for all of you.

7. Go outside. Deeply breathing in fresh air and getting some sunshine can be very centering.

8. Seek out physical contact. Whether you snuggle with your kids, get a massage from your spouse, or get a long hug from a friend, it can help just to feel connected to someone else.

9. Problem solve with a trusted friend or family member. When I was feeling all angst-filled this weekend over blog stuff, it was so nice being able to reach out to some of my very best blogging friends. They told me things that I knew I needed to think about (which would mean more work), but more so, it was just knowing that I have them as friends who understand where I am and what I need. Although, with them spread all over the country, I told Eric that I just wanted to say that I would fly them all to me to work through my issues.

10. Get creative. Paint, write, sculpt, do needle crafts, play an instrument – whatever it is that speaks most to you and your heart.

What things do you do to find some relaxation and peace of mind when you’re stressed?

10 Ways to Relax When You’re Too Stressed is a post from: Many Little Blessings. This material is copyrighted and should not appear on other websites. Thank you!

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The New Experience

This is kind of true that it is a new experience.  The kids have actually been to Adoration once before while we were traveling and stopped in at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament.  However, they were all much younger and we spent just a few minutes at Adoration.  Considering that they had very little memory of it and it was just for a couple of minutes, I figured it was a great opportunity for a new experience.

For my readers that aren’t familiar with what Adoration is…

Since Catholics believe in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, some churches will have Adoration which is a time when a consecrated host is displayed in a monstrance on the altar.  This means it is a special chance to quietly be in prayer with Jesus.

As a bonus new experience, I decided to wear a veil when I went to Adoration.

How I Picked the New Experience

I had been wanting to take the kids for quite some time, but just never did it.  This, of course, made me feel bad because I thought I should, but just wasn’t doing it.  Adoration in our area isn’t in the most convenient place, and I let my own concerns about being able to get us there get in the way of just doing it.  The blog series gave me the push I needed.

Oh, and the veil?  I have been wanting to do that for a long time too, but have never had the guts to do it at Mass.  But, Adoration seemed like the perfect opportunity.

How I Felt Prior to the New Experience

I was excited to take the kids, but also unsure about the logistics of getting there.  I also worried that they would get bored and that I would end up leaving frazzled or have to make crazy mom eyes at them while we were there.

I was also excited to try out the veil, but also worried that someone would see me and think, “Who does this chick think she is?  She’s carrying a bag that says, ‘I Love Nerds’ on it and she thinks she can pull off this veil thing?”

The Adoration Experience

In order to stave off boredom, I suggested various things that the kids could do while we were there.  I told them that while they didn’t have to pray the whole time they were there, the things they did should be things that would bring them closer to God.

For the record, here’s what they chose to do: Noah read from a DK Children’s Bible that had a lot of history information in it (which is his thing), Jack decided to pray the Rosary (which wasn’t even something I suggested), and Molly asked me to bring along a bunch of cards we have that contain prayers which she proceeded to read to herself and then she drew a picture of the monstrance.  (Molly’s request for me to bring the prayer cards also surprised me.)

As for me – I mostly just knelt and sat quietly.  I’ve been feeling some angst lately, so I prayed some, but mostly I just sat with Jesus in silence.  I needed to not have a thousand thoughts racing through my head.  I needed that stillness.  In that way, the veil was nice.  It was like blinders and I felt focused on the quiet.

I had told the kids that we would stay for 20 minutes.  I figured that was probably a good introduction to Adoration for them, given their ages.  If they were younger, I certainly would have done even shorter.  But, I didn’t want to press my luck, as I figured they would leave there less than pleased anyway.

The kids did well for the first 10 minutes.  They did really, really well.  I was impressed and touched.  I looked at the time, fearing that those first 10 minutes had only actually been five minutes.  Instead, what I was sure had been 10 minutes was 22 minutes instead.  I checked the time again, just to be sure.

