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The Littlest Matryoshka

Apr 20, 2011 | , , , | 14 Comments

A Nesting Doll Birthday Cake


I’ll be back tonight – or maybe after Easter 😉 – with some more pictures from today, but just like last year, I couldn’t wait any longer to share a picture of my daughter’s birthday cake! 

Looking at the pictures from her past birthdays reminded me that it was on her 3rd birthday when, inspired and encouraged by Charlotte, I started getting a little more creative with birthday cakes.  Now, three years later, it is a much loved family tradition!

This year, after falling in love with the nesting doll measuring cups that we received for Christmas, Chiquita requested a “Nesting Doll” themed birthday party!   After consulting the expert on the topic, I ordered the book The Littlest Matryoshka and the matching set of nesting dolls, which then inspired the rest of the party.

(And how perfect that there were six dolls in the set, for her 6th birthday!?!)

I made the cake by cutting off one end of a 13″ oval pan (the body) and cutting out part of a 8″ round pan (the head) so they would fit together nicely.   After frosting it with white buttercream, I outlined the face (using the rim of a 6″ round cake pan), cheeks (using a small cup), and the rest freehand with a toothpick, before decorating it with the various color icings.


I did have a bit of trouble with the icing running all over the place (I had purchased yellow and pink cookie icing instead of cake icing), but despite the little challenges, I thought the cake turned out cute and it is loved by the birthday girl – which is all that matters. 🙂  Now back to the party!


Happy 6th Birthday Chiquita!

Now We Are Six!

Apr 20, 2011 | , | 14 Comments

When I was one,
I had just begun.

When I was two,
I was nearly new.

When I was three,
I was hardly me.

When I was four,
I was not much more.

When I was five,
I was just alive.

But now I am six,
I’m as clever as clever.

So I think I’ll be six

now and forever.

~A.A. Milne
Happy 6th Birthday to 
our little Chiquita!

Hiking Table Rock

Apr 19, 2011 | , , | 10 Comments

This past Saturday we decided to hike Lower Table Rock, one of two prominent volcanic cliff-edged mesas in the valley. My three oldest had hiked it before with their Dad and Father Lange, but it was the first time for me and the three youngest.   (When I was growing up, I always opted out of this hike due to all the poison oak along the trail…)  The morning started out nice, but by the time we arrived at the trailhead it was raining.  We had a few umbrellas, so we decided to hike despite the rain.

Snuggles wasn’t sure what to think.  
That “mountain” is a LONG WAYS away!
Our little aspiring botanists really enjoyed identifying the flowers found along the trail, recognizing quite a few from our own back yard!

Rose stayed nice and warm, snuggled in my ERGObaby Sport Carrier… 
At least for the some of the hike.
~ Climbing Table Rock ~ 

As soon as Snuggles was tired of walking, he hitched a ride with his Daddy…
… who ended up carrying BOTH babies the last stretch of the trail.  It had gotten quite steep, compared to the rest of the trail, but I somehow managed to make it to the top on my own!  😉
~ On Top of Table Rock  ~

After crossing some of the wet, muddy, and rugged terrain found on top, we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the valley, despite the rain clouds!  
Can you see the person just in front of the trees on the right?   We opted to skip walking the additional mile across the top of the plateau to the other viewpoint.    The babies were sleeping/sleepy and the rest of us were ready for some dry socks and shoes. . . 
… except for my Hubby, who is used to this sort of thing…
… and Rascal who was thrilled that he wore his rain boots! 

As for the girls and I, all of our shoes, including my “comfortable” black boots, were soaked through, making the hike back that much more challenging!   🙂

~ Headed Back ~ 

It ended up being such a fun day.  To celebrate our successful hike, we took the kids out for pizza, at an amazing new pizza parlor, before heading home for baths, showers, and a very good night’s sleep! 

On Palm Sunday

Apr 17, 2011 | | 3 Comments

(I love how it keeps growing each year!)
All glory, laud and honor, To Thee Redeemer King,
To Whom the lips of children, Made sweet hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s name comest, The King and blessed One.

The company of angels are praising Thee on high,
And mortal men and all things created make reply.

The people of the Hebrews with palms before Thee went,
Our praise and pray’rs and anthems before Thee we present.

Thou didst accept their praises accept the pray’rs we bring,
Who in all good delightest, Thou good and gracious King.

Wishing all my dear friends and visitors a very blessed Holy Week!

{this moment}

Apr 16, 2011 | , | 9 Comments

{this moment} – A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  To see more visit Soule Mama. 

