Kitchen Madonna Book Club

I am working with our new homeschool group on a book club that was started by an amazing lady who graduated two sons from her home school and still volunteered her time to participate in our fledgling group but now has some seriously important work to attend to. I am going to try my hand at getting the next couple of sessions going until we can get some better organization in place or see if the group has any desire to continue.

The books that have been chosen are The Kitchen Madonna by Rumer Godden for the older crowd and Pascual and the Kitchen Angels by Tomie DePaola for the littles. I thought that we would do a craft for the younger ones based on Melissa's awesome idea and offer a snack of homemade bread and cheese like the angels would have made in the story.

First, I made a page of four angels to be colored by each child. You can print your own copy here.

Attaching them to pre-glued craft sticks should make for a very easy-to-do mobile. (Wine bottle will not be brought to the meeting, but might be enjoyed at home afterwards!)

For the older kids, I made a mock up of a Kitchen Madonna using only those things I had in my craft bin so forgive its crudeness.

First I drew an outline of the major parts of an icon, cut out the hands and faces, and used the other pieces as templates for robes and tunics. I think I can get some fun scrapbook paper for the robes and veil, gold doilies for the crowns and halos, maybe some fun ribbon to fill in the sides. Sequins can be glued on to add even more embellishment.

What do you think? Would boys and girls age 9-13 be interested in a craft like this?

Carnival of Kitchen Madonnas

from Ruth in Virginia

Mother had wept when she saw the picture – "Though I still don't know why," said Janet – but when Marta saw the good place, she stood quite still. Then slowly she lifted her hands and her whole face was transformed. "Maty Bozha!" breathed Marta, but in a very different way from the way she had said it upstairs. She took one step nearer. "Matir Bozha!" she breathed again, and then she began to speak. None of them could understand the words she said, but even Janet knew it was a prayer or a hymn of thanksgiving and praise.

~The Kitchen Madonna by Rumer Godden

Thank you to all who answered my *call for Kitchen Madonnas. I can't wait to show them to the children in the book club and see how your lovely pictures inspire them.

Michelle shares her kitchen with a view and the inspiration she keeps close by. I am amazed that she has only been in her new abode for a few weeks and yet it looks so much like home. These military wives are a breathtaking breed to behold!

Join Barb for a holy coffee break and look carefully at her windows to see the lovely little shrine she has created to remind her of her calling as a secular Franciscan to strive for perfect charity in their secular lives. With those bright sunny windows and that beautiful reminder, I am sure she does an excellent job!from Laura in AZ

Lorri serves up more than mac and cheese. She also has a lovely little coffee spot with a beautiful Madonna to inspire her not only to get the dishes clean but to clear out the clutter. Inspirational in more ways than one, I tell ya!

Striving to be an Apostle to Suburbia, Leeann shows us her lovely Kitchen Madonna who is dressed to the nines. I am sure Our Lady loves her precious pink hat and wears it with proudly.

Kimberly from Ohio sends this lovely Lady dressed in blue who is perfectly poised in her handsome setting. Be sure to poke around her beautiful blog and find out more about her favorite (soon to be famous I am sure!) photographer. You'll be glad you did.Betsy's Madonna

Amy Caroline (such a lovely lyrical name!) has not one, not two, but three Kitchen Madonnas. Go check them out and also take a look at her No Bake Cookies. She's must come from pioneer stock I think!

Melanie is someone I knew in college and now, through the amazing powers of the internet, I have the pleasure of getting to know better (and watch her little Bella grow cuter and cuter everyday!). Melanie's Madonnas are in the kitchen, but it is her San Damiano cross that inspires her to fight back the waves of nausea and make her home "an imitation of the little house in Nazareth".

From Rachel in NC

And the sweetest little lady I know in Minnesota shares her lovely Kitchen Madonna. Someday I hope to get to see this beautiful lady in person and her kitchen too!

Update:
I forgot to add my own Madonna that is how wound up I am right now. I hope it goes well.

*Prayers for tomorrow would be most appreciated!

You asked for it!

I am putting together the supplies I will need to host my first Book Club meeting. I found some fun paper and gold doilies to substitute for lace. I still need to cut out cardboard or posterboard backings once I know how many kids to expect.