So, we went ahead and stayed for 30 minutes instead.  We gathered our things quietly and left.  On our way out, an elderly woman smiled broadly at me and gave me an approving wink.  She probably didn’t know how much that meant to me, but it made my heart feel full, especially since I figured that upon leaving, I would get polite remarks from the children about our time in Adoration.  You know, the kind of remarks that are like this, “Thanks so much for making peas as a side dish for dinner, Mom.  They were so, um, uh, green.  Thanks.”

Instead, the first comment came from Noah.  “I really liked that,” he smiled.  The other kids chimed in that they were surprised the time went so fast and that they would enjoy going again.

Would I Do This Experience Again?

I have heard people speak over and over about the difference going to Adoration has made in their lives.  I was thrilled that while we were walking out, the children suggested that we should make it a monthly occurrence.  They really did enjoy it, and so did I.

Wait, here’s where I dispel the idea that I have super holy kids.  I actually suggested we could go weekly or every other week, when they indicated that they would like to go again on a regular basis.  When I also said monthly, they jumped on that.  Just felt that I needed to share that in the interest of full disclosure.

But do you know what?  I’m thrilled that, even though they jumped on the longest time frame I suggested, they were the ones to suggest we start going on a regular basis.  I think it will be a beautiful addition to our family’s life.

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photo source: Simon Antony

To read more 10 Day Series, check out the iHomeschool Network Hopscotch!

New Experience #8: Taking the Kids to Adoration is a post from: Many Little Blessings. This material is copyrighted and should not appear on other websites. Thank you!

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The New Experience

Giving up red meat

How I Picked the New Experience

Somewhere around seven or eight weeks ago, I noticed that it had been about five days or more since I had eaten red meat.  Since I had thought several times about giving up red meat in the past, I decided that it was just as good a start as any, and I might as well give it a try.

Not only did I know that it would come with health benefits, but I had also found that I was sometimes having stomach upset after red meat since my gallbladder was removed last year.

How I Felt Prior to the New Experience

Like I said, I had already thought about it before, and I really went into this finally with not a lot of thought.  I was not happy that I thought that might be difficult in some settings, but I figured, “Hey – why not?”

Oh, and the part that I felt made this possible was my sweeping declaration once I told everyone I was doing it (which was at least a week or two into it), “Bacon is the exception!  Bacon will always be okay.”

A girl has to have her limits, you know.

For those of you that say, “But wait, Angie.  Bacon is pork and pork is ‘the other white meat.’”  To you I say, “Yeah, the pork industry had themselves a humdinger of an ad campaign with that one, didn’t they?  But, it really is red meat.  Sorry.”

The Actual Giving Up Red Meat Experience

For the most part, this has actually been very successful.  I don’t find myself wanting any, so that makes it a lot easier.

Now, here’s the thing though – I have, indeed, had both beef and pork since giving them up.  It has been rare and typically it has happened when they have been in with something else.  Although I have passed up on things that they have been in, if I really want something and it has bits of ham in it, for instance, I have still been having that on rare occasions.  (It comes out to maybe once ever 2 – 3 weeks.)

While I was a little disappointed with myself to make these concessions, especially when the first several weeks, I made no concessions.  Well, you know, except for bacon, but even that I only had once.

I have realized, however, that I was doing this because I felt called to do it for a variety of reasons.  There don’t need to be rules on it.  If, I haven’t had any red meat in a week or so and then I have an omelet that has some diced ham in it, I’m okay with that.  As long as it is not happening frequently nor is the red meat the centerpiece of the meal, I feel like I’m still making a good choice.

The couple of times that I have gone ahead and eaten something like a burger or ribs despite trying to avoid those things, I found that even while I was eating, I couldn’t help but think, “I’m not really enjoying this like I thought I would.”

Would I Do This Experience Again?

Since this one is an ongoing experience, there really is no “again.”  However, I am glad that I decided to give this a try, and I’ve been happy with it thus far.  Maybe I’ll get to a point where I say no exceptions at all, but for now, I’m happy to have a small exception every couple of weeks.