Easter Symbols :: Handcrafted Candy for Easter

Apr 14, 2011 | , | 18 Comments

I mentioned, in my post on Catholic Easter Basket Ideas, that I was planning on making the candy for my children’s Easter Baskets this year.  We have always included a Candy Cross in their baskets, but this year I thought it would be fun to tie in as many Easter Symbols I could, and then include a little homemade “coloring book” in their basket explaining each of the symbols .  I spent a little time the other afternoon getting started and thought I would share a few pictures. Unless you have Amazon Prime 2-day shipping, it might be hard to get any of these molds in time for Easter, but you can always keep these Easter Symbols in mind when looking for candy at the store!

~ Cross ~ 

The cross is perhaps the best known of all Christian symbols.  In the ancient Church the cross was usually depicted without the figure of Christ. It was adorned and decorated as a symbol of the victory Christ won through His suffering. For the ancient world it was a symbol of humiliation, but for Christians it was a symbol of victory and glory. In Christian art, the figure of the suffering Christ was added to the cross only in medieval times. ~ Immaculate Conception Parish

On the very first two that I made (pictured at the top of this post), and you can see that the green leaves ran a little bit.  I still though that they turned out pretty!  To add the color, I used a toothpick to carefully fill in the leaves and flowers.

After the colors had hardened I filled the rest of the mold with the melted white candy. 

I love that I have the option of personalizing the crosses, choosing a different color flower for each of my children!  I made white chocolate crosses for my girls (yes, I made one for myself too!) and still need to make the brown chocolate crosses for my boys.   You can find all sorts of Cross shaped molds, but here is the link to the one that I used for these chocolates.   

I made these Cross Lollipops using the 2-1/4-Inch Cross Sucker Chocolate Mold. You can usually find Chocolate Crosses pre-made at some stores as well!
~ Lamb ~

We refer to Christ as “The Lamb of God,” and “The Paschal Lamb,” because he was sent as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.  We also lovingly refer to Him as “The Good Shepherd,” since He is our Shepherd and told Peter to feed His sheep.

Although mixing colors adds such a pretty touch, it does take a little bit of time.  I made these little white Lambs in a matter of seconds with some of the leftover candy from the crosses above.  Didn’t they turn out cute?!?  

Like the crosses, there are many lamb molds to choose from, and you could even use the little lambs included in the Nativity mold which I posted about last Christmas.  Here is the link to the lamb mold I used to make the lambs pictured above.   

Lindt Chocolate Lambs are a cute and delicious store bought alternative.

~ Bread of Life ~

Bread and Wine/Wheat and Grapes: Because of the bread and wine they produce, the symbols of wheat and grapes are often used to designate the Eucharist. Bread is the basic food of every culture and of every age in human history. Made from the toil of human hands, the many grains of wheat are transformed and become one to nourish and sustain us. A meal, in which bread is broken and shared, becomes a means of bonding human beings together. This is the sign Jesus used to describe Himself as the “Bread of Life.” Following His command, in faith we take and eat this Bread, His Body, and become one with Him.”  From ancient times wine is associated with banquets, joy and celebration, a gift of God to gladden our hearts. The grapes, like the grains of wheat used for bread, are fruits of the earth and give of themselves in order that we might celebrate and be glad. This sign which Jesus used for His Blood, speaks to us of giving and of sacrifice in order that we might enjoy the benefits of His love in the banquet which is the foretaste of heavenly joy.
IHS: IHS stands for the first three letters of the name Jesus in Greek.

I’m updating this post to include the “Bread of Life” candies I ended up making as well, using a Communion Chocolate Mold.  A number of other variations, including a smaller version of this mold, are also available. 
~ Lily ~
The lily represents purity, chastity, innocence, and St. Gabriel’s trumpet, and is a symbol of Our Lady and used to depict the purity of the Saints, especially SS. Joseph, Francis, Clare, Anthony of Padua, and Catherine of Siena. In America, it has become, too, a symbol of the Resurrection. Legend says that lilies originated with Eve’s tears when the first couple was banished from the Garden of Eden. Other legend says that they sprang up from the ground when drops of blood fell to the foot of the Cross. It is interesting that these two legends exist, because Christ, the New Adam, wipes away the tears of the children of Eve who became the children of Mary when Christ gave her to us, through John, from the Cross. Mary herself is symbolized also by another lily, lilium candidum, or the Madonna Lily.  ~ Fisheaters

These sweet little Lily Lollipops were made using this mold.   I also have the non-lollipop version as well, and plan on making a batch of them for Easter too.  You can find many other options here.  I used Charlotte’s suggestion and added a dab of yellow to the center with a toothpick.   So pretty and soooo easy!! 
~ Egg ~

The egg is like Jesus’ tomb. It is enclosed, it is quiet, and it seems lifeless. Yet within an egg, the promise of new life is waiting to burst forth. Jesus’ tomb was like an egg until early on Easter when Jesus rose up to a new and glorious life.  ~ Catechist.com
See’s Chocolate Butter Easter Egg with Pecans
Now, there are all sorts of Easter Egg Candy Molds available for making your own candy eggs, but I decided to just purchase this symbolic candy for my children’s baskets.  There are just too many yummy options available!  My favorites are the Decorated Eggs from See’s and the Cadbury Mini Eggs, my husband loves the solid Chocolate Eggs from Hersheys, and our kids are happy with just about anything!

