Adventures of an Orthodox Mom

Orthodox {Mom} Book Club

2012-01-09T16:45:00.000-05:00

I mentioned on Facebook last week, that I was thinking about starting a book club (or a Book of the Month Club) here on Adventures of an Orthodox Mom. I haven't ironed out all the details yet but right now I'm thinking it would be great if we can have get through one book per month. I'll assign a set amount of chapters and then we can meet here on a certain day and time to discuss each assignment. Skype has a way of creating just chat rooms, so no webcams are involved, that might be another option for our discussions.

There are so many incredible Orthodox books that I really want the focus to be on them, but I love the classics too and wouldn't mind throwing some of them in the mix too. I'm also excited that several Orthodox titles are now available in e-format!

Everyone is welcome to join in, this isn't just for Orthodox moms. If you're interested in learning more about the lives of our saints, holy elders and faith, feel free to sign up! I just ask that everyone be respectful of others opinions.

So...any takers? I'd love to hear any book recommendations you might have too! I've never hosted an online book club, so any suggestions on how to better organize this will be appreciated (cough, cough, Mimi)!

Revival of Orthodoxy in Russia

2012-01-09T11:54:00.000-05:00

This is so beautiful. A facebook friend of mine posted this and it brought tears to my eyes. Watching the people react to the film and the expressions on the children face's while they watched churches being destroyed was so powerful. So many times we forget these things really happened. Especially, those of us who live in this country and have never encountered anything like this.

It's so encouraging to see Russia embracing her beloved Orthodox Faith. I wish this would happen all over the world! Especially in Orthodox countries like Greece where, sadly, people have forgotten their roots.

Support Fr. Efrem of Vatopaidi

2012-01-04T21:20:00.001-05:00

Most of you have heard by now of the troubling news regarding Fr. Efrem, the abbot of Vatopaidi monastery on Mount Athos.

For those of you who may not have heard, you can read most of the details here. For news on the latest protest, click here.

This is so heartbreaking. It's a sign of the sad condition that Greece is in right now. I cannot believe that an Orthodox country would start arresting it's monastics to push political agendas. And there is no doubt in anyone's mind that this is exactly what is going on there. And what timing! After 60 Minutes shed some light on life there and introduced this holy place to many people who never even knew it existed, Greece goes and does something like this to discredit the monasteries. It's such a shame. My heart cries for the motherland...

It does bring me joy to hear that after Fr. Efrem was thrown into prison with terrorists and other high profile criminals, he began spreading his love for Christ and teaching and confessing many of the inmates there. What an inspiration! The first thing I thought of when I heard this news was that he is a modern day Fr. Arseny. Have any of you read that book? It is an incredible book.

Following is a statement taken from the website Pemptousia, an association of friends of the Vatopaidi monastery, and letter of appealing the courts for the decision to imprison Fr. Efrem:

Dear friends,

We, the Orthodox people, Greeks and non-Greeks, have been astounded and appalled at the unwarranted decision of the Athens Court of Appeals to remand Elder Efrem into custody.
We are, therefore, called upon to express our firm condemnation of this decision and our support to Elder Efrem by signing the following form.

Letter condemning the decision

To
The President of theHellenicRepublic,
The Prime Minister,
The Attorney General

24 December 2011

Your Excellencies,
We hereby condemn with abhorrence the judicial ‘’crime’ committed in Athens on the 23^rd December 2011, against the Church in the face of Elder Efrem, Abbot of the Great, Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi on the Holy Mountain.

The decision to take Elder Efrem into custody was based on hatred and prejudice. This is manifested in the following:

The timing of the decision: Christmas Eve
The surrounding of the Holy Mountain by armed police forces despite the declaration by the attorney representing the Elder that the latter intended to present himself to the police willingly.
The sentence passed is normally given to people who have the intention to repeat the offenses accused of.
During the preliminary hearing the reason given for the sentence was the Elder’s recent trip to Russia, when he accompanied the Holy Belt of the Most Holy Mother of God. During this visit millions of people, including the President, the Prime Minister and the Attorney General of the Russian Republic came out to greet them.
The investigation lasted more than three years and no incriminating evidence has been found.
The offense which the Elder is accused of is ‘aiding and abetting’ even though the suspects of this offense have been acquitted.
During the last three years of the investigation, the Elder has taken numerous trips abroad and if he had intended to leave the country he had plenty of opportunity to do so.
The Elder, as a spiritual figure, is honored and praised worldwide and constitutes an excellent envoy for Greece.
The people who have been revealed as the masterminds of the conspiracy against him have been honored with ministerial posts and are attempting to cover up their deception at all costs.
In Greece, enormous scandals have been uncovered and established while those responsible are not only walking free but are also given political posts.

We are convinced that the decision is a deliberate political act intending to defame the Holy Mountain and the Church.

We call upon you to do the utmost to reverse it.

Yours faithfully,

No	FULLNAME	IDENTITYCARDNO	ADDRESS
1
2
3
4
5….

You may also sign the petition via the web. Please click here

Vasilopita 2012

2012-01-02T16:11:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the month, I went to Ace's school and baked Vasilopitas with his class. I wanted something a little less difficult to prep, than the usual recipe I use, since the kids would be baking them and we were on a tight time schedule, so I tried a recipe another recipe my mom had.

They turned out really good and required a lot less work! The kids in his class seemed to really enjoy listening to the history of the Vasilopita and were so excited to see you would get the coin. Ace really loved sharing this tradition with them again this year.

