Candlemas Crafts 2012

The mothers rotate teaching our homeschool co-op art class and February is my month. As I am teaching on February 3, I will be teaching about Candlesmas (February 2), which is traditionally a very important feast day in the Church. This week at home I did practice runs with the two crafts.

Having candles blessed at Candlemas is traditional and so, while we will be missing that opportunity by one day, we are going to make stained glass window candles with votives and colored tissue paper. (See the source for this idea.)

Because the event of the presentation of Our Lord in the temple is our meditation for the fourth joyful mystery, we will also be making a one-decade rosary with pipe cleaners and pony beads. (See the fantastic resource Catholic Icing for this idea.)

I had one of those moments of being so moved that I am blessed to have the opportunity to homeschool three little ones. (Thank you, husband! And thank you, God!)

We are currently reading "Stuart Little," in which one misadventure involves Stuart and the tiny ice skates made out of paper clips by his father. I was tickled the last two mornings when John absconded with my wooden spoons and made his own Stuart Little ice skates.

Last night I had to laugh when I discovered the baby coated in chocolate, face and hands. I had given the children chocolate chip cookies for dessert and had failed to notice that they had generously shared with their baby sister right in my very lap. So, I guess she has tried chocolate now . . . and likes it!