Update:  I ended up purchasing these adorable Hollow Eggs with a White Chocolate Chick inside from See’s.   They were only about $1.00 each, and my children LOVED them!

~ Butterfly ~

Butterflies are an apt symbol of the day’s meaning. Beginning life as lowly humble caterpillars, they “entomb” themselves in cocoons only to emerge with jewel-colored wings and the ability to soar. What better symbol of the Resurrection — except maybe for eggs, which had always been symbols of Spring and were items of wonderment to all — an inanimate object out of which comes life. For Christians, they became the perfect symbol of the tomb Christ conquered.  ~ Fisheaters 

I opted to use one of the very first chocolate molds I ever purchased (a few Easters ago), the Wilton Butterfly Pretzel Mold!  I won’t be making these until just before Easter, but here is a picture of the ones the girls and I made back in 2008.   You can find quite a few additional options here. 
~ Peacock ~

“It was once believed that the flesh of the peacock never corrupts, so peacocks became the classic symbol of immortality. They are an ancient Christian symbol of the Resurrection, and representations of them are found on the tombs of ancient Christians as an expression of their hope to follow Christ in His defeat of death. “ ~ Fisheaters

I found this Peacock Chocolate Mold on ebay, though I am still waiting for it to arrive.  If it doesn’t arrive in time for Easter, these candies would make a fun addition to the last Good Shepherd’s Garden Party! 
~ Bells ~

“In countries like France and Italy the bells are silent from Holy Thursday until Easter Sunday.  In Germany and central Europe even the bells on farm buildings are still, though they begin to ring again on Holy Saturday.   With the bells silent, the farm people of the Middle Ages felt uneasy.  So, to comfort themselves and their children, they would say, “The bells have flown to Rome, but they’ll come back on Easter.”  ~  Lilies, Rabbits, and Painted Eggs: The Story of The Easter Symbols
In France and Belgium, it is these bells, not the Easter bunny, that bring the Easter eggs!

 
These pretty chocolate bells are sold at Ladurée in Paris, France!

Here are the ones we made this year, using the  1-Inch 3-D Bell Chocolate Mold, though there are many other options available as well.
Be sure to let me know if you end up trying any of these!

Update:  Charlotte has created a great little Easter Symbols Booklet to go along with these Easter Candies!

“New” Furniture

Apr 14, 2011 | | 18 Comments

I mentioned in my Daybook post last week that I had a couple pieces of furniture painted “Shabby White” – our old hutch and a little fireplace that we were given by a friend.   The painter was able to finish them quickly and they were delivered on Monday evening while I was in town with the kids. We were so excited to see them when we got home!

They look quite different, and have taken me a little getting use to, but I think I love them!  🙂  I love our tan walls and dark wood floors, but the room did need a little brightening up and this seems to have really helped.  We ended up leaving the mirrors out of the top cabinets, but we do have the option of adding them back, if we change our mind.

So, what do you think? 

Hubby’s response was: “Well, it definitely looks 200 years old. . . “

Snuggles response: “Oh! It’s Layla’s Candy Shoppe!!!!”
(No, sweetie, we are not going to fill it with candy!)

I just love the little swirly appliques and hardware that the painter added.  

And here is a before and after of the little corner fireplace! 

Now if I could just figure out what to put in the hutch…  Any suggestions? 

Book Review: Olivia’s Gift

Apr 13, 2011 | | 9 Comments

A couple years ago I had the pleasure of reading, for review, Olivia and the Little Way by Nancy Carabio Belanger.  This past December the author kindly offered to send me a copy of her newly released sequel, Olivia’s Gift!  I just finished reading this delightful book.

Like Olivia and the Little Way, Olivia’s Gift is also about Olivia Thomas, who is now 12 years old, and will be going into the seventh grade.  She is out of school for the summer and will be spending a month at her aunt and uncle’s summer beach house with her parents, little sister, grandmother (who I still just love!) and friend Hayley.

Over the summer Olivia learns that sometimes it is very difficult to be a good Catholic.   As a mother, I found myself getting frustrated with Olivia as she gave into peer pressure and temptation, but the author uses this as an excellent opportunity to inspire the reader when Olivia makes an examination of conscience, goes to Confession (the priest reassures Olivia and helps her to overcome her fear of the sacrament), prays in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and resolves to amend her life.