I took the book The Story of the Vasilopita from the Paterikon for Kids by Potamitis Publishing. Ace and Lucky both *love* this set. There are 12 tiny little books inside of a box and each story is so unique and full of interesting things. Egle-Katerina's illustrations are also phenomenal, as usual. We've all learned quite a bit from reading them. I love how easily they can be toted around in my bag, too.

Anyways, since I was so behind with pretty much everything this year, I decided to make this new recipe for home too.

New Years morning, the boys could hardly wait for DH to cut it so they could search for the coveted coin, but guess who got it this year? Me! They were so mad, lol. It was pretty funny. :)

Later on that night, we went over to a friend's house to celebrate his nameday and we cut another one. Lucky found the coin in that one! He was so proud and three days later is still carrying his "lucky coin" in his pocket.

I also made a resolution to post more here on my little corner of the internet more often again. Sometimes, I take a break to take care of all the many things going on at home and to be able to really enjoy my family. But, I have really missed posting and chatting with all of you! So, I made a list of all the things I've been meaning, wanting, thinking, about posting and have quite a schedule lined up! There are some great books, CDs, and other items that I'll be giving away and some topics that have been weighing on my heart for some time, as well. Hope you'll join me!

Egg Bread Bowls {recipe}

2011-12-31T19:39:00.001-05:00

If you're looking for a quick and easy breakfast idea for New Year's Day, (because who really feels like cooking that morning?) these egg bread bowls are perfect! They look so lovely and literally require just a few minutes.

Ingredients:

pack of 8 Chicago hard rolls (or any dinner rolls with a hard crust)
8 eggs
heavy whipping cream
salt
pepper
oregano
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut top off and pull out entire center of each roll.
Crack and pour one egg in each one.
Pour a small amount of heavy whipping cream on the side of each egg.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano and cheese.
Place on ungreased, rimmed cookie sheet.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until egg yolk is set, not runny at all.

Enjoy!!

a quiet resolution

2011-12-31T15:14:00.002-05:00

this year's vasilopita's are baking in the oven and the boys are all outside enjoying the gorgeous florida winter weather, so this seemed like the perfect time to pull out my diary and scribble out my resolutions for the new year that is already knocking quietly at our doors. i say it every year and every year i mean it; i can't believe an entire year has passed so quickly.

two thousand and eleven was full of memories, though not all good ones. our family lost some pretty amazing people this year. it also welcomed some pretty amazing ones too though, and two thousand and twelve will bring a couple more little babes into our fold and already looks full of some pretty amazing promises.

last year, dh bought me the one line a day journal. i wasn't sure how i'd like it because i usually write pages at a time, so the thought of condensing an entire day into one line made me a little wary but i ended up only missing two or three days and i'm now looking forward to starting a new year in it (it's a five year journal) and looking back on where i was each day of the past year.

resolutions are sort of like the people who write them. all different and unique. some are loud and get shouted from the rooftops, others, like mine, are quietly written down and tucked away in a drawer. my list is usually a variation of the same promises, like this one from last year. to love more, give more, pray more, are always at the top. new things are added too, making the list a bit longer and hopefully wiser each year. i never do all the things i resolve to, many of them, to do well, i know will take well over a year, but as long as i progress accordingly i am satisfied. writing it all down just somehow makes me feel better. lighter. happier.

new year's is sort of like thanksgiving in the sense that many people take a moment to reflect upon their many blessings. it's important to remember, especially after a trying year, that someone always has it worse than we do. there are so many people who truly suffer, that i have no room to complain about anything. no one's life is perfect, and it's up to us to dwell on the imperfections or enjoy the bliss of a perfectly im-perfect life. i choose the latter.

i pray you all have a happy, healthy and blessed new year! cheers!

From Our Family To Yours...

2011-12-25T11:20:00.001-05:00

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Wishing your family a blessed and joyous Nativity and New Year!

truth that makes you giggle

2011-12-21T13:56:00.001-05:00

This made me laugh.

Nutella Hot Chocolate {recipe}

2011-12-21T12:49:00.000-05:00

I. Love. Nutella. If I was still in high school I would write it all over my notebook and dream of it during Physics class.

It's the perfect treat on a cold morning and only takes about five minutes to make.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk
3 tsp. Nutella
Whip Cream
Cinnamon

Directions:

Place 1/2 cup milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add Nutella and whisk until completely melted.
When begins to bubble slightly, add remaining milk and continue to whisk.
Heat until hot and frothy.
Add whip cream and sprinkle cinnamon.

Tip: If you're interested in a Lenten (non-dairy) version of Nutella, Mary over at One Perfect Bite has a great recipe!

Enjoy!!

Snowman Doughnuts

2011-12-21T12:33:00.002-05:00

This is another fun and easy recipe that the kids can help with. They're so cute, and hey, the carrot is healthy!

Ingredients:

Bag of powdered sugar doughnuts
Bag of mini chocolate chips
Baby carrots, cut in half

Directions:

Add the chips for eyes and mouth
Stick carrots in the center for the nose

How's THAT for easy?

Melted {Florida} Snowman Cookies

2011-12-21T12:25:00.000-05:00

Last week, I made these melted snowmen, I dubbed them Florida snowmen, for Ace's school Christmas party. They were such a hit!

