Orthodox Kid's Pen Pal Update...

Hey everyone! Below is the email I sent to everyone who has signed up for the Orthodox Kid's Pen Pal Program. If you did not receive an email from me and wish to participate, please email me asap at PenPals{at}OrthodoxMom{dot}com so I can sign your child up! I'm really excited about this and appreciate all of your efforts in spreading the word, please continue to do so!

Greetings in Christ!

I just wanted to let all of you know that I'll be sending out your child(ren)'s pen pal partner(s) beginning this week (I'll be beginning this week but it may take me through next week to get to everyone). There are already over 50 children from all of the world participating! We have 1 from China, 3 from Greece, 1 from Canada and children from all over the states! I am very excited and I pray that God blesses this program and each child participating. My hope is that each child develops a wonderful friendship with their pal that will last a lifetime!

Keep an eye out for an email either this week or next from me containing several other details. What I do need from everyone that I forgot to mention in the original list of questions is:

1. Parish name, city and state (for my curiosity only)
2. Your address (duh!) :)

I also want to hear your thoughts on the program, what type of things do you think would be fun to do? Some of the things I was thinking of are maybe doing a paper icon swap one month, maybe a handmade item another month or a "surprise" that includes one of their pal's "favorite things". Does anyone else have any ideas? I want this to be our program and therefore encourage all of your input. These types of projects will only be every couple of months, quarterly perhaps, so that it doesn't become to big of an obligation. They'll only be responsible for writing one letter per month. If they want to write more often I don't think anyone will have a problem with that.

Again, thank you all so much for participating and I'll be posting frequent updates on the program on Adventures of an Orthodox Mom! Keep spreading the word!!

Your sister in Christ,
Sylvia

Baking Prosphora {Athonite Style}

Today I made prosphora and I decided to post how we do it here at the monastery. It's very different from the typical phrosphora used in most churches. This is the way they make it on the Holy Mountain and in other Athonite monasteries. The texture of this type of dough is very different from regular dough and usually has a sourdough sort of taste to it.

We use something called "prozimi" instead of yeast to make the bread rise. Prozimi itself is a miracle. On either September 14 (Exaltation of the Precious Cross) or on Holy Friday a bowl containing only water and flour is taken into the altar during the Gospel reading. The priest then blesses it. Afterwards our Gerondissa takes it into the kitchen and places it in the oven (the oven is not on) and leaves it there overnight. The next morning the bowl is overflowing with this "yeast". It is then separated and refrigerated in airtight containers and is used each time prosphoro is made. Every time you make a new batch of dough you tear a small piece off and set aside for next time.


What you'll need:

7 cups warm water
prozimi
5 lb. bag unbleached flour
3 cups Semolina
1 1/2 tsp. salt
prosphoro seal (often we use 2 different ones at the monastery)
beeswax candle
6 in. pans
icon/holy relics
CD (or someone reading) the Akathist Hymn
heavy blankets
plastic bag
2 white sheets
toothpick
*It's important to keep these items clean and only use them for prosphora or artoklasia. Someone should be reading the Akathist hymn (I listen to the CD and pray the Jesus prayer)

On the night before you plan to bake your prosphora you prepare the prozimi. {I also like to thimiasi (cense or bless) the house when I do this and also on the following morning before I begin.}

To begin, you'll put 7 cups of warm water in a pot. Place the pot on the stove until the water is almost hot. Add your prozimi and and mix very quickly to help it dissolve. Add approximately 2 lbs. of unbleached flour (I use King Arthur or Arrowhead Mills brand) Mix it thoroughly, place lid on top of pot and place in a thick, plastic bag. Tie bag and cover with a heavy blanket. Place in a warm room overnight. I usually place an icon or relics on top.

Prozimi before (not so much, right?):

The next morning your prozimi should look foamy and bubbly, similar to regular yeast.

Prozimi after (now look at it! and this is a BIG pot):

You'll want to lay out a blanket and a (clean, obviously) garbage bag on the surface where your dough will rise. I also keep a space heater in the room to really heat the room up. You'll need another garbage bag and heavy blanket to cover it. This dough needs a lot of heat to rise.

Next you'll measure approximately 8 cups of flour in a large bowl. Add 3 cups of Semolina, 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Then add your prozimi.

Knead the dough until completely mixed. Dough needs to be very stiff; it usually turns my knuckles red from the kneading and it's consistency. If it's too soft, add 1/2 cup of flour at a time.

Lay a plain white sheet on the table and have one ready to cover your dough once it's ready.

Separate into 11 parts. You'll need 2 parts per prosphoro (5 of them) plus a piece to save for prozimi. You want a flat, smooth surface to roll on. I use my glass table. You also want to make sure there is no flour around to leave indentations on the dough.