“I understand very well why St. Peter fell, Poor Peter, he was relying upon himself.  Before ruling the Church that is filled with sinners, her had to expierence for himself what a person is capable of without God’s help.”  
– St. Therese (Olivia’s Gift, page 71)

Once again, I just loved the beautiful quotes from St. Therese at the beginning of each chapter, the special friendship that Olivia has with St. Therese, and how this dear saint’s “Little Way” is interwoven throughout the story.  I also loved the strong pro-life theme which encourages a deeper respect of life, including the unborn!  I found myself tearing up when the sweet pregnant woman next door, who Olivia is helping, reveals to Olivia that she lost a child (the baby had been named Gabriel, just like one of my own precious little ones) to miscarriage, and is now expecting a baby with Down syndrome.  The pro-life message is also portrayed when Olivia and Hayley try to save an endangered sea turtle nest from the new “friends” they had made at the beach.

“How often have I thought that I may owe all the graces I’ve recieved to the prayers of a person who begged them from God for me, and whom I shall know only in heaven.” – St. Therese (Olivia’s Gift, page 269)

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to having my own children read it when they are a little older.

With Easter coming up soon, both Olivia and the Little Way and Olivia’s Gift would make excellent additions to Catholic Easter Baskets for tweens/teens!  You can visit the website to read a few excerpts and order an autographed copy of Olivia’s Gift.  It is also available at Amazon.

Exploring Creation with Botany Lap Book :: Part 1

Apr 11, 2011 | , , | 6 Comments

THE FRONT COVER
by Captain (Blue Folder),  Rascal (Green), Twinkle Toes (Yellow)

This year, for Science, my children have been studying Botany using Exploring Creation with Botany.   At the beginning of the year I purchased the Notebooking Journal, Exploring Creation with Botany Lapbook Lessons 1-5 and Exploring Creation with Botany Lapbook Lessons 6-13.

I really should have ordered just one or the other  (Journals or Lapbooks), and I really loved the new Notebooking Journal, however, since my children really enjoy lapbooking, we opted to complete the lapbooks this year.   We have been taking our time, and we just finished the first Lap Book (of two) a couple weeks ago and moved on to the second half of the book.  Here are some pictures of the completed lap books: 

~ INSIDE FOLDER #1 ~
Lesson 1 Vocabulary; Vascular and Non-Vascular Plants; On What Day; What is Binomial Nomenclature; Lesson 2 Vocabulary; Germination; Taxonomy; Latin
~ INSIDE FOLDER #2 ~
Angiosperms; Lesson 3 Vocabulary; Parts of the Flower; Self-Pollination; Animals that Pollinate Flowers; Amazing Fact; More Lesson 3 Vocabulary; George de Mestral

~ INSIDE FOLDER #3 ~
Draw a Seed; Botany Dominoes; Bees; Seed Dispersal; Carnivorous Plants; Amazing Fact; What happens after…

Working on the Seed Dispersal Mini-Books

As the children completed their mini-books, we stored them in a plastic zip-lock bag until they were ready to assemble to whole lap book.  We started doing this after a cup of water was spilled on most of their mini-books for Part 2 of their Astronomy Lap Book Last Year.   😉

These illustrations were done by Captain.  I just loved the detail that went into this mini book!  It looks like I only got a picture of his, and not the other two. . . 
~ INSIDE FOLDER #4 ~
 
Dry Fruits; Fleshy Fruits; Name these Flowers; Evidence; Why do most; Draw Your Favorite Flower; Amazing Fact; Word Search
~ COMPLETED LAP BOOKS ~

by Captain (4th grade, age 10)

by Rascal (3rd Grade, age 9)

by Twinkle Toes (1st Grade, age 7)


Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-25, Ranger-23, Twinkle Toes-22, Chiquita-20, Snuggles-18, Rose-15, Bud-13, Grace-8 and Joy-6 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

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Prayer of Mothers

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.


Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-25, Ranger-23, Twinkle Toes-22, Chiquita-20, Snuggles-18, Rose-15, Bud-13, Grace-8 and Joy-6 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

Please Visit My Sponsors…

This Week's Popular Posts

Shower of Roses Affiliate Links

All About Spelling
All About Reading
All About Reading Giveaways
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our Advent & Christmas Books

Shower of Roses Gift Guides

Looking for Something?

looking-back

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Posts About:

Shower of Roses Alphabet of Saints

A Papal Unit Study & Lap Book

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All original photographs and written material are ©2007-2025 Shower of Roses. I'd love for you to link back to me, but please do not copy or take content from this blog without permission. Click here for my Copyright Terms & Conditions. Thank you for visiting!