There are a few things I changed from the original recipe, and I couple of things I will change next time I make them. Because we will be making these again. They were that much fun.

What you need:

One recipe of sugar cookies (Can make from scratch of use a pre-made mix)
1 bag regular sized marshmallows
mini chocolate chips, optional for buttons
food coloring
Crisco (for greasing)
pastry bag and no. 1 or 2 tip

Icing:

One recipe of Royal Icing
1 lb. powdered sugar
3 Tbs. meringue powder
water

I made the sugar cookies first. The original recipe used Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix, but I used my high school Home Ec teacher's recipe. It's my favorite, I'll be posting it soon and will link back to this post. {I'd make the cookies slightly larger than I did here. They were a bit small when I went to add the arms, buttons, etc.}

When cookies are completely cool, place on parchment paper. *Give enough room for the icing to run off without running into each other.

Next, make a batch of Royal Icing. I used this recipe from Wilton. Take a tablespoon and carefully pour the icing into the center of each cookie. Using the back of the spoon, spread the icing, letting it run off the edge in a few places to give it the 'melted' affect.

Before the icing sets completely, rub Crisco all over a microwave-safe dish and place about 10 marshmallows on it. Microwave just until they begin puffing up, usually about 10 seconds on high. You DO NOT want them to double in size or get too big.

Grease your fingers well and smoosh the marshmallows a bit before placing them on the cookies.

You can pipe buttons with colored royal icing, or do what I did and use mini chocolate chips. I did this because it gave the boys something else to help with.

Separate your leftover icing into different bowls and color. Be sure to have black and orange for arms and noses! I used a #2 tip to do the details.

I made some with scarves, earmuffs, bows and hearts, and bowties. The boys wanted to make silly faces on some of them, so we did that too. :) It was so much fun!

Place on a fun wintery dish and serve with a smile!! Merry Christmas!

Orthodox Kid's Ornament Exchange 2011 {Sign-ups}

2011-11-26T09:13:00.001-05:00

We will be doing our annual Orthodox Children's Ornament Exchange again this year!

The rules are posted below, so please leave a comment if you would like to participate. It is only one ornament per family and last year, I believe we ended up making a total of nine, which included one to keep at home. If there is a bigger turnout than expected, I will divide the families into groups.

It was a lot of fun and I know my boys loved getting so many fun packages in the mail!

If you would like to participate please sign up a.s.a.p. as I will be posting partners on Tuesday!

The rules:

01. Each child will make enough ornaments to send one to each member of his/her group. ORNAMENTS MUST BE HANDMADE.

02. Include a card (handmade or not) making sure that their name is legible.

03. Adding other trinkets, candies, stickers, etc is a nice gesture but it is not required.

04. Packages must be postmarked by Monday, December 05, 2011 to ensure time for the children to enjoy their ornaments before Christmas.

{HELPFUL LINKS}

The photo below shows some of the ornaments we received in last year's exchange.

Some ideas for ornaments are:

Cookie clay ornaments

Cinnamon ornaments

Color or cut an icon out and place in an ornament frame

The Crafty Crow has a fun list of kid-friendly ornaments

You can pretty much "Orthodox" any ornament idea by adding an icon or something. Old catalogs are perfect for cutting out icons to use. They are the perfect size and there is usually a great selection. The Conciliar Press catalog is my favorite one. Whenever a new one arrives, I look forward to cutting up the old one and making something fun with the boys. :)

If anyone has any questions just ask! I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with again this year!!

Fast or Feast...Orthodoxy and Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T14:50:00.001-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving yesterday!

I recently ran across an article in a church bulletin, entitled "Thanksgiving...A Break in the Fast". Now, I know this topic is going to ruffle some feathers, but I am going to touch upon it here anyway, because there seems to be a great number of people voicing there opinions in favor of breaking the fast while painting a very tainted picture of people who choose to keep the fast. So hear me out, okay?

The article went on to say this about people who keep the fast:

"Our ego drives us to prove that we are better than others so we create laws to provide us a way of judging which of us is better at upholding the law and seeking justification...

Hypocrites who make strict commandments because of their own guilty conscience, trying to justify themselves through their strict teaching, while not being themselves willing or able to uphold these teachings...

We must not allow ourselves to deny our Lord of this thanks by misguidedly fasting on this day. This is not a day of fasting even though it falls during the period designated as the fast of the Nativity. The Church has declared this holiday to be day upon which the fast is to be broken."

Now, I'm not going to lie, I was extremely upset when I read this. It was written in such an hateful and hostile manner. It also gave the impression that the only other option to breaking the fast was to keep the fast and thus be filled with pride. It left me questioning whether the article had an actual purpose hidden somewhere or was it written simply to lash out at people who fast? And if the answer is the latter...why?? Maybe a guilty conscience and/or resentment on behalf of the article's author? I truly do not know.

For me personally, when I celebrate with my Orthodox family, it is completely lenten. No meat, no dairy. Like this year, we enjoyed the company of many of our dearest friends and family and enjoyed a delicious lenten feast! There were so many delicious foods that trust me, no one missed the turkey. It was a wonderful time of love and fellowship for all of us.