Roll long wise and then shape into a pyramid shape, tucking all the creases at the bottom of each piece. Make sure there aren't a lot of creases or cracks on the top. Place each piece on your sheet and cover. This prevents it from drying out too much and cracking.

Next, you'll prepare your pans. I use 5 6-inch Wilton pans. (These pans should only be used for baking prosphora or artoklasia.) You heat your pan in the oven (pre-heated to 350 degrees) and then take the bottom of your beeswax candle and coat the inside of the pan. This is done because no oil should be used in prosphora. Then set them aside.

Remove each piece and place one on top of the other.

"Bottom" sides with creases should be facing eachother. Now each loaf should look as perfect as possible with no cracks showing (as you can see I'm still working on perfecting mine), the dough will almost shine.  A better way to do it if you can rather than creating two separate loafs) would be to roll the dough out in a tube shape and then twist and pat down to shape, or to run a razor blade around the center of the sides.  This is because the Christ was fully man and fully God together, never separated.  I however, am not that good yet, so I have a blessing to do it this way for now.  But I'm practicing... :)

Place in pan and press seal down. BE CAREFUL! You should press the seal down from the sides not the center. Push down until you can't anymore, wait a second and then quickly "pop" off. This type of dough is so stiff that it often makes a "popping" sound.

You want the seal to be very distinct so it doesn't disappear when the dough rises. Next take a toothpick and poke the top of the dough (not too close to the seal) in the shape of a cross.

After you seal and poke them all, take them to the place where you prepared the blankets.


Put them down and cover with the bag and blanket. Place your icon or holy relics on top and let rise for 2-4 hours, check them periodically.

Place your new prozimi in your container and let it rise as well. After they're done rising, place them in your preheated oven. Let bake for 45-50 minutes. Once slightly golden, remove from oven and let cool. Sometimes I will slightly dampen a sponge and rub them with it to make them a little shiny.

Clean your seals very good. Scratch off any dough that may have adhered to it when stamping. It's best not to get your seal wet, put a tiny bit of water on your finger if necessary.

It is customary to include a list of names, both living and asleep, to give to the priest with the prosphora.

The antidoron (literally meaning instead of the gift) that we recieve at the end of the Divine Liturgy symbolizes the Theotokos because it is from her that we take Christ (the center piece). The unused portion is considered to be her womb.

A few years ago I found these tiny, plastic seals for the boys. They help by making their own little "prosphora". Sometimes they turn out quite well and we take them to church but most of the time they end up eating them afterwards.

Here's some pics of their seals and little "prosphora":

I found these on Ebay.

Ace admiring his seal

a close-up of it

Lucky's seal. He did a pretty good job, with his brother's help of course!

About 5 years ago when I first started to learn how to do this (it really is a craft!) my Gerondissa gave me a gift from Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi monastery on the Holy Mountain. (A friend of mine has one from Elder Paisios the Athonite!) These hand carved seals and this pouch to carry the prosphora to church in. The front flap lifts up and there's a pocket to place the prosphora in.

The seal in the picture below belonged to my great-grandmother and when I make small loaves and the priest requests that I use the whole seal, I use hers.
Here are the seals from Mount Athos. You'll notice they are carved very, very deep. This helps the seal stay perfect even after hours of rising.

These two are very small, only about 4 inches round. One symbolizes Christ and the other symbolizes Panagia's portion (square on bottom right), the 9 ranks of angels (9 angels), souls of the living and the dead. Oftentimes at the monasteries they use two small prosphora.

This is a larger seal, about 6 1/2 in. round

Whew! That's a lot of information! I hope I didn't forget anything. If I did, someone please let me know.

Monica also has a post on the traditional way to bake prosphora that is really terrific. Also, if you are interested in the Orthodox Kid's Pen Pal program, please email this information to me asap! I want to pal everyone up by Monday!

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Fireproofing my Marriage

DH & I rented the movie Fireproof, starring Kirk Cameron {swoon}, awhile ago and loved it! Then one day at story time I noticed this book on display. I browsed through it and ended up taking it home. There are a few things mentioned in the book that I disagree with from an Orthodox perspective but overall it seems to be pretty good.

Here's a sneak peek for those of you who haven't seen the movie.



Granted some of the acting is not top notch but overall the movie was excellent and you quickly look past the couple not-s0-good actors.

I think one of my favorite parts was the bad advice the wife was getting from her friends who were trying to "help". It's so true! When things get rough most people run straight to the divorce attorney's office. Marriage is about love, patience and WORK! No matter how great a relationship, every marriage needs to be nurtured.

The book gives you a 40 day challenge to do just that. I can't wait! DH and I agreed to take turns taking the challenge every so often. Corny? I think not! I think I'll start on Monday! Anyone else up for the challenge?

I think it's really nice to see a hit movie encouraging couples to make Christ the center of their marriage. That's the only real way to Fireproof marriage!

