Homemade decade rosaries

One of our activities several weeks back during "R" week was making homemade decade Rosaries with pipe-cleaners and beads.  I found the directions for these in my Catholic Icing preschool curriculum book, they were very simple.  Gemma made one for each of her grandmas, and kept the sample one I made for herself.  We keep it in the car, as we've recently started praying a decade of the Rosary each time we go somewhere with our Holy Heroes Rosary CD.  The one I made (which is the one she has) has the 10 beads in color-wheel order, so it is very easy to help her follow along without having to turn around and look at where her fingers are.  For some time now I have wanted to start a "Rosary habit" with the kids and just haven't had the motivation to do it.  These little homemade Rosaries and the Holy Heroes Rosary CDs have been awesome tools.  As a side-note, the pictures below really crack me up, they are quite an insight into my children's individual personalities...Gemma with her beads all lined up neatly in a row, and Kolbe with a bent pipe-cleaner throwing beads across the kitchen and laughing when they bounce under the fridge.  AHHHH kids!

REVIEW: Holy Heroes Rosary CD's

For his birthday, Kolbe's godmother gave him the Holy Heroes Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary CD.  We finally pulled it out last week for "R" week, as I decided it would be a good opportunity to talk about the Rosary.  I was really impressed with this CD.  The entire Rosary is led by children, with explanations at the beginning of each mystery and then a brief meditation before each Hail Mary.  This is a wonderful tool - in my opinion - for praying the Rosary with kids.  Because I have high hopes of praying a Decade of the Rosary with my children and I'll be honest, it just never happens.  Now we've started the habit that if we go somewhere in the car (which happens more days than not it seems), the first thing we do is listen to/pray a Decade of the Rosary.  Call me lazy, but having it on a CD is so much easier than trying to lead it on my own, and engage the kids in what is going on.  I was so excited about this that I decided to purchase the Sorrowful Mysteries as part of the kids' Valentines present for us to use during the upcoming Lenten Season, and will likely purchase the Glorious Mysteries as an Easter gift.  You can also purchase the entire Rosary as a set.

Click here for more information about Holy Heroes.  And if you haven't heard of their Lenten Adventure, you can check it out here.  They also have an Advent Adventure and a Summer program as well.  We've never participated actively in one of their Adventures, but I am signed up for the emails and they have great resources for families during these important Liturgical seasons.  And, it's FREE!!  So go check Holy Heroes out and support a wonderful, truly Catholic, family produced and run company.

***I received nothing in return for this review, I simply wanted to give an honest review about a Catholic product I found to be a good fit for our family.***

The Ascension

Often when we pray our morning decade of the Rosary, Gemma draws on her magnadoodle while we pray. She talks about how she is drawing the mystery we're praying, and I think that is a cool way for her to identify with what we're doing. I am so happy to see her learning the mysteries of the Rosary, which essentially walk through Christ's life from the time his birth was announced until his blessed mother was assumed into heaven. Gemma keeps track of which mystery we're ready for and usually finds the page in the book each morning before I do. It makes my heart happy to see her growing in a love for her faith and developing a relationship with Jesus. ANYways, yesterday we were praying the second glorious mystery, the Ascension, and I just had to take a picture of what she drew. I know we don't need to call Mensa over this or anything (haha), but I was still pretty impressed.
Here's the picture at which we were looking:
And here is what she drew:
Okay, maybe I'm just a silly mom who is seeing more than what's really there, but it looks to me like a big head/body with eyes, arms, leg-ish looking things and some other sort of squiggle on the side. At any rate, I was pretty proud of the picture and am glad I snapped a photo before she erased it (GAH, magnadoodles!)

Happy weekend everyone!