However, when I celebrate with my non-Orthodox family, there is usually a smorgasbord of both lenten and non-lenten foods. I usually eat what I can to avoid breaking the fast. I just feel like, Thanksgiving in today's society is more about sharing a special day with loved ones and giving thanks for all of God's blessings. The turkey, well, it's just not as rare a treat as it was in the past. In today's society, how often do we eat turkey or chicken and sweet potatoes? Several times a week for most of us! My family who does not fast, eats whatever they want. The fact that there is no meat or dairy on my plate does not offend or tempt or anger anyone, the same way their plates full of turkey and fixin's does not offend, tempt or anger me! And why should it? Where does this kind of thinking come from???

I know many times people will quote the holy fathers, saying they have said it is ok to break the fast in certain situations but it's important to remember that many of the fathers they quote did not eat the way we eat in today's society. Breaking the fast to them meant maybe having an egg or a glass of milk which was rare in those days. Meat was usually only eaten on very special occasions.

I also listened to a podcast on fasting through the holiday seasons and the author of this particular podcast, who truly seems to be a loving and gentle woman, but she also gave the same two options. Break the fast or keep it and be filled with pride.

But, I have to ask. Isn't there a third option? Isn't it possible to fast with prayer and humility? If there isn't, then what is the point of fasting at all? Why are those of us who choose to struggle and keep the fast, and let me tell you it is a struggle, depicted as ravenous hypocrites who look down upon others who do not make the same decisions that we do? How do you know that I personally may feel like such a sinner and am so displeasing to God that I keep the fast as part of my repentance?

Why do you assume that I'm fasting because I believe myself to be righteous or pious? Maybe, the reason for my fast is just the opposite. Maybe, I fast because I am so weak and so pitiful that if I break down and allow myself to give in and indulge in the foods I desire, I won't be able to pick myself up the next day and continue to prepare for the coming of my Lord and Savior.

Perhaps, for some people, fasting seasons are not filled with prideful and judgmental thoughts. That is possible, right? Our saints did not break the fasts and they certainly were not dishonoring God by staying in the desert and living off of little more than water for 40 days or longer.

Fasting is supposed to be a struggle. And in today's society, there are so many fasting foods available that in all reality, the struggle is usually not a difficult one. So on the one day that it is, and we're given an opportunity to earn crowns of glory, we're told to simply break the fast without even trying. In fact, we're told that if we do fast we are being ungrateful to God. That's ridiculous!

And I'm not telling everyone they should fast or that there is never room for oikonomia (exceptions). I certainly understand that in some families (or situations), especially those with non-Orthodox spouses, etc., that eating with them may be the best option. You do not want to scandalize those people or push them further away from the church. But in situations where everyone is Orthodox, why not tell them, "I'm sorry, we will be fasting that day since it is during the Nativity fast."? Why not take that opportunity to give witness of your faith? It doesn't have to be done with pride, it can done with love and humility! What if that person is inspired by your struggle and decides they want to 'fight the good fight' as well? Why not be the example?

There is also the other excuse, "Well, what about people who have slaved over a meal? Are we to just throw their hospitality in their face and refuse the meal?" No. Absolutely not. But let me ask you this: How many times are you invited over for an extravagant meal without an invitation in advance? Not very often, I'd guess. So why not tell that person when they call to invite you that you would love to come but want to let them know it's during a period of fasting for you? And maybe offer to bring something lenten along? How come whenever it gets uncomfortable to profess our beliefs, we take the easy way out and convince ourselves of all the ways we're being more spiritual by cheating? We're learning moderation or how to be more grateful, practicing humility, some have said. Excuses like this just sound ridiculous and lazy, I'm sorry.

Another question I have is, just a few days before Thanksgiving, on the 21st of November, we celebrate one of the 12 great feasts of the Church: The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple and the church allowed us to eat fish. Only fish! For such a feast! Why can we not feast on that day? Is Thanksgiving more important than that? It seems to me that if there should be an exception to break the fast of the Nativity, that should be the day, not Thanksgiving. Because fact of the matter is, as wonderful a national holiday as it is, it's not a Church holiday.

It just saddens me so very much to see Orthodox Christians being so angry and judgmental with each other. This is not what we are called to do. We're called to love even our enemies.

St. John Chrysostom said, "For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers and sisters?" Whenever, I read that quote it is a reminder to love my neighbor and go the extra mile to help them, especially during periods of fasting. But when I read this quote today, I had a different thought. I thought about the author of the aforementioned article and thought how ironic it was. That not only is he advising people not to fast, he's biting and devouring his brothers and sisters. It seems to me, people heeding the words of that particular article should re-examine it's (and perhaps their) intention.

No one is judging you because you do not fast, why then, do you judge those of us who do?

********************************

Here is an interesting Q & A I found on OrthodoxInfo.com.

Q: I wrote your Archbishop about our Antiochian jurisdiction and what we are taught about "modified" fasts and the "optional" fasts of the Apostles and Christmas....We are taught that fanatics and mentally unbalanced people require "classical" fasting and that that kind of fasting is not healthy, including monks not eating meat....Your Archbishop's answer to me (enclosed) was so good that I wish you would print it for other members of my church who read your magazine. (W.S., PA)

A: His Eminence's comments are, indeed, worthy of note. We quote from his personal correspondence with this questioner:

"The Fathers of the Church were neither 'fanatics' nor 'mentally unbalanced.' They appointed fasts-none of which, except the Monday fast for monastics, is optional-for the spiritual and physical benefit of the Faithful, and the wisdom of their system is verified by modern science. In most instances, we Orthodox fast from all meat, fish, dairy products, and oil on Wednesdays and Fridays and during the fasts assigned to the Nativity period, Great Lent, and the periods preceding the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul and the Dormition of the Theotokos, with certain modifications and exceptions appropriate to each fast and specific Holy Days. Monks (and this, of course, includes Bishops) traditionally refrain from meat and meat products throughout their lives, and not just during prescribed fasting periods. Such a dietary regimen is precisely that prescribed by modern medicine for many serious diseases, including heart disease, certain forms of diabetes, and other serious and life-threatening ailments. It is not a dangerous regimen, but a therapeutic one.