Pen Pal Sign Ups

Wow! I'm so excited that so many of you want to sign your kid's up for the Pen Pal Program! We have over 25 kids signed up so far and I'm planning on creating a flyer and sending it to different churches soon too.

What I need from all of you who signed up (or wish to sign up) is:

1. Your child's name and their patron or favorite saint
2. Birthdate (be sure to include the year)
3. Interests or hobbies (be specific)
4. Your email address or a way to contact you
5. Address
6. Parish Name

Please get this information to me by this Saturday, February 21. I'm planning to partner them up and e-mail you their partners on Monday!

Please spread the word to help this program grow! I'm hoping to keep this an ongoing project where kids can sign up at any time! Thanks everyone for your help!

BTW, I now have an Adventures of an Orthodox Mom button! Grab one for your blog!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcake Recipe

Ace had his Valentine's Day party on Friday. I went to his school to volunteer for the afternoon and brought these ice cream cone cupcakes for his class. I make these for everything, birthdays, soccer games, etc and they are always a hit! The kids love them because they're so fun looking and yummy, the parents love them because they are practically mess-free and I love them because they are super easy!

Here's what the special pan looks like:



All you need is:

ice cream cone pan or muffin tin

box of cake mix

box of ice cream cones

icing

sprinkles

If you don't have the pan that is made for these you can use a muffin tin. Before I got my pan (thanks Mom!) I used a muffin pan and I stuffed it with foil around the cone to keep the cones from tipping over.

Make the cake mix according to the directions on the box and then fill the cone a little less than 3/4 of the way full.

Bake until the cupcake looks done, usually about 15 minutes or so. Test with a toothpick.

Once they cool, frost them and add sprinkles!

My pan holds a dozen and there is usually enough batter for at least 2 dozen of them. I usually make a small cake out of the extra batter.

Have fun!

Awesome Troy Polamalu Interview Video

I hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day! More on Ace's V-day party tomorrow. We're out of town this weekend.

Just wanted to share this incredible interview of yours and my favorite NFL player. ;)

Orthodox Kid's Pen Pals

Yesterday after Ace came home from school he sat down in the living room and was reading a book. Out of nowhere he announced, "I learned a prayer in school today." So I asked him to tell me the prayer, which was a simple, Thank you God for my food, family and friends. Then I asked him, "Did you still do your cross before you ate?" and he said, "Yes but I was the only one." I went on to tell him that there aren't a lot of Orthodox people around here and he'll often be the only one but that's o.k. because many of our saints were "the only ones" too.

But the conversation got me thinking about how great it would be if all of our kids {and us, maybe moms could include a note to eachother} could meet eachother. I think it would be such a blessing for them to have more interaction with kids that have the same beliefs and customs. So that got me to thinking of ways to make that possible. So I thought why not see if anyone would be interested in being an Orthodox pen pal? While our children still might not be going down the slide together they could be traveling a journey together. A journey that for some of our children is kind of lonely right now.

Children will be assigned partners based on gender, age and interests and can write one letter (we're talking snail mail here not e-mail) per month to their pal. There's not so much an "age" requirement as long as the child has basic writing skills. (This will be great practice too!) Letters can be about whatever is on the child's mind that month but we should try to encourage them to write about things involving our Faith or church functions, etc. Parents will be responsible for making sure the content of the letters are appropriate. They can add little icons, stickers, coloring pages, etc with their letters if they want. I think it will be a lot of fun!

Would anyone be interested in doing this? If so we can set a deadline to get me your information and then I'll assign pals and we'll set a date for getting the first letter out! I was even thinking I can post a monthly challenge or something that they can all work on and discuss. Feel free to pass this on to other Orthodox kids and Sunday School classes!

Any other ideas?

"Be Sober, Be Vigilant" 1 Peter 5:8

This morning I dropped Ace off for his second week of school (DH took him yesterday). Even though it sort of felt like the first day again, on my part at least, it is turning out to be a pretty good day. Lucky and I have been playing outside all afternoon, the weather is absolutely beautiful.

I planned on cleaning the house today but when I opened the windows to let some air in, I just couldn't resist. I made a pot of my favorite tea and Lucky and I headed out.

Keep us in your prayers as we are getting ready to put our house up for sale. Perfect time, right? :) We've been struggling with this idea for awhile, mostly because we're afraid with the economy in the shape that it's in and because recently there's been talk about DH's place of employment being bought out. If that happens his position will be one of the first to go.

We love our home, we just built it 4 years ago and it is located exactly where we want it to be but our property is really more than we need and is a 3rd job for DH during the warm months. So we're hoping to find either another house on about half the property or just the property and we could build another home, slightly smaller. The main reason for this is that the property where we live is worth more than the homes so we'd be able to pay off a very big chunk of the new home. This way if, God forbid, he does lose his job we'd still be {barely} afloat with our home business. We know the market stinks right now but we're hoping to sell low, buy low.

