About Tricia

I am Tricia. Momma of nine, homeschooler, artist, foodie and maker of all kinds of things. It's a pleasure to share here our family homesteading adventures, the things we make, and what inspires our days. Read more about my family and work here. Thanks for visiting!

Author Archive | Tricia

Lenten Jar

lent  

/lent/

Noun
The period of 40 weekdays that in the Christian Church is devoted to fasting, abstinence, and penitence. 

During Lent in our home we try to not only give things up but since Jesus gave everything for us we make it a goal to give to others.  When the kids were all little I wanted a visual to encourage them to do good thing for others, especially each other, that is when the Lenten jar was born.

For every good deed done for someone else without being asked, they may put a bean in the empty jar.  On Holy Thursday before bedtime I will put the beans into the crock pot along with pasta, and veggies to make the soup we will eat on Good Friday.  If they do not do for others then our soup will be very meager.

They start up gung ho and the jar begins to fill very quickly but as the season goes on they begin to forget and I have to encourage them to do good things but that is a job that I don’t mind.

I took this picture of the morning of Ash Wednesday.  It has many more beans in it right now and so far I have seen my children volunteer to do one of their brothers or sisters chores, give up the last piece of food for someone else who wants it, give up their turn to go out with Momma and when we are working outside they have gotten everyone water without anyone asking and with a smile.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or follow me by email at the top right hand of the screen to have future posts sent to you. Tricia (Crunchy Catholic Momma)

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Valentine surprises


Nick does not like me taking his pictures and when I do they are usually silly like this one

If you tuned in yesterday then you already know that last night we had a special night with our kids.  If you didn’t then I will tell you that Poppa and I super stealthily (not easy with a bunch of snoopy children) planned a special night of them eating at our own homemade restaurant. 

At 5 PM, I asked them to go upstairs and put on nice going out clothing and after to watch a movie (I thought that would be a dead giveaway right there).  Poppa jumped into the kitchen and started cooking up a storm while I pulled out the dry erase markers and drew up our “restaurant” sign, folded napkins, set the table, got water pitchers ready and made rootbeer floats.

We dressed up too, me as the hostess and Poppa, well he was already dressed from work in business attire and we decided that since he is the Executive chef at our restaurant, that he could stay in his work duds.

They came downstairs and I asked for their names and reservations in my best French accent (which made for some giggling on their part), then I sat them at our best table (also our only table). I read them our menu choices and took orders.

Then the food and rootbeer floats came promptly out of the kitchen and I poured water in everyone’s glasses.  Every five minutes or so I would come by to check on them and make sure they were enjoying their dinner, the table was to their satisfaction and most of all that no ones cup of water went empty (this was my favorite and I think theirs also).

Olivia who is now 4 played along so well that everytime I came around she would call me “Miss” and tell me lots of random trivia about herself as if I never met her before…she was a hoot and I had to bite my lip a few times to not crack up.

After dinner plates where collected and taken back to the kitchen, there were lots of request to send compliments to the chef so I promptly brought him to the dining room so his patrons could thank him in person.

The dessert menu coincidentally offered two of their favorite desserts and everyone ordered some except for Erica who was too full from her dinner entree.  They lingered at the table for some while after dessert and we heard lots of conversation from our post in the kitchen.  When it was time for the restaurant to close, they even left us a tip!  We believe this will become a new tradition for us.  It was a great night. (I apologize for the terrible pictures, it was late and in the winter our dining room gets very little light)

I also mentioned yesterday about a new addition to our farm.  Earlier in the day they received their first Saint Valentines day gift, a new bunny!!  We adopted her from a very sweet family who posted her on Craigslist (hi Jessica!!).  The big boys help me set up her coop the night before in the barn where she will be kept company while we work and spend our days outside. 

She is really a cuddle bunny.  The kids carry her around everywhere and she doesn’t mind one bit. her new name is Lola bunny.  They are happy to have yet one more furry friend to love and I am happy to have more fertilizer for the garden.

Tonight it is our turn (Poppa and I) to go out for our Saint Valentines day dinner and we are even going to try to catch a movie but that depends on what mood our tag along Matthew is in.  I’ll be back here tomorrow to share one of our Lenten traditions with you.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or follow me by email at the top right hand of the screen to have future posts sent to you. Tricia (Crunchy Catholic Momma)

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