"There is, of course, no such thing as 'modified' fasting in the Orthodox Church. The Holy Canons provide for the excommunication of Faithful and the deposition of clergymen who willingly violate the rules of fasting. This is because the discipline of fasting forms our souls, unites us to the spiritual life in a very direct and compelling way, and constitutes, as countless spiritual writings attest, a path to salvation. Indeed, there are many instances in the lives of the Desert Fathers and the Saints in which the souls of Christians have been snatched, at death, from the hands of demons by the 'Angels' of the Wednesday and Friday fast or saved by their particular fidelity to the Church's fasting rules.

"There are, naturally, those who cannot by constitution or because of ill health fulfill with absolute precision the standard established by the Church's fasting rules. These individuals, under the guidance of a mature spiritual Father, can make certain adjustments to their fasting regimen. But this condescension to human weakness and personal differences should be seen as a failure to reach up to the standard set by the Church, not as a 'modified' regimen to be adopted by those who are too lazy to fast or who think that Americans, for example, are incapable of, or exempt from, fasting. A standard which can lead us to salvation, which is established by the Holy Canons, and which has been passed down to us from Apostolic times, should not be treated lightly. Nor should anyone (such as myself, I admit) who cannot for reasons of health always follow the Church's fasting rules meticulously deny this means to spiritual growth to other Christians whom he might be advising. In things spiritual, we must hold others to the standard given to us by the Church, even if we cannot ourselves meet it. In this there is, I would submit, no room for modifications, dispensations, options, and other rationalizations for a lax and unproductive spiritual life. Oikonomia and the recognition of human weakness, however necessary, must always be honest principles and must never be misused to justify violations of the Church's revealed and God-established traditions."

Here is another wonderful article by Metropolitan Philaret on the topic of Prayer, Feasts, and Fasts.

Meet the new Barbie...

2011-10-24T15:14:00.003-04:00

Introducing Tokidoki Barbie...

"tokidoki® Barbie® doll is always ready for cutting-edge fashion! She pops on a pink miniskirt, logo leggings and black top with signature skull heart and bones, carries a large bag from the brand, then adds bracelets, a belt, and sky-high sparkly silvery shoes!"

"This funky fashionista features trendy tattoos and a pink bob."

As a girl, I used to adore Barbie and her plethora of miniature accessories, dream house and swimming pool with the shower on the side that really worked. I still have many of them tucked away in a box in the attic.

But as a mom, I am not a fan at all. It's days like this that I am really grateful I have three boys. It's a scary world out there for mothers of girls. I do think they're still a better pick than a lot of dolls (I'm a fan of Greek Barbie and Hellenic Barbie), like Bratz for example, but if I had a daughter, I don't think we'd be playing Barbies much. I prefer dolls that look like little girls. Like the Madeline line or American Girl dolls. I guess I just see things differently now that I'm older. That's a good thing, right? It's just that growing up among a celebrity adoring, cosmetic surgery obsessed society is difficult enough, why add any more pressure for young girls? I really do believe it is much different for girls today than it was for most of us growing up.

This doll is repulsive to me. It's teaching little girls that looking like this is ok. And don't give me the, "Well, some moms do look like this. Maybe they want their daughters to have a doll that looks like them!" argument. I'm being extremely liberal right now in saying that I agree there are a lot of moms that look this way, and I'm not saying they're bad moms, but if they really want a doll that looks like them, then perhaps Mattel should have a "made to order" option, where parents can change the hair color of their doll and add tattoos, if that is so important. I just don't think a doll like this belongs on a shelf for every little girl looking for a doll to see. Which, honestly, I don't think is even the case. I think that's just the argument that was thrown out there to make more conservative parents look like bigots.

And if it was true that this doll was created with tattooed, pink haired mothers in mind, then maybe someone could explain to me why Babie's pet...I'm not sure what the pet is exactly, cactus bulldog maybe?...is named Bastardino...

"With cactus friend, Bastardino, by her side, she’s ready for fun in fashion-forward form!"

Could I get a show of hands of tatted moms with a pet cactus named Bastardino? Anyone? {sigh} I didn't think so...

I still cannot believe a classic brand like Mattel would agree to something like this...wowsers.

Orthodoxy and Halloween {one orthodox mom's perspective}

2011-10-19T12:07:00.004-04:00

So, I've talked about my thoughts on Orthodox participation in Halloween for the past three years and wasn't planning on posting about it again this year. I mean, what is there left to say really?

However, I've been getting emails about it all month and google has been sending people who have been searching for things like should orthodox celebrate halloween, orthodoxy and halloween, orthodox view halloween, and even an orthodox pumpkin recipe, to this blog. Apparently, people (other than the pumpkin recipe folks) are wondering where we stand on the subject. I would love to respond to every single email individually but I can't for two reasons. First, I would just direct you all to the links I am going to post below (there are great links in each post), because my opinion doesn't really matter. And secondly, because I simply don't have the time. That being said, if you go through the links and read the articles by the various priests, holy fathers, etc. and still want to talk about something, by all means send me an email again and I will be sure to respond asap.