I came up with some discussion questions for the Book Club, so take a look and tell me what you think. Feel free to add to them in the combox!

I have a teeny, tiny request to make of all of you fine friends I have never met. If you have a Kitchen Madonna, would you mind sending me a picture of it as it is in your home? I would love to show the kids the variety of Kitchen Madonnas out there. Yours might be a statue or an icon or a plaque, it doesn't matter. What image of Our Lady (or maybe a saint) do you have where you do your work that reminds you to "find a little Heaven amidst the saucepans and broomsticks"? My email address is over in the side bar just change the "at" and scrape off the SPAM. Or, we could turn it into an impromptu carnival. If you want to post your picture on your blog, just send me the link and I will provide a link to them all. What do you think?

*************************************************************************
Literary Terms: Characterization is the method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes (1) showing the character's appearance, (2) displaying the character's actions, (3) revealing the character's thoughts, (4) letting the character speak, and (5) getting the reactions of others.

Theme is the general idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express. All of the elements of literary terms contribute to theme. A simple theme can often be stated in a single sentence. Example: "After reading (this book, poem, essay), I think the author wants me to understand......."

Questions to think about:
Before reading this story, what did you imagine a Kitchen Madonna to look like? Have you ever seen one before?

Which character do you identify with and why? Who would you want to be friends with from this story and why?

Marta came from the Ukraine and the two cooks before her came from other countries. Marta brought with her the experiences and memories of this country. Do you have any traditions in your family that come from a different country?

What does the Kitchen Madonna represent in this story?

What do you think is the theme of the story? Does anyone learn a lesson? Does anyone change in this story and how?

Marta’s Madonna was in the kitchen. Gregory was going to make a Hatshop Madonna and a Sweetshop Madonna. Why?

Where do you do your work? What does it mean to “find a little Heaven among saucepans and broomsticks”? (St. Stanislaus Kostka)

Did you know? Church bells once rang out in the morning for prayers, at noon for the angelus and again in the evening for prayers as a reminder to the lay people in the field that they were still united to the Body of Christ’s Church, that prayer wasn’t just for the religious in the monasteries. What can you do to remind yourself throughout the day that you are united to the Body of Christ’s Church?

(Characterization) A good author doesn’t always tell you who a character is, they let you find out for yourself. An author can leave you many different clues in the text. By using all five methods of characterization, the author reveals a character to you. Your job is to find the clues and interpret them. For example… the passage below is about Gregory.
“You are invited, “ said Janet at the drawing-room door, “to a private view in Gregory’s Loft, to see what he has made.” “Gregory has made something?” asked Mother as if she didn’t believe it, and Father put down his spectacles. “Made something?”

Gregory is not in this scene. The author is using the other character’s reactions to give us information about Gregory. Can you find more clues like this that help us get to know the characters in this book?

Using the definition above, what do you think the theme of this story might be?

My Kitchen Madonna

A long time ago, in a season far, far away, Margaret asked to see our dirty dishes... I mean our kitchens with a view; specifically, the view from our kitchen sink. You can see a Madonna and Child standing there in the middle trying to coax me into one more load of dirty pots and pans. Here she is again in all her loveliness.My Czech ancestry requires me to have at least one Infant of Prague statue. This one is my Kitchen Infant (there is a second one in my bedroom). The Madonna is a discontinued Fontanini statue that was a gift from Husband. She may not be a traditional one, but she is my Kitchen Madonna.

*I am going to post a carnival of all the Kitchen Madonnas that have been sent my way on Monday. Let me know if you want to join in with a post of your own.

Kitchen Madonna ~ revisited

Shortcake is reading The Kitchen Madonna right now so I am revisiting some of these posts. Also, I see that the kitchen angels mobile craft was linked to from Catholic Icing. That post didn't have links to the printables, so I added them.

Some feedback, please...

Doing a lot of thinking these days about the changes in the blog world and where and how I still fit in. I won't bore you with the details right now because they are still kind of rambling around in my head. I know I am not alone. And it's not some sort of pity party I want to have because I don't expect things to stay the same forever (no matter how much I might want them too). I know that people grow and change, so, it's kind of trying to find this old blog's place in all that newness.

