Adam says…Hey, Frankie…

Adam and Frankie are toddlers who correspond through their Mom’s blogs Equipping Catholic Families and Catholic All Year  about being Catholic and being the youngest in a big Catholic family. For the complete correspondence of Adam and Frankie…check out The Catholic Toddler Letters! Dear Frankie, It has been a while since we corresponded! I learned about some of the things you have been up to on your Mom’s blog including what your family does on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday! I know that this is the most important week of the whole year for us Catholics, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m working on my game plan for some long liturgies.  I know we’ve discussed Mass Survival Tips and Mass Survival Strategies, but I think the next couple days at Church will really put those to the test! I’m going to be 3 years old in a couple weeks and I have just started to reflect on toddlerdom and thought I could pass along a few tips.  These tips don’t have anything to do with going to Mass, but I thought you might like to take it from me: These are some things you shouldn’t do (even if it seems like a good idea at the time): 1. Have a tantrum at the bank because your Mom doesn’t let you run into the vault. 2. Drop to the floor and pretend that your Mom dropped you and launch into a kicking and screaming fit…also at the bank. 3. Break the St Anthony statue that has been in your sister’s room forever…and in your Dad’s room when he was a kid…and hide it in a bag. 4. Color your legs with blue marker while you sit on your Mom’s white duvet. 5. Call 9-1-1 even though your sister did it twice when she was your age and the police were really nice (and cool looking) when they came to the door (when I did it). 6. Eat marshmallows that are really old because there is no reasonable chocolate to be found in the house these weekdays of Lent! 7. Break the cute little country-house-teapot or really any other wedding presents of your parents’. 8. Clean the toilet. Or try to empty your own potty into the toilet. Or pee standing up before you’re Dad gets a chance to coach you. 9. Press the garage door opener closer, when your Mom is getting the groceries out of the trunk of the van (parked in the garage) so that the door comes down on her head. …and lastly, 10. Insist on going out -with only your boots on- even if it is officially Spring. Most of these thing happened in the last week… I bet I’ll have another list for you soon! So do you have anything planned for Church during the Triduum? I have a feeling that my Mom is going to bring some props to try and keep me busy.  I’m thinking the

Reverence & Awe cards

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Celebrating the Sacrament Series

 Sacraments Series: Summary Page! 1. Annual Sacrament Celebrations is the latest installment of the Sacrament Series and offers a  printable of 24 Cake Toppers for just $2, filled with Kelly Comics and can be used as decorations, stickers, buttons or scrapbooking embellishments. 2. My first post in the Sacraments Series, =&0=& is based on the article I wrote for =&1=& =&2=&This article highlights a few of our Arma Dei Catholic teaching tools and gifts, including the Hand in hand with Jesus Faith Journal, packed with prayerful reflection prompts about their experiences of the Sacraments and their maturing prayer life, along with questions about the Sacraments.

We created the Hand in hand with Jesus Faith Journal, packed with prayerful reflection prompts about their experiences of the Sacraments and their maturing prayer life, along with questions about the Sacraments based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This hard cover book is packed with illustrations to color and prayerful reflections, making it a wonderful keepsake of the child’s journey of Faith….and an awesome Sacrament gift to treasure for years to come… for your children, grandchildren, Godchildren and friends!

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10 Ways to Use the Guess Who?! template!

2024 version Guess Who? Saints!

from the Archives

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Annual Family Sacrament Celebrations!

Sacraments: another reason to celebrate every Season!

Sacrament Celebrations Cake Toppers illustrated with Kelly Comics, created by our daughter when she was  11 years old!

These can help decorate dessert or the table…or be used as a fun Sacrament matching game.  Customize your Sacrament Cake Toppers, by recording the actual dates of First Sacraments…in your family!

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Simplified Seder Supper with FREE PRINTABLE!

Jesus was celebrating the Seder Supper AS He instituted the Holy Eucharist, knowing that He would take the place of the Sacrificial Lamb. =&0=& =&1=& read more...for Equipping Catholic Families!

Lent Activities Summary

  Lots of Links for Lenten Activities, Catholic Crafts and Family Traditions: Equipping Catholic Families …for Lent!

Printables for a Prayerful Lent!

 Visit our 40 Ways for 40 Days list of Lenten Ideas with links! Passion Play in an Egg Carton with Wooden Painted Saints

  Good Deed Bead Bracelets Tutorial

 Stepping Stones through Jesus’ Life

AND 2013: Stepping Stones through Jesus’ Life: A New Approach!

  Crown of Thorns

 Stations of the Cross Carousel

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I Spy…March Saints!

Happy Feast of St Joseph!  St Joseph is one of our FAVORITE family saints! Can you name the =&0=&?

For the complete FREE printable of 12 Months of I Spy…the SAINTS!,
click the “Add to Cart” button right here
(no discount code needed):

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Our Family Leprechaun

Sometimes, I just have to MAKE something…in the midst of cleaning the house, cooking and preparing for a family party …like our St Patrick’s party…=&0=& Using the same pipe cleaner felt people technique I used for the =&1=& I decided that it was about time that we had our own family leprechaun! I will post more directions after I look up the proper names for the stitches. I just cut the felt as I went along, but I may be able to make a pattern…leave a comment if you’re interested!Gotta go!…the guests are arriving!

…We had a fun party with our plastic tablecloth rainbow, shamrock decorations made by Bridget, our St Patrick TY doll, and felt friends leprechaun (see above!).  We ate spinach dip, brie and apple slices, and smoked salmon for appetizers…and shamrock buns, Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage for dinner.  Our cocktails were filled with green star-shaped ice cubes and our dessert included shamrock shortbread cookies, chocolate covered pretzel shamrocks and authentic Irish coffee (and hot chocolate!)

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how we stood up the Pope

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February 2003 was not my favorite month. It began with chicken pox making its way through 3 kids, then The Norwalk virus, a 24 hour flu that I blame for my first miscarriage.  It’s true that the year 2003 was off to a rough start, but my husband Bill,  took it upon himself to make a dream happen.

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10 Ways to Use the Guess Who? The 116 Cardinals! kit

So after releasing the initial Guess Who?! The Cardinals FREE printable, I decided to expand the kit to not only reflect the 24 Cardinals most talked about in the media… but all 116 Cardinals eligible to vote in the Conclave. I incorporated their names and flags with my hand-picked, google-searched photos of them to create 5 templates for the Guess Who?! game.  
See the NEW Guess Who? The 116 Cardinals kit! kit BELOW! 
FREE download!

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