That all being said, I am CLOSING COMMENTS on this post. Last year, I got bombarded with people telling me why they think it's okay to celebrate it and twisting the scriptures to suit their views and it began to get downright nasty and I am not dealing with that this year. So please, if you disagree with me on this, that's perfectly fine, just click over to the next post. Please don't try to change my mind on this matter because you won't. And I'm not trying to change yours. I am sure you all have spiritual fathers and/or priests you can talk to about this matter. I am simply posting my beliefs for people who might be wondering how someone on the other side of the fence feels and do not have the desire or time to debate the matter, yet again.

For those of you who are interested in learning more about why I don't celebrate Halloween anymore, please browse through the links below.

Halloween: Trick or Treat?

Orthodoxy and Halloween

Orthodoxy vs. Halloween

Should Orthodox Christians Participate in Halloween?

Hope you're all having a great October! And for those of you who may have landed here only in search of a pumpkin recipe, here's a link to my favorite one. It's good, I promise. :)

Join the Orthodox Mom's Team to Tackle Poverty with the Polamalu's!

2011-10-19T11:42:00.000-04:00

We've talked abou t Theodora Polamalu's involvement with FOCUS North America before on this blog before and the importance of organizations like this in America. And if you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen me retweet Troy's announcement:

Tackle Poverty has recently opened a new center for those less fortunate in Pittsburgh's hill district and are asking people to organize teams to help raise money and awareness.

I think it's incredible that we have an Orthodox family like the Polamalu's fighting against world poverty. Let's show them our support and help others in need at the same time!

I've started an Orthodox Mom team, you may have noticed the banner in the sidebar this past week, and am hoping to encourage you to donate to the cause.

Why not start a team on your blog or youth group? Or just encourage family and friends to give?

What are your "Fundamental Faults"?

2011-10-11T14:03:00.011-04:00

Recently, I have been listening to the audiobook On the Upbringing of Children by Bishop Irenaius. I have mentioned this book many times in the past and can't tell you how much great information it contains.

I recently read the chapter "The Seeds of Evil". It discusses the importance of uprooting the evil seeds that are being planted in our children's soul and character. It's amazing how by learning how to raise our children properly, we learn quite a bit about ourselves and our many flaws.

Bishop Irenaius writes,

"Strive to learn what faults you yourselves have and fight against them with all your strength. He who knows himself well will not find it very difficult to know someone else...If the father and mother know their own hearts well, their weakness, their fundamental faults, without much labor they will be able to perceive the faults and weaknesses of their children. This is because children often inherit the bad tendencies of their parents..."

So, in our attempt to correct our children, we're also given the opportunity to correct ourselves. As I listened to these words I started thinking about what my, and my children's, fundamental faults were. He also wrote that a fundamental sin is most always one of the seven deadly sins.

In the last year or so, Ace has started to develop some traits that are, boy, how do I describe them? Scary and frustrating with a dash of ego all rolled into one?

"Modesty, meekness, and humility are virtues so natural to a little child, since he always has need of the help of others, that if egotism and pride happen to appear, they are a result of bad training..."

Ego. Man, I hate that word. Hate everything about it. It seems, more times than not, my own ginormous ego is at the source of all my sins. Most of ours, probably. Whether in the proud person who never stops talking because he thinks he always has something great to say or the quiet man who never says a word, in fear of embarrassing himself. How many shapes and forms the ego can take on!

I've read in many places that the first six or seven years of a child's life are the most crucial. These are the years when, we as parents, have every opportunity to instill good things in them. That's not say that after those years, it cannot be done, of course, but by that time a child's passions have taken root and our task of uprooting them will have become significantly more difficult. And I certainly have noticed a difference in Ace since he's turned seven. Not all bad necessarily, but definitely different. Gone is the little boy and here is the big boy who no longer wants to be kissed goodbye at school by his father (as of now, they're still acceptable from me). It's so sad but it's sobering, as well. It was a much needed reality check for me, who unknowingly had been living as if they would stay little forever.

Bishop Irenaius also says that there are three different forms of egotism that can often be seen in children.

01. Vanity in dress. Parents who decorate their children like dolls and are constantly setting them before mirrors to see how beautiful they are. There is nothing wrong with teaching our children to want to dress neatly and respectably but when little children begin to know name brands and desire them or want to constantly stare at their beautiful reflections, we have sent them across the dangerous line of vanity.

02. Children who take pride in wealth. Children who are unsympathetic to children who have less than they do and consider themselves better because of their material possessions. It is a good idea to have children bag up toys that they no longer use to donate. It might also be a good idea to send some they do use, but don't take care of, to teach them to properly care for their belongings.

03. Children who believe they are virtuous. These children develop a great pride in themselves because they fast or dress more modestly. Parents who are constantly reminding their children how good they are for following the rules of the church or that endlessly sing their praises for making right decisions. These parents are sowing their own seeds of egotism in their children and more often than not, are doing their good deeds in front of men for praise and their own vainglory, not for the glory of God.

We should teach our children to understand that "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)

May God bless and guide us on this arduous journey!!

Orthodox Observer Article

2011-10-11T13:53:00.002-04:00

I recently wrote an article, entitled Our Spiritual Inheritance, for the Family Connections column of The Orthodox Observer. You can download the current (September/October 2011) edition here.