Anyway, one of the things that I have noticed is that when I first started blogging, everyone was sharing ideas and thoughts. Sharing their own, or sharing what they had seen someone else do that inspired them in some small way. There were carnivals of loveliness with introductions to what someone had written instead of just cold, unfeeling linky-do thingamaboppers. (I'm kidding, sort of… those carnivals took a lot of time, I know! And a linkz thingy is so much easier and practical, but it seems like EVERYONE has a link-up going on these days, I can't even keep track of them all.) There were new ideas to celebrate ancient feast days and also the sharing of old traditions that had been in families for generations that were seeing the light of day in other parts of the country/world thanks to the internet.

Now, the blog world has become so chockfull of ideas that it feels overwhelming to a lot of people. I really don't want to add to that overwhelming feeling and I think maybe I have unknowingly because I was still blogging based on the premise that sharing our ideas and our talents so that they might inspire someone else was what it was all about.  I've always thought of this blog as a means of recording and archiving our days so that my children can look back on them someday and remember. But the fact of the matter is that it takes time to post things and if I knew that most people who still come to this place to read are just keeping up with someone they consider a family friend and not looking for ideas or to be inspired, then I would blog very differently. I was really intrigued when Sarah put up a survey and have thought of doing the same thing… but that takes time and now is not the season of extra time. So, let me just ask a quick question…

BigBoy's Kitchen Madonna in my kitchen. Didn't he do a great job?

The Book Club 9-1-1 posts… are you all interested in knowing in detail what we do or is it just something interesting to read about and then move on from? For example… our most recent meeting was to study and discuss The Kitchen Madonna by Rumor Godden {affiliate link}. It's one I've done before with my big kids. Last time I did it, there was a sizable outcrying of people who wanted specific information on the talk and the craft. This year's craft was a little different from the last one but writing up tutorials and publishing documents to Scribd takes time and I just don't feel like doing it if there isn't a sizable interest (meaning more than just a passing interest). So, I'd love to hear from you and please, don't be afraid to be honest with me. If you are not in a place to be actively interested in posts like this and while they interest you as a possible future idea, you really don't think you'd ever really sit down and attempt it, please let me know. If you like seeing the pretty pictures but really don't care about details, please let me know that. If you want details like where to buy and how much it costs and want templates to print off right now, let me know that too. I know everyone is super busy, so I really appreciate your feedback!

I would much rather have you stop by and pick these up!

Especially all of you who left such lovely comments on all the previous posts about this project! But since you can't (sigh), I thought I would try to share our Madonna and Child craft idea with anyone who was interested in trying it in time for the Blessed Mother's birthday.

I remember a lovely blog that, sadly, is gone from the blog world where one could find a treasure trove of creativity and inspiration. The authoress of that blog was so incredibly generous with her time and talents. She offered so much to her readers & friends; some of it in the form of .pdf downloads that could be used over and over again. While that blog can no longer be seen, the lovely hostess has a that promises to rival the old one. So in the spirit of generosity exemplified by Katherine and many others in the blog world, I made asked my husband to figure out how to do it and then show me. : )

Since Blogger won't let me imbed the files, I have to go through a third party. It is a free service and there is no limit on the files you download but there are ads on the page that change every time you visit and I have no control over what is advertised. You will also have the option to skip the ad they try to show you once you have clicked "download". Just so you know!

For the Madonna and Child craft inspired by Rumer Godden's Kitchen Madonna, here are the cut outs for the hands and heads.

Then I used these templates printed on heavy card stock to cut out clothes from scrapbook paper. Baby Jesus's tunic and robe were the toughest for the kids to figure out since they don't really fit together, more like overlap.

Pick out a background paper. We attached ours to self adhesive foam board cut into 8x10 sizes but the first one I tested out was just glued onto a piece of cardboard. I don't think it would matter what you chose for a backing just be warned that thin paper tends to buckle with too much glue but the adhesive on the foam board isn't very sticky.

Glue the halos first, then the clothing, then the body parts. Decorate your Madonnas with all the spangly, sparkly things you have. We used sequins, acrylic jewels and beads. Trapezoid shapes cut from gold doilies made excellent crowns or a whole doily makes a very lacy looking halo.