We're basically preparing for the worst, better safe than sorry, right? I think it's a good idea to start saving dry goods too. As soon as we get some extra money I think I'll go stock up on the basics: rice, flour, salt, sugar, etc. Maybe some hydrated fruits and vegetables. It does feel like I'm being a little paranoid but I keep hearing all sorts of different things on the news and I hate to be the party pooper but things aren't looking so good. I'm not sure I believe it to the extent that the gentlemen in the article predicts but in the case of an emergency, I want to be prepared. I have children to think of.

I feel like many of the prophecies of our saints and elders are unfolding before our eyes. What do you think? I'd love to hear your opinions on this.

Abortion Icons

Icon from the Orthodox Christians for Life organization.

I am absolutely appalled at the story of the baby thrown in the garbage at an abortion clinic in Miami. I am so sick to my stomach and I cannot believe that this is what our society has become.

If you haven't heard, because what everyone wore to the Grammy's is like way more important to talk about, than I strongly suggest you click the link above and read the article from CBS news.

I am so tired of abortion being a method of birth control. These kids go around having all the fun they want and not thinking about a single consequence because they know there's a way out.

(I'll abbreviate the story for those who don't want to click the link)

A teenage girl went to a clinic to have an abortion and ended up going into labor from the meds. They called the Dr. and he didn't show up for over two hours. In the meantime, the girl gives birth to a live baby and the non-licensed clinic owner takes the baby, ties it up in a biohazard bag and drops it in the trash can.

The best part? Now the girl is SUING the Dr. and the clinic because during the whole Wow! It's a live baby! Let's tie it up in a bag! scenario, the clinic owner dropped the baby on the floor and because she claims to have been forced to watch her baby die. And thanks to the liberal judges in this country, she'll probably win. Umm...can someone explain this to me? She went in to kill her baby and she did. Now we're going to give her money? This is worse than the McDonald's coffee lady, much worse.

Her attorney made this statement.

"She came face to face with a human being," Pennekamp said. "And that changed everything."

Yes people! Babies, though yet unborn are, in fact, real human beings! This just proves that many of the pro-choice people really don't think of these aborted babies as real, live babies.

The girl stated in an interview that she doesn't "have the resources or maturity to raise a child." Well maybe she should have thought of that before she engaged herself in premarital relations.

I'm sorry but I am furious about this, I am absolutely sickened. How far along is a woman allowed to be to legally abort anyways? May God have mercy on the souls of the unborn and may their mothers be brought to repentance... I think it's important to note that all sins are forgiven if a person truly repents.

Here is an icon a found several years back.


*Christ holds a scroll that reads “Let the children come to Me” and gives His blessing

*the woman in the bottom left corner is the woman who does not abort; she is an unmarried mother and the child is her cross to bear

*next to her is “the blessed family” a husband and wife raising their children together

*the medusa like queen is called the “New Herod” which is abortion, the girls bringing their babies to her are (starting with the one with fishnet stockings and pink hair) “love of fornication”, “ignorance”, “carelessness” and “hard-hearted”; they bring their children to her through the doctor depicted directly behind her (notice the money in his pocket)

*the angel above the abortion is mourning the souls of the children

*Panagia (the milk-giver) is shown nursing the Christ child; St. Stylianos is next to her with a child since he is known to be a protector of children and holds a scroll that reads “protect your children-they are the gift of Christ”

*the girl down in the bottom center who is bleeding is one who aborts but repents and prays for the soul of her child; she too will be forgiven

There is a beautiful service for the souls of aborted babies that can be purchased here. I think an the most important thing we can do is help raise awareness on this subject and pray for both the children and women who are victims of this heinous act.

Recycle Crayons

This project is a fun way to recycle broken crayons or the extra crayons from restaurants, etc. It's very quick and easy and the kids love the results! We made regular ones just to color with and we also made some into necklaces for Ace to give to his classmates on Valentine's Day.

Materials

• muffin tin
• old crayons
• foil muffin liners
• cord or string
  
• drinking straw
• oven

Directions
Note: If using a normal sized muffin tin you'll need 3-4 crayons per cup. If using a mini muffin tin you'll need about 2 crayons per cup.

1. Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees. Some people pre-heat to 300 degrees but I found that it melted the wax too quickly and the colors blended too much.
2. Peel the paper off the crayons and break up into small pieces.
3. If you want to use them soon (most kids do) then line your tin with foil muffin liners. Otherwise you'll have to wait awhile until the wax cools enough to pop out of the tin.
4. Break crayons up into small pieces and place in liner. This time we did "rainbow" crayons but I prefer doing them to a theme (ex: different blues and whites for the sky, different greens for grass, red, orange and yellow for sun, etc.)
5. Place tin in oven for 15-20 minutes. Check on them every few minutes, you want the wax to be just melted, not bubbling.
6. Remove from oven. If making necklaces, use your straw to poke a hole. If not, let cool for 5-10 minutes. Remove foil liner when cooled.