Just be the person God made you to be...

2011-10-08T11:28:00.007-04:00

It's that time of year again. Yay! There's pumpkin pie in the fridge, apple cake in the stove and acorns all over my house!

Ever since I found the great little tutorial for making acorn necklaces, it has become one of our favorite fall projects. This year, I'm also making them for Ace's class. His teacher will be reading them the book, The Oak Inside the Acorn by Max Lucado. I had never read The Oak Inside the Acorn until his teacher asked me if I made the necklace because of the story. The story is about a tiny acorn who is separated from his mother, who was always telling him, "There is a great oak inside of you. Just be the tree God made you to be." It's a beautiful story about having the patience to follow the path set before us, and accepting God's will in our lives even when we don't understand it. Eventually, if we're quiet and listen, we grow into the person He intended for us to be all along.

I love all of his children's books, but my favorite is probably You Are Special. This series is about a town of wooden people (the Wemmicks), created by a carpenter named Eli (Matthew 27:46), and any time they have questions about life, they visit him. The story of You Are Special, serves as a good reminder, even for adults, to place little (or no) importance on others opinions of us. If you haven't read any of these, check to see if your local library has them. If not, most Christian stores carry them. They are also available on DVD.

Oh, and just a helpful hint: If you're planning on doing any acorn crafts this year, be sure to stick them in a really warm spot outside for a few days before bringing them in. Apparently, a tiny worm lives in each one and when they feel the warmth of your house, or in my case, my purse, they think it's time to come out. :/ That's why if you look closely at them, there is a tiny hole in each one where they burrowed out. I, of course, HAD NO IDEA about this until my dad told me last year while he was visiting. Unfortunately for me, or my dad actually since he cleaned it out, by the time I knew this I had a purse full of worms... I'm not a worm-y kinda gal, so...yeah.

Troy Polamalu at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

2011-10-08T10:50:00.000-04:00

A friend shared this link today on Facebook of Troy Polamalu at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. I got a good laugh...still trying to figure out how he kept a straight face!!

{fall} please come quickly

2011-09-23T19:55:00.004-04:00

image via Pinterest

My Anniversary

Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Cool Whip

Apple Picking

Flannel Sheets

Hot Apple Cider with a Cinnamon Stick

Apple Crisp

Scent of Autumn

Cool Mornings on my Front Porch Swing

Pumpkin Patches

Fall Festivals

Reading a Good Book by the Fireplace

Snuggling with a Soft Blanket

Smell of Apples, Cinnamon and Cloves

Opening the Windows

Colorful Leaves

Sweet Potatoes and Turkey

Fall Fashion

Smell of the Wood Burning in the Fireplace

Hayrides

Bonfires with S'mores

What are YOU ready for?

{a mother's love}

2011-09-23T19:15:00.005-04:00

I found it circulating around Facebook. There are only two words for this. perfect love.

This is a true story of Mother’s Sacrifice during the Japan Earthquake.

After the Earthquake had subsided, when the rescuers reached the ruins of a young woman’s house, they saw her dead body through the cracks. But her pose was somehow strange that she knelt on her knees like she was worshiping; her body was leaning forward, and her two hands were supported by an object. The collapsed house had crashed her back and her head.

With so many difficulties, the leader of the rescue team put his hand through a narrow gap on the wall to reach the woman’s body. He was hoping that this woman would be still alive.

However, the cold and stiff body told him that she had passed away for sure.

He and the rest of the team left the house and were going to search the next collapsed building. For some reason, the team leader was driven by a compelling force to go back to the ruined house of the dead woman. Again, he knelt down and used his had through the narrow cracks to search the little space under the dead body. Suddenly, he screamed with excitement, "A child! There is a child! “

The whole team worked together; carefully they removed the piles of ruined objects around the dead woman. There was a 3 months old little boy wrapped in a flowery blanket under his mother’s dead body. Obviously, the woman had made an ultimate sacrifice for saving her son.

When her house was falling, she used her body to make a cover to protect him. The little boy was still sleeping peacefully when the team leader picked him up.

The medical doctor came quickly to examine the little boy. After he opened the blanket, he saw a cell phone inside the blanket. There was a text message on the screen.

It said, "If you survive, you must remember that I love you.”

The cell phone was passed around from one hand to another. Everybody that read the message wept.

"If you survive, you must remember that I love you.” Such was the mother’s love for her child!!

Spirit of Martha...or Mary?

2011-09-14T22:35:00.003-04:00

Question: How is it that one moment I am full of zeal and ready to do whatever it takes to earn my salvation and the next moment I am completely drained. Like a balloon. One minute it's soaring through the sky and the next it's spiraling out of control before it falls to the ground. Completely empty.

The other day was like that for me. I was driving home from taking Ace to school and listening to a homily. I felt so energized and motivated. I couldn't wait to get home so I could pray. I just wanted to "lay aside all earthly cares" and lose myself in the ancient and powerful prayers of the Church. I wanted to lay prostrate at Panagia's feet and pray for her intercessions, the ones I know she is always whispering into the ear of her Son.