A word about glue:
Alene's Fast Grab Tacky glue is like cold hot glue (does that even make sense?) but might be difficult for small hands. It is very thick. Some of the kids resorted to glue sticks and plain old Elmers by the end of the meeting.

AND...

Just for fun:
Here is the coloring page I made based on Tomie de Paola's illustrations for St. Pascual and the Kitchen Angels. We cut these out and glued them onto two crafts sticks (tongue depressors) that were hot glued together in the shape of an X. (This might be better to do for the Feast of the Guardian Angels.)

Have a fun and safe Labor Day!

Mid-summer Reading Update

It might be a bit too late to call it "mid-summer" but its my blog and I make the rules titles around here!

I wanted to update our original Summer Reading list with some more titles we have discovered for the children and also, a list of what Husband and I are reading too. (Original list in yellow.)

The Professor, age 9:
Hans Brinker (Great book when it is 100 degrees outside!)
Hot Wheels Variations: The Ultimate Guide (this kid has always loved non-fiction!)
The Encyclopedia of the Corvette
The Sinister Signpost
Mattimeo
The Phantom Tollbooth
If All the Swords in England
Charlie & the Great Glass Elevator
Legend of Luke
By the Great Horn Spoon
The Penderwicks
The Incredible Journey
The Great Brain Series
Conquests of Invention
The Bellmaker
The Happy Hollisters

Sunshine, age 8:
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Sleeping Dog
Raggedy Ann Stories
Pascual and the Kitchen Angels
Fannie in the Kitchen (What a fun book!)
The Case of the Garbage Monster from Outer Space #32
Cam Jansen Mysteries
Hi-Jinks Joins the Bears
The Wind in the Willows
King David and His Songs
St. Therese and the Roses
The Boxcar Children
Children Everywhere
An Alphabet of Saints
Little House in the Highlands (the original, unmutilated unabridged version)

Shortcake, age 6 (doing some reading but also being read to):
Faded Love #5
The Horse in Harry's Room
lots of Biscuit books
Young Cam Jansen Mysteries (audiobooks from the library)
Many Moons
Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros?
It's Raining Pigs and Noodles
Kipper

My List:
Real Learning
Mom to Mom
The Belgariad (Husband remembers reading this in his youth and wanted to share.)
The Kitchen Madonna
Letters to Children from Beatrix Potter

Husband's List:
Amazing Resumes
Same Day Resumes (sensing a theme?)

On hold at the library:
Caddie Woodlawn
Thimble Summer

The girls are pretty set. Any other suggestions for the boys?

{p,h,f,r} Dreary fog edition

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~ with the lovely ladies at Like Mother, Like Daughter

{pretty}

My mom gave Sean and I a gift card for Christmas and we used it to pick out new bedding for our bed. I love the color. It almost perfectly matches the color in our bathroom. It is such a mood lifter, even with all the dreary fog outside and in.

{happy}

BigBoy was very happy to see his Kitchen Madonna finally framed and hanging in a place of honor. It's not in the kitchen, but he doesn't mind. Our kitchen has very limited wall space so I thought our bedroom a better spot for it.

{funny}

Funny... I was so anxious to get the Christmas decorations packed away this year but I just can't bring myself to pack this beautiful nativity set away. Yes, it's the set I found on Etsy and drooled over. It made a perfect family Christmas gift this year. It came all the way from Cork, Ireland packed with such care. I just can't seem to bring myself to put them back in the box. Christmas all year anyone?

{real}

Cupcake was enjoying her Daddy's raw banana ice cream so much I just had to snap a picture. It's basically frozen bananas, cocoa powder and a scoop of peanut butter all blended together (but don't use a blender, a food processor works best). It was his breakfast this morning and he ate it at home today because he was one of several hundred people who were laid off yesterday. I think that warrants ice cream for breakfast, don't you? I know many other people have been through this kind of situation and I take comfort in that. This is our first time. (Well, there was one other lay off but that was because the company was closing it's facility and he had a 6 month heads up that it was imminent. That didn't feel like this.)
St. Joseph, pray for us. St. Anthony, pray for us. St. Cajetan, pray for us. St. Homobonus, pray for us…  and for all who are seeking employment.

Post Mortem Post

I strive for honesty here in my ballroom, so I warn you this is going to be a nitty-gritty, beads-glued-under-your-fingernails type of post. Well, maybe not.

So the book club went. Well, I think...

Wait, let me try that again. (Once more with feeling...)

So the Book Club went well, I think. I was a wreck... wound up, nervous, so silly! Everyone seemed to enjoy the stories and the crafts. The older kids behaved like typical middle school aged kids when it came to a strange teacher person asking them questions about a book they had read maybe once before. (Why didn't I bring those dental pliers?)

My favorite question they responded to was "which character did you identify with and why". The most honest answer was the 10 year old boy who admitted to getting angry a lot just like Gregory and the cutest answer was the 11 year old girl who (while sitting next to her 12 yr. old sister) said she identified with the younger sister Janet who was often forced to do things she didn't want to do. Don't worry. I assured the older sister that I understood the pressures of being the oldest myself. (Sometimes we just really do know better!)

Seriously though, they had some very interesting things to say and I hope I inspired them to take another look at the books they read for fun. I wanted to introduce them to the idea that an author has a theme and that theme is like a secret message they have to figure out. The Professor said he enjoyed it, but he's my kid, you know... not sure if I can trust him since he also witnessed my meltdown 40 minutes prior! :)

The children were intrigued by all of the pictures (thank you again!) of Kitchen Madonnas as they all said they had never seen one before. They went on to share descriptions of things they have in their homes (just maybe not the kitchen) to help them turn their hearts and minds to Heaven amidst the pencils and Legos.

Regarding the craft...
I am a fairly crafty person but it has been about 11 years since I have had to instruct a group of children more numerous than my own in how to do one. There were a few things I could have done better.

I had precut the foam board and opted for the self adhesive variety because I thought it would save on time. Unfortunately, it took twice as long to peel the paper covering off than if we had just spread the glue onto the 8x10 chunk! I had also pre-cut the faces and hands of the Madonna and Child in order to save time, but didn't think to provide more than two templates for the clothing. In reality... I should have had 1 set for every two children.

Things felt a little rushed, but everyone did manage to finish decorating theirs by the time we started cleaning up except for The Professor (yeah, I know... the shoemaker's son!). He was a great sport about it and understood that he would have the opportunity to finish at home with all of the supplies unlike the other kids.

So that is what we did yesterday to celebrate the Queenship of Mary. I had enough pieces for the girls to make and decorate a Madonna and Child and decorate they did!

Wow! Faberge who?

The Professor also had the opportunity to finish his and for some reason, I am just now noticing that his looks a little Picasso inspired. Either he is a typical 9 year old boy or we need to head back to the opthamologist.

We had a pudding pie for dessert and said our nightly decade. It was a fun, simple day but one filled with joy which has been hard for me lately but that is another post for another day as this one has already grown way out of control.
Bye!

Wear an Apron Day

It's Wear An Apron Day over at The Kitchen Madonna's place. These are the ones being donned by my girls today. They both were made by my grandmother and are well-worn and much loved. The one on the left has a giant pocket in the front. Very handy! And the red gingham is hand detailed with cross stitching along the bottom and around the pocket.Here's something Grandma never wore on her apron! This one was found at a local antique store for super cheap and I am hoping to use it as a pattern to make some more.

We might have to go to the store later, but other than that I don't know that we are going to be showing the world our aprons. Where are you wearing your apron today?

Parade of Saints

I've received some requests for information on my statues that have been pictured here on my blog. First a disclaimer: Some people like to have a multitude of religious images in their home and some don't. I get that. I like pretty things and specifically like to collect religious images that I think are lovely. I don't think it makes me holier or more Catholic, in fact, it probably just means that I need many more helpful reminders to turn my thoughts heavenward than most people. : )

With a few exceptions, I love realistic looking art. But I also love color and so these Florentine statues usually catch my eye whenever we are shopping for images of our heavenly friends. They come in different sizes which is great for the budget and McKay Church Supply has one of the largest online selections I've seen. Many of ours were purchased from a Catholic book store that was closing it's doors several years ago although some were gifts. I have to admit that I wish their faces were more life-like and less child-like, but again, I love the colors and details on these statues.