Now, if you wonder if I’ll go vegetarian at some point, I think I can give that a fairly confident no.  We have been trying to have meatless meals here and there, but chicken and fish are here to stay.

Have you given up any food group?  Why did you decide to do it?

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photo source

New Experience #7: Giving Up Red Meat is a post from: Many Little Blessings. This material is copyrighted and should not appear on other websites. Thank you!

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The New Experience

Making cake push pops, which would be for Molly’s First Communion party.

How I Picked This New Experience

I’m pretty traditional in my dessert making, but when I kept seeing cake push pops around (especially on Pinterest), it definitely caught my eye.  I was hesitant to try them, figuring they were probably more difficult than they appeared, but I thought it would be a fun addition to Molly’s party.

How I Felt About It Before The Experience

With the craziness of getting ready for the party, I very nearly didn’t even make the cake push pops for the party, just because I was getting pressed for time.  Finally, however, I decided that I would just have to do it, since I had already purposefully purchased the containers for the cake push pops and a mini muffin pan.

I also knew that I had to go ahead and make them because Eric used his super nerd powers (um, I mean his engineering prowess) to perfectly space out holes on a cake box to use as a cake push pop holder, since I refused to buy a stand for them.

Seriously – isn’t that box the best?  I got it for less than $1, whereas stands were expensive.

That one ripped hole?  That was my fault.  Sorry, Eric.

Eric insisted on working on making this box work, even as I yelled, “I’ll just throw them in a trifle bowl!  I’ll use a trifle bowl!  Trifle bowl, trifle bowl, trifle bowl!”  (Yes, if you ever wondered what it would be like to be married to me, it’s a lot like that.  God bless that man.)

The Cake Push Pop Experience

Remember when I said that I figured that they would be harder to put together than I thought they might be?

Yeah, they were, and that becomes problematic when you are getting close to party time.  It was because of that that I decided that each cake push pop would consist of two mini cupcakes, rather than one.  I didn’t want to waste any of the cupcakes I baked, so I wanted to be sure to only have to make 26 cake push pops instead of 52.

Now, here are my words of wisdom if you should be inspired and decide to make them.  First off, yeah, do it.  More on that later.  But, second off, here’s my tip:

Hold the container upside down with the stopper all the way to the bottom, and then put the first cupcake in with you holding it upside down (so it will be in the right way when you’re done).  Then, as you’ve put it in, move the holder back upright so the cupcake doesn’t fall out and do the rest of the filling.  So much better!  I would have whipped through them if I started like that.

Okay, so I promised a first reason to make them.  People at the party went crazy over them!  I made them in a very simple fashion, nothing fancy at all.  Just mini cupcake, frosting, sprinkles, mini cupcake, frosting, and a few more sprinkles.  But still, people thought they were the coolest.  I got so many compliments!

Would I Do It Again?

Yep, I definitely would, especially now that I have a better method for filling them. Plus, I can’t wait to experiment when I have more time and try new combinations.

I think these would be especially cool to take to things like bake sales or as a special treat for someone.

Oh, and one other cool thing?  I had planned to just put all of the pieces in my recycling, but my Mom (and a few other people) pointed out that they were made of a pretty sturdy plastic and could probably survive a trip through the dishwasher.  And do you know what?  They did survive!  So, on top of the large quantity that I still had left, I got to put most of the ones that I had already used and cleaned back into my stash for later.  Bonus!

These were definitely a fun and different dessert option.  If you want some other ideas for how to do them, check out my Sweets and Desserts board on Pinterest, since I have pinned several different cake push pop ideas there.

What are some of your favorite go to sweets that get a lot of compliments and comments?

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New Experience #6: Making Cake Push Pops is a post from: Many Little Blessings. This material is copyrighted and should not appear on other websites. Thank you!