Lent Activities

Lent is upon us!  In the days leading up to Ash Wednesday I took some time to make preparations so that the 6 weeks leading up to Christ's death and resurrection would be special and reflective for my boys.  I hope that over the next month and a half, their little hearts are impacted that much more for Jesus and what he did for us on the cross.

40 candles for 40 days.  The boys blow one candle out each day.  On Good Friday, all will be dark.

During Lent, the boys are watching exclusively God type videos. Stuff like SuperBook, Bible Man, Veggie Tales, Story Keepers, and family character movies.

Every year I put up Holy Week pictures on the wall by our dining room table.  It never fails to spark discussion and new questions about Jesus and His death and resurrection.

This year in our new house we were able to put up a larger Jesus Tree than in previous years.  My husband took 3 of our 4 boys out to get one, which has become an annual tradition.  Because of the larger size of the tree, we now have lots more room to add decorations.

Asher exploring some of our decorations. The donkey Jesus rode on, the bread eaten by Jesus and his disciples at the last supper.  The rooster that crowed 3 times after Peter's denial.  I often find the decorations on the floor: Asher strikes again!

The afternoon sun is so glorious.

 Friends came to visit.  My boys enjoyed the company of this little baby girl!

Neighbours helping neighbours.  I am happy with how quickly we are getting to know the people living around us since our move last August.  Today, another neighbour surprised us by blowing out our driveway.  I was so thankful for his kindness.  The snowbanks are so high now that it's almost impossible to heave the snow up and over the bank.  A snow blower does this with ease.  

Life Science: Our skin.  With his magnifying glass Abishai looks closely at the cracks and lines of his skin.

Discussing the many things they are learning about their skin.  

This was their favourite.  Parasites that eat dead skin.

Since the magnifying glass is out, why not read with it too!

While I read a poem, the boys acted it out.  The idea was to act out the action verbs.  Little Asher loved copying whatever his older brothers did.

We're doing some books from a curriculum called "Come Sit By Me".  Abishai has some loose teeth, so I chose a unit on teeth.

We read stories about Tooth Fairies.  Abishai practiced writing a letter of his own to a friend of his.  He doesn't believe in Tooth Fairies, otherwise he might have written to her.

More books about fairies, cavities and false teeth!

Abishai's reading practice was about loose teeth as well.

Abishai sewed a tooth pouch to put his teeth in once they fall out.  

Micaiah has a few more years before any of his teeth fall out, but he wanted to make one too, so he did!

The temperature rose above zero, making the snow nice and sticky!  Finally, the boys had their chance to make a snowman.  They'd gotten used to such cold weather this year that they didn't believe they wouldn't need to dress so warmly.  By the end of this session outside, they had their scarves, toques and hoods off, and were much more comfortable.

Hugging their creation!

Micaiah is moving along in his reading phonics book.

Micaiah is also trying to memorize addition facts.  Both his reading and his math learning have been on his own initiative.  He likes it so much that I can't wait to see what happens when he hits Kindergarten this fall.

This is what our boys' bathroom looks like.  So gross!  And they even sit down to pee.  So glad we have 3 washrooms.  1 for girls (and my husband), 1 for little boys and 1 for guests.

I love this "Little Brother" sleeper that Gilead is wearing.  The littlest of the 3 "little" brothers in our house.  I am soaking up every moment of him. Every hug, every kiss, every beaming smile!