Back row: St. John Bosco, St. Joseph
Middle row: Infant of Prague, Mary Help of Christians, Our Lady of Knock
Front row: St. Therese, Mary Help of Christians, Padre Pio, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

This next small set is a few Fontanini statues. Not pictured are the Holy Family Nativity set that is somewhere I can't find right now. I like these statues because I can put them in reach of small children and not be afraid. While not completely unbreakable, this polymer resin stuff sure is tough. My children have always been taught to be gentle and respectful when it come to handling religious images, but these are not so fragile that I would worry if a toddler got a hold of them and played with them.

From front to back: The Professor's St. Francis and St. Michael, my kitchen Madonna

These are all different and vary in age, but I also love all white, or mostly white, statues. We even have an all white plaster nativity scene with gold accents that I just can't seem to replace. Every year, I think about it when the bright colored, beautiful nativity sets start showing up in stores, but the all white is simple, clean and beautiful.

This last set is of the most recent additions to our collection. My mom was the first one to give us a Joseph's Studio statue and I can't tell you how in love I am with all of them! Lovely realistic images, beautiful colors, an antique feel!!! The First Communion statue was Grammie's gift to Sunshine and St. Anne belongs to Shortcake.

Back row: St. Patrick & St. Nicholas
Front row: St. Anne, First Holy Communion, Mater Amabilis

We do try to limit our collection to personal family patrons or statues that mean something to us, but sometimes, the will is weak and beauty wins!

Since All Hallows Eve is coming up at the end of this month, and my children's talk has turned to costume thoughts and plans for All Saints Day, feel free to share your images of heavenly friend with us. It might inspire them! Leave a link in the combox and I will update this post to include it.

Book Club 9-1-1: Ballet Shoes

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild 

{affiliate link}

Part of the decorations were these three "necklaces" I made to show the kids what the girls' necklaces might have looked like. The middle one is actually a baby rosary that Sunshine had that looked like little seed pearls. The others were just beads that I purchased at Hobby Lobby strung on some thread. I also used my husband's carved elephant that his grandparents gave him when he was three. I thought it was clever and a couple of the kids actually remembered the quote!

So, this book wasn't a huge hit with the kids in the group. And it wasn't just the pink cover. Most of them found it boring, even the girls. That's OK though. They read it and hopefully it'll mean more to them in the future.

We started off with a quiz game instead of a regular discussion. I divided the kids into 2 teams and each person had to answer a question right in order to win a mini-pack of gum (get it… G.U.M…. Great Uncle Matthew). If they didn't know the answer, they could ask their team for help. Just about all of them answered their questions correctly. And they really liked the extra pictures I printed out of things like a 1930's phonograph in a red box just like Miss Dane's, a Citroen automobile just like Mr. Simpson's, Pevensey Castle which doesn't look much like a castle, a Tenniel Alice and a gold half sovereign like Petrova got on her 12th birthday. It gave them a chance to picture what some of the things in the book looked like.

The activity part, they really liked and I'm wishing I had planned a longer time for this. Since the three girls first learn how to pantomime at the dance academy, I decided to play some pantomime games with the book club kids. They all did really well and enjoyed it tremendously.

Some of our personal fossils on display

After that, we looked at the two fossils we own that were gifts from a dear friend. Then we pretended we were digging for fossils and dug out all the chocolate chips in a chocolate chip cookie using toothpicks and paint brushes. I told them to chip away the cookie like it was rock and brush it away from the fossils (chocolate chips).

Snack time was rather perplexing, since the family in this story is very poor and food isn't discussed much, but they did have some interesting "beavers" with the good Doctors who were teaching them at home. One of the things mentioned was Vienna Cakes and ginger drink. I took Vienna Cake to mean Sachertortes since they are the most famous viennese cakes. I made a simplified version in cupcake form with candy ballet shoes on top.

pink for the girls, white for the boys

And the "ginger drink" in the book was probably ginger tea, but knowing that can be too spicy even for a seasoned tea drinker like myself, I opted for ginger ale.