Here's Ace wearing his necklace and coloring with the ones we made into regular crayons that we didn't use a liner with.

If you try this or have any other tips I'd love to hear them! Have fun!!

Weekend Fun

I'm sure you all know how thrilled I was to have my boy home with me for an entire weekend! Though I have to admit, it was a strange feeling. I kind of felt like I was "borrowing" him knowing that in just 2 short days I would have to send him back to school. Even though when he woke up Saturday morning I told him we were going to do something super fun that day and his eyes lit up and he said,

"Go to school??"

Umm...No. I was aghast. "NO! You're staying home and doing something fun with Mommy!" Oh my goodness, this is so strange.

So we went to Liturgy (we have it on Sat and Sun mornings here) and then headed off to Home Depot for their Kid's Workshop. It was such a beautiful day that we decided to go to the park and have lunch. So we picked up some sandwiches and fruit and headed off. It was so nice. DH ran around with the boys while I got to sit on a bench and read a book. It was very relaxing, I don't remember the last time I was able to do that. Then we played on the swings for a little and headed home.

On Sunday afternoon we had a Play-Doh picnic. The kids had a blast and I have to admit I thought it was pretty fun too.

When I got ready to take this photo I realized Ace made brown bananas. When I asked him why he made them brown he said "We don't have any more yellow and they turn brown after they sit on the counter too long, right?" Yeah, ok. I'm guilty of letting our bananas go bad on more than one occasion. But, I do make banana bread with old bananas. Less smashing required. :)

After all the fun with pretend food, they started to get hungry and Ace realized that now that he's in school on Mondays he won't be getting his muffin tin lunches at home. So I told him we'd do them on Saturdays from now on. Of course he realized that he missed Saturday so I made them yesterday.
After that we recycled old crayons and made them into crayon necklaces. It's a fun way to use up all the old crayons that are broken, etc. I'll post the instructions and photos soon.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Preschool: Day 3

Well, I'm happy to report that Day 3 has been better than Day 1. After I dropped Ace off at school I decided that coming home and watching his baby videos was probably not something I should engrave into my daily routine.

So after I dropped him off I came home and Lucky and I did some finger painting and put a few puzzles together. Lucky's behavior has been much better over the past few days and I'm wondering if it is because of all the extra attention he gets. I came to the sad realization that many times when I'd be doing something with Ace like cooking dinner or working on a project, I'd often find things to "busy" Lucky, instead of including him in the project. I realized that in my mind he's remained my baby, when he is in fact a toddler now and I need to start doing fun, toddler-ish activities with him and including him in more things now.

Like yesterday as I was preparing dinner, he took the chopped vegetables and threw them in the pot. He was so proud to be helping! Now every time I go into the kitchen he pushes the chair up to the counter and smiles and laughs because he knows he's going to get to help. So I am spending much more quality time with him during the day. That's not to say that I'm not still heartbroken because I surely am, but it has gotten a little bit easier.

When poor Lucky heard DH and Ace coming home from school yesterday he ran up to me and wrapped himself around my leg. He figured now that Ace was home he'd have to fight for my attention again. So when Ace came in I took them both outside to play with the new goats {did I tell you we got 2 new goats?} and run around for awhile. After a few minutes they both forgot about me and had a blast playing with eachother.

Isn't this photos precious? They were holding hands and walking through the yard. Luckily the camera was close by because I would've been so sad not to have captured this moment!

I also thought you'd enjoy this conversation between Ace and I after school on Day 1:

Me: Hey buddy! How was your day?

Ace: Fun! We did a project with letters.

Me: Wow! Sounds neat. Did you eat all of your lunch?

Ace: {incredibly dragged out} Yeeeeeeeess...

Me: What? Was something not good? Did you find your kisses?

Ace: No everything was good but I couldn't eat my kisses. {they were in a tin with the note}

Me: Why not?

Ace: Because. Mom....the note?

Me: What was wrong with the note? You didn't like Mommy's note?

Ace: It was kind of embarrassing Mom.

Me: Why? Did someone tease you?

Ace: No, I hid it under my juice box before anyone saw it.

Me: So what's the problem then?

Ace: Mom. You wrote in on pink paper and drew all kinds of little hearts on it!

Me: So what? You don't want me to write you notes anymore?

Ace: {after thinking about how to say this nicely} Umm...don't make it so girly tomorrow, write it on blue paper and don't draw any hearts. Tell me to have a good day or something.

So how do you like that?? I'm dying of a broken heart and he's hiding my love notes under his juice box!

I am definitely looking forward to having him home with me for the weekend and decided that Saturday's will now be our official family day to do something fun. Either a craft at home or going to the zoo, museum or bowling. He's never been bowling and has been asking to go.