We got home and I unloaded the kids. I reached into my bag for the keys to unlock the front door and discovered that my coffee thermos that I thought was empty, wasn't. Well, I mean, it was now. But apparently it wasn't when I carelessly placed it in my bag. The entire contents of my diaper bag were now covered in my free sample of Maxwell House's Vanilla Caramel latte (which was super yummy btw). I huffed and began to grumble almost instantly. Once in the house, I started nitpicking about shoes that were randomly strewn around the house and not by the front door where they belonged and the trail of cracker crumbs that led to the living room carpet. You know, the crumbs from the crackers I must have told Lucky about a gazillion times to stay and the table and eat.

I told myself, I would just clean out the bag and vacuum the crumbs (yes, in that order because I really like my bag) and would start my prayers a little later.

Soon, I was picking up this and dusting off that and unloading the dishwasher and taking food out to defrost and changing sheets and making my shopping list and. and. and.

I must have passed our precious icon of Panagia Amolyntos at least a dozen times in my anxious scramble to "tidy up".

Before I knew it, it was time to go pick Ace up from school. Which basically meant, there would be no time to pray. Until later.

After school, we had a snack, did homework. I started dinner. We ate. I cleaned up. I gave the kids their baths. I showered. I sat down on the couch. I fell asleep.

The next morning, I passed the icon again and felt the guilt, that yucky, empty feeling rising up in my chest again. You know, it's funny. That icon, I mean. It's funny how I feel like her facial expression changes depending on how I feel inside. When I'm sad, she's sad. When I'm angry, she looks reprimanding. When I am full of joy, she smiles. When I'm lazy and despondent? I'm not sure what she looks like. I can't bring myself to look her in the eyes on those days.

I thought about the word later. I always promised to...later. It reminded me of a quote I read awhile back that said, "What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?" I would have awoken with nothing that morning.

When DH and the boys went outside later that morning, I sat at the kitchen table and opened my Bible. I began to read. Then I began to look at the spot on the table that needed wiping. And then I thought about the breakfast dishes still sitting in the sink. I was doing it again. I was being Martha. Why can't I ever just be more like Mary? I asked aloud. Why can't I choose the one thing needful?? How is something that is really simple, if we allow it to be, so incredibly and painstakingly difficult?

I didn't clean the spot on the table. I didn't get up to do the dishes either. I sat there and read. And I kept reading until my back end was numb from sitting in that chair. And you know what? From a spiritual perspective, it was the best day I had in a long time.

I guess I could be more like Mary, after all. The choices she made were no different from the ones I make every day. I just have to allow myself to choose the good part too.

"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.

And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me."

And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed. Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38)

So, I have to ask: Do you have the spirit of Martha or Mary? Or a bit of both?

Happy New {Ecclesiastical} Year!

2011-09-01T08:24:00.001-04:00

Today marks the start of a new Ecclesiastical year!

If you receive my Facebook updates, you might have read last night about our tradition of leaving an icon outside of your front door the night before the new Church year.

My great-grandmother used to do this to ask God to bless our home in the upcoming new year. Of course, this is more of a yiayia tradition that a church tradition but it is a tradition I enjoy continuing.

This year, the boys chose a little icon of Panagia Prousiotissa to put out. Ace put it out before going to bed. Lucky was already asleep, so he made sure he got the job of bringing it back in this morning.

Orthodox Wedding Crowns {Stefana}

2011-08-30T21:51:00.004-04:00

I wanted to let you all know about the site where I got the stefana for my brother's wedding. It is called Fanciful Designs and can be found at www.orthodoxweddings.com.

They were so beautiful and were made very well. I wish you could see how they sparkled under the lights in the church.

They also carry stefanothikes (crown cases) and lambathes (candles) and everything is very reasonably priced. If you're in need of any Orthodox wedding items, you should definitely check them out!

Orthodox iPad App!

2011-08-26T10:16:00.004-04:00

Yesterday a friend sent me a link for an Orthodox Calendar app that she and her husband created for iPads! Perfect timing for the new Ecclesiastical year too!

If you go to the iTunes store and search "greek orthodox calendar" it will pull up in the search results for iPads. Be sure it is the one created by Bold Technologies.

I love that I can now sync my daily activities alongside the church calendar. It includes all of the fasts and what is permitted during each one.

I also really love the "My Orthodox Journey" section where you can keep track of prayer requests, jot down questions for your spiritual father or whatever you want. You can also upload photos of different holy places or people you encounter on your journey. It's awesome and I love it!

Go check it out for yourself!!

O Lord, Crown Them With Glory & Honor...

2011-08-25T12:30:00.010-04:00

The highlight of our trip to Ohio this summer was my little brother's wedding. His fiance is such a doll and I am so extremely happy that he found such a gem.

I had the honor of being their koumbara and Ace and Lucky were delighted to carry the rings and stefana tray. Their special day was even more special because Svetlana's brother was married in Russia the weekend before (she was born and raised there) and was in the States with his new wife on their honeymoon.

I love the Orthodox wedding service. Like all of the mysteries of the Church, it is so rich in symbolism and the prayers touch your innermost being.

After the wedding, some of our non-Orthodox family (most of my father's side is Byzantine Catholic), asked why we wear our wedding bands on the right hand. I thought that might be a good thing to mention on this blog in case some of you may wonder the same thing. The reason I've been told is because of the symbolism of the right. Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, He blesses with His right hand (as does the priest who is the image of Christ), Moses parted the sea with his right hand, the portion of the saved will stand on the right, etc.

The service was held at St. Demetrios Church in Warren, where my uncle and brother's godfather, Fr. Kosta, performