Wrap Up Summer with WRAPS

Consider making seasonal wrapping up a tradition.

Take a moment to talk to the Holy Family about wrapping up the Summer. Ask them for guidance and ideas...and of course prayers and blessings. 

Then find a heart to heart moment with each member of your family - individually - to check in on their spiritual and emotional mindset.  How's their prayer life?  Did they grow in love this season...?  If you can schedule a last fishing trip or afternoon at the beach for this, then embrace the blessing of your Hallmark-movie life and go--but you can still make a lasting impact if all the time you can find is a midnight snack, or an in between bath-bedtime moment.  Make a memory by being literal here- -make wraps - eat wraps - depending on the location you wind up stealing a moment in, wrap them in the beach blanket/bedcovers/bath towel - and of course a hug...tell them literally you are "wrapping up the summer" with love for them - with them.  The busy Fall/school/Christmas season is around the corner...you won't be sorry you took a breath to savor the season.           Nutella and bananas wrapped in pancakes is a fav...  but it's the eye-contact you make, the cross you make on their forehead, after talking about God, that will cement the memory.  

Lunch Box Recipes

So many people have distinct memories of their lunch box or after school snack food.   What's yours?  Take this opportunity to make a memory for your kids.   You know I'm gonna say this is a perfect opportunity to catechize!  St. Patrick's Day - green sprinkles (yes even on a salami sandwich!), St. Augustine's feast day...roll their Oreo's in alphabet sprinkles (he was a great writer...),  Feast of the Sacred Heart - emboss the heart cookie cutter into the bread...   If you're ambitious and have the time, add a sticky note for each feast day with St. Whoever - Pray for us! written on it.  Then start a habit of later joking about that days' feast day snack.  The best notes of course will be the ones that say stuff like "I'm praying for you to have patience with yourself during your math test.  Just do your best.  Love you! - Mom"

Stigmata Cookies

St. Padre Pio (feast day Sept 23) had the Stigmata - the wounds of Christ in his hands.  St. Francis had them too (Oct 4)...   St. Faustina too (Oct 5).  Cookies with red jelly centers for snacks, anyone?  Ah the sweet irony of talking the kids about the power of suffering while eating jelly cookies!

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My go-to recipe for Linzer cookies is on the site gluten free on a shoestring.com.  I use strawberry jam instead of raspberry (personal flavor choice).  It's reeeal important to fridge the dough before rolling...

October is the Month of the Rosary

This is a fun one.  With each section of the Rosary we say ten Hail Mary's.  So for lunch...Ten of anything: a sandwich cut into 10 parts/10 M & M's/10 chocolate kisses...  Perhaps include a note to "say a Hail Mary as each is eaten..."  Follow up with a Decade in the car on the way home from school and/or at bedtime...  

September - the Month of

7 Sorrows of Mary

  Depending on the age of the child...perhaps seven pretzel sticks?  Seven M & M's? 

  'Talk later about-yes, just 7 -- did you offer up your lack of more snacks to Mother Mary?

Mary's Birthday - Saturday - Sept 8th

Perhaps a cupcake or slice of cake with a note that says "as you eat this, tell Mother Mary Happy Birthday..."

All Saints Day - Friday - Nov 1

Pray for all Saints - even the one's we haven't heard of.  Remember all of us are called to be Saints.  Maybe give two snacks today, and remind your child to give the second one away to make someone happy.  When they tell you who they gave their snack to, remind them of how they're on the road to being a saint themselves with their amazing generosity!

All Souls Day - Saturday - Nov. 2

Pray for all Holy Souls!  A Lunch Box might include Grandpa's favorite food or a food with a memory attached - like a tuna sandwich with a sticky note that says "God Bless Grandpa Joe's soul - fishing with him was fun! - Amen."

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The cookies in the picture can be home-made or store-bought.  Put white icing in a sandwich bag and cut a small angled hole in the corner - then twist the top and fold it over, so the icing only comes out the hole.  Let the kids have at the cookies making

stripe-y lines....they sell bags of the sugar-eyes near the sprinkles in the supermarket.  This recipe is the perfect opportunity for a light-hearted but truthful conversation about Purgatory, becoming Saints, dying, our family on earth and in Heaven...

November: The month dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Being reminded of Purgatory is healthy.  Perhaps give a snack that is ...not their favorite, but healthy....Raisins instead of grapes? An off brand of their favorite cookie...?  Remind them to offer up their "suffering" for the Holy Souls.