I'll keep you posted in case I need more therapy from you all just in case I have a relapse after the weekend. :)

Preschool: Day 2

Every year on the boy's birthdays I write them a special birthday letter and tuck it away in their special letter box.

One day I was reading through some blogs I ran across the inspiring idea of writing a first day of school letter. I can't remember where I originally found it though, so I can't show my linky love! If anybody else knows, please leave me a comment so I can give credit where credit is due.

Here is the letter with a photo of Ace's first day that I put in his letter box.

My Sweet Angel,

Everything about you looked so big to me this morning. Those hands that used to barely fit around my finger nearly filled my entire hand as we walked down the hall. Those shoulders that used to hunch up against my chest seemed so broad as you proudly carried your new backpack. And those sweet brown eyes that used to spend hours scrunched in colicky anguish were round and bright and full of anticipation at what awaits you.

You had only a brief moment of hesitation before you ventured into your classroom. I saw the momentary uncertainty flash in your eyes as you let go of my hand. But I reached down and kissed your cheek, and I told you I'd stand out in the hall for a minute or two if you needed me. "I'll be right here," I whispered. That was all you needed-you bounded forward with confidence, never looking back.

This is as it should be. Your eyes should be ahead--watchful, ready to learn, eager to take in all life will bring you. My eyes are looking ahead too, realizing that this big step of independence you took this morning will be followed by many. Lost teeth, too-short jeans, a deeper voice and first dates...each bold step will take a you a step further toward manhood, and further away from me.

And with bittersweet joy in my heart, I tell you, my sweet angel: Go. Step into each new life experience with the same eager expectation I saw on your face this morning. I trust the One who made you to steer you just where He would have you go. I can't wait to see the man He will shape you into.

But when the adventure gets bumpy, whether it's a skinned knee in kindergarten, a bruised ego in 5th grade or a broken heart in college, just point yourself toward home. I'll be right here.

Loving you forever,
Mommy

Now go cuddle those angels of yours!!

Winner of the Icon Bracelet

Helene from A Sun-Kissed Home is the winner of the icon bracelet that I was giving away in the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival! Congratulations! Please e-mail me your shipping info at OrthodoxMama{at}gmail{dot}com!



If anyone else is interested in purchasing one I'm selling them for $5.00 + $2.00 shipping for a limited time to readers of this blog. Beginning March 1st they will be $1o.00 + shipping! If ordering please say you saw them on Adventures of an Orthodox Mom.

Email me at Sylvia{at}OrthodoxMom{dot}com

First Day Jitters...

Ace started pre-school today. Here they have 3 sessions you can choose and we chose the winter/spring one.

I was/am a nervous wreck! We packed his lunch last night and got all of his supplies and clothes ready so the morning wouldn't be too chaotic. So this morning we woke up, did morning prayers, ate breakfast and got ready. I snuck two Hershey kisses into his lunch box with a little note and told him I was sending some of my kisses with him to school. He kept asking how and I told him he'd find out in school.

The whole drive he kept telling me how nervous he was and that he didn't know if he could go a whole day without me. I told him he had to be brave like the saints and that we taped an icon of the Archangels (his patron sts.) in his backpack. I also put a few wallet sized photos in 2 badge holders and clipped them on his backpack so he would feel like he wasn't that far from us. I told him he could look at them anytime he missed us and it should remind him that I'd be there to pick him up soon. I also kept reminding him of all the fun things he was going to do in school. I'm telling you if he would've started crying I would've turned my little minivan around and said forget the whole thing! :)

We sang fun songs like Bear Hunt and Catalina Matalina while we were driving and once we got close we said a prayer together. I walked him in and his teacher asked him to find his name on his cubby and his seat. So he found his cubby and put his things away and then went to find his seat. Once he did he sat right down and started talking with the other kids. I gave him a hug and a kiss (twice) and then realized that I was lingering. So I said goodbye to the teacher and left. And cried my eyes out the whole way home. Lucky kept pointing at Ace's seat and trying to figure out why we left him somewhere.

Someone please tell me this gets easier! I'm so nervous leaving him in some stranger's (however nice) care. I think of all the crazy things that happen in schools and I'm ready to have a nervous breakdown! I keep praying and reminding myself to have faith and that I am sending him to school (and not homeschooling) out of obedience and so everything will be fine. But I miss my boy!

100 Things to Do Before Kindergarten

I recently found this list via Savvy Source, and with Ace starting pre-school this week I thought this was a fun list of things to do. Most of them we've done lots of times already but some of the things gave me great ideas to do on the weekends from now on.

Here's Savvy Source's list of 100 Things to Do Before Kindergarten:

"We enjoy making lists here at The Savvy Source. Making a list is an act of hope, and a form of dreaming as well as planning.