Here are links to my printable pages for anyone who might be interested:
Talking Points (I used these Q & A's for the quiz/discussion at the beginning of the meeting)
Snack/Activity Ideas (These are just ideas. We didn't use all of them.)


Next up: Kitchen Madonna by Rumer Godden.

WWRW :: The Little Oratory :: Father's Day Giveaway

Auntie Leila, homeschooling sage and speaker of time tested family truths, asked me if I wanted to host a giveaway of her beautiful new book, The Little Oratory: A Beginners Guide to Praying in the Home, and I enthusiastically said, "Yes!!!" When someone like Leila writes a book about beauty and faith education in the heart of a home, I listen and so should you! That's my best advice… listen to someone who has been there and has the spit-up stripes on their shoulders and the transcript ink smudges on their fingertips to prove it before you get caught up in the latest untested homeschooling craze.

I have been reading Leila and David's book since it came out and I've been wanting to write a review of it but it's just not one of those books that I can sit down and read all in one sitting. It's so meaty and delicious; definitely the kind of book to be savored in small bites. I absolutely agree with so many others that this will become our go-to wedding gift along with a beautiful frame or an icon/religious picture. (I just hope we don't all get invited to the same weddings!)

My "working" oratory just above my kitchen sink: Our Lady of the Angels, The Irish Madonna of Hungary, a tiny Infant of Prague statue, some St. Joseph's oil and a rosary bracelet.

I guess I've always had a little oratory of sorts in our home without really knowing what that was. Something I've discovered, which I hope a more in depth study of this book will help me reconcile, is that some places in a home lend themselves to being a more decorative place for an oratory but maybe not the most useful. That is what I always struggle with; form vs. function, you know? Maybe you don't. I tend to think it's a problem that us visual people struggle with mostly.

For example, this space is perfect from a decorative standpoint. It's a blank wall space (with the exception of the outlets behind the Blessed Virgin) with a lovely wooden counter below it but it sits in an area of our house that is like an open hallway. It's a pass through area called a dry bar. Across from it is a dual height counter that we use for serving food whenever we host a function. We could put some bar stools opposite it in order to help direct the sitter's gaze towards this wall but bar stools just don't seem conducive to quiet prayer to me. There is no place for chairs or even a kneeler. I like the idea of a corner so much better but haven't been able to find one that I can make work in this house. That's where I'm hoping that The Little Oratory can guide me.

For right now, I personally prefer a working oratory like the one above my kitchen sink but I'd like to find something that's more of a space for our whole family to use. That will be my challenge. In the book, they talk about using the little oratory to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Yes, Auntie Leila… I admit… I quailed, I'm sorry!! I'm trying to leave my mind and heart open to the idea but I've never really embraced the "domestic monastery" view of the family but rather the "find a heaven amidst pots and broomsticks" view instead. Maybe it's because we attend Mass at a Cistercian Abbey and have heard the monks pray morning prayers before daily Mass that it seems like an aspect of our faith that is particularly well-suited to the religious life, something not really intended for a family with young children. I can see a couple in their retiring years embracing some of the aspects of monastic life, but I've never felt particularly called to the movement that imposes monastic like silence and seriousness on a day when babies are crying and toddlers need help wiping. I freely admit that this is more than likely my own personal challenge to conquer. Like I said, maybe I need to educate myself better about what the Liturgy of the Hours really are and do some more praying about it. I do want to find a way to help my children feel comfortable with moments of quiet meditation, contemplation or prayer throughout the day. And I look at Leila's advice on family and education as words from the wisest of wizards. She's been there and done that. so I'm hoping that as I delve further in TLO some of these questions will be answered. See what I mean… meaty!

Now for the giveaway part… (it ends this Sunday at 11:59pm so it's a fast one!)

Sophia Institute Press is offering a bundle for Father's Day. Not only will you get a copy of The Little Oratory, but you will also get a copy of Father of the Family by Clayton Barbeau. These would make a great Father's Day gift pack for your husband or your father! Or give the Father of the Family book to your favorite Dad in your life and keep The Little Oratory for yourself! (I won't tell!)

(Your giveaway copies will come from Sophia, not from me. I have not been compensated for this review in any way. The copy I reviewed above was a copy that I purchased for my own personal library.)

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Find more great reads over at Jessica's place!