These years before kindergarten and the forward march of school years are precious and irreplaceable. Never again will we have so much plain old free time with these adorables of ours. So here's a list of lots of stuff we hope to do with them, make possible for them, show them and teach them before they head off to -- gasp! -- elementary school.

And if we don't get around to each and every one of these items...well, we still have another twelve years before they go to college!

In no particular order....

1. Go to the zoo

2. Visit a farm

3. Go on a hike

4. Play with kittens or puppies

5. Catch a frog

6. Make a gigantic mess

7. Help clean up a gigantic mess

8. Master the monkey-bars

9. Swing high up into the sky all by themselves

10. Try ice-skating

11. Go sledding

12. Make a snow-man

13. Blow bubbles

14. Plant seeds and watch them grow

15. Have a pillow fight

16. Jump on a big bed

17. Jump on a trampoline or in a bounce house

18. Hang out in a tent

19. Spend days at the beach

20. Build sandcastles

21. Go fishing

22. Go out on a boat

23. Play with blocks and puzzles

24. Read the classic picture books

25. Read a classic chapter book

26. Check out library books with their own library card

27. Get a passport

28. Carve a pumpkin

29. Hold a newborn baby (to see how much they've grown)

30. Love a special doll or stuffed animal

31. Bake cookies and cakes

32. Help plan their own birthday party

33. Go to the circus

34. Go to a museum on a quiet weekday

35. Play hide-and-seek

36. Play a board game

37. Do nothing whatsoever all day

38. Try a sport

39. Watch a sporting event

40. Learn to swim

41. Be tickled in hysterics

42. Paint and draw as much as desired

43. Have the use of scissors and glue

44. Display artworks and other creations around the house

45. Learn to use a camera (and keep an album of the results!)

46. Play with clay

47. Pick flowers

48. Climb a tree

49. Gaze at the moon and stars

50. Toast marshmallows

51. Learn to eat an ice-cream cone

52. Watch a sunset

53. Learn to write their own names

54. Learn their addresses and telephone numbers

55. Learn their parents' full names

56. Set the table

57. Clear the table

58. Help wash the dishes

59. Learn to say their pleases and thank yous and excuse mes

60. Watch fireworks

61. Go to the ballet or theater or a puppet show

62. Put on a ballet or play or puppet show at home

63. Face paint

64. Dress up in costumes at will

65. Learn rhymes and poems and songs by heart

66. Have a dance party

67. Enjoy friends at preschool and at the park

68. Invite friends over to play

69. Get to know grandparents

70. Play with cousins

71. Become attached to a wonderful preschool teacher and/or babysitter

72. Learn the name of our president

73. Know the name of their town, state and country

74. Be familiar with a map of the world

75. Listen to music from many different ages and genres

76. Hear and learn words from a different language

77. Learn the difference between trash and recycling

78. Grow their own vegetables

79. Learn to ride a bike (or try!)

80. Take a road trip

81. Draw a self-portrait

82. Slurp alphabet soup

83. Learn to twirl spaghetti on a fork

84. Pick apples

85. Star in a home movie

86. Learn a magic trick

87. Try different hair-dos

88. Practice writing letters

89. Practice counting to 100

90. Make up stories

91. Send a letter

92. Receive a letter

93. Ride on a merry-go-round

94. Give away toys and books to less fortunate children

95. Learn the value of coins and bills

96. Keep a piggy bank

97. Try a musical instrument

98. Have a heartfelt wish granted

99. Have a heartfelt wish denied

100. Receive a million (make that a billion) heartfelt kisses and hugs from their parents!

***********************
Every parent has their own list, including the Savvy City Editors in Austin, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City and Washington DC"

I think I'll make a list of 100 things that I'd like to do with him before he starts Kindergarten next year. I'd love to know about the special things you did with your children before they began school or things you plan on doing, wish you did, etc! What's your list look like? Any suggestions? Let's make a list together!

Troy Polamalu's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Interview

Elenie from Orthodox Christian Education sent me the link to this awesome interview with Troy Polamalu. I'm really going to start keeping tabs on him and his journey in Orthodoxy!

Orthodox glad to claim Polamalu as one of their own

Sunday, February 01, 2009

By Ann Rodgers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter Diana / Post-Gazette

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu watches from the sidelines against the Vikings at the Hubert Humphrey Stadium in Minneapolis in August. He is often seen crossing himself -- right to left -- during games.

Most NFL fans are familiar with the sight of Steelers safety Troy Polamalu crossing himself during games, but one subset of fans is gleefully aware that he crosses himself from right to left, rather than left to right.

"Each time there is an important play, he makes his cross the Orthodox way. Nobody else does this, and it is a beautiful thing," said Metropolitan Maximos, of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, who officiated at the wedding of Troy and Theodora Polamalu four years ago.

Mr. Polamalu, an ethnic Samoan, long has had a strong Christian faith, but was non-denominational until he joined his wife's Greek Orthodox church. The metropolitan is quick to note that Orthodox enthusiasm for Mr. Polamalu isn't intended to denigrate any other branch of Christianity.

"I'm very proud of him. But, to be honest, I don't care if his background is Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox or any of the Protestant communities, as long as the guy is a faithful person. And Polamalu is that, and his wife is as well," he said.

When football doesn't allow the Polamalus to worship together on Sundays, they make weekday visits to the Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Saxonburg. Their infant son was baptized there. But the nuns won't be watching him play in the Super Bowl, Metropolitan Maximos said, because they don't watch anything on television that isn't religious. **EDITOR'S NOTE: Most monastics don't own televisions and therefore do not watch anything at all, religious or otherwise.

Orthodoxy and Catholicism -- which split in 1054 over issues of church authority -- have a different ethos. The monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, the Catholic monastery on the college campus where the Steelers practice, are unabashed fans. One monk, now deceased, went into earlier playoffs with a gold "7" on his black habit and called himself "Big Ben-edictine."

Saint Vincent Archabbot Douglas Nowicki said Mr. Polamalu prays in their basilica during training camp and is close to the monks.

"He's Orthodox, but I think he embodies that spirit of selflessness and humility, and is so well-grounded in who he is, that people of every faith relate to him. There is something deeply spiritual about him that all of us experience in being with him," he said.

But for the Orthodox, he's something special, said Damian George, the youth director at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Oakland.

When teens attend national Orthodox conferences, "the kids from Pittsburgh kind of brag about Troy, not only that he's a Steeler, but that he's Orthodox. And even the kids from Philly and New York get excited about it. He gives them a good role model because he's able to play at a high level and keep his faith at an equally high level," he said.

Orthodoxy has no tradition of celebrities who testify to their faith, said the Rev. Thomas Soroka, pastor of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKees Rocks. There are lists of celebrities who have belonged to the church, including Tina Fey and Tom Hanks. But none are considered exemplars of Orthodox spirituality. Current online discussions of an Orthodox celebrity that don't involve Mr. Polamalu tend to bewail the conduct of Rod Blagojevich, who was removed as Illinois governor last week after a four-day impeachment trial.

"A lot of times when people are Orthodox, it's more of an ethnic or cultural thing. Troy stands above that by being a practicing, committed Orthodox Christian," Father Soroka said.

"Orthodoxy is quite sober. It's not flashy or attractive to those who are looking for stardom. It's much more introspective, and I think Troy embodies that."

But it helps that Mr. Polamalu is cool and handsome, with Samoan warrior hair that hasn't been cut in seven years. His plays appear to defy the laws of physics.

"Being faithful and devout isn't always cool. So it's great when you can point to Troy Polamalu and say, 'Look, faith isn't stupid. It's something really special,' " said James Purdie, 26, a subdeacon at St. George Cathedral.

"Seeing him crossing himself after a play, or praying on the sidelines, it's a way of witnessing that your faith can be incorporated into your everyday life."

Mr. Purdie saw the Polamalus at a lecture at Duquesne University by Orthodox theologian Bishop Kallistos Ware.

"A lot of the younger folks went up to him afterward and were asking him questions -- theological questions as well as football questions. His answers showed that he was knowledgeable in his faith. And it was nice to see his humility. He was very approachable," Mr. Purdie said.

One Orthodox leader who does not tell stories about the Polamalus is their pastor, the Rev. John Touloumes at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, North Side. He wants to respect the family's privacy. But he will say that Mr. Polamalu has steeped himself in the Orthodox faith.

"Troy has received the faith with great dedication and great enthusiasm in his personal life. He does share it on the field with others when he believes it is his calling to do that. And he shows it through his life, through his humility and his good works," he said.

"He has a particular love for the younger people and they have responded very warmly to his gentle personality, his athletic talents and his deep faith."

The Rev. Patrick Carpenter, pastor of St. Mary's Orthodox Church, South Side, joined a Troy Polamalu fan group on Facebook and took part in its "Steelers prayer wave." But he won't pray for a Steelers win.

"We don't pray for victories. We don't pray for defeats. We pray for the safety of the team."

Of course, Mr. Polamalu is the safety of the team.

Click here for the original link to this interview on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Troy Polamalu's Super Bowl Coincidence...

So, at Liturgy this morning the sisters began chanting the troparia to St. Tryphon and as I was venerating the icon it dawned on me... I remembered that Troy Polamalu's baptismal name is Tryphon!

I've never been a football fan, especially a Steeler's football fan, but I am tonight! Hope everyone has a fun Superbowl Sunday! We'll be going to a friends house to watch!

Many prayers to you tonight Troy! GO STEELERS! {My family may officially disown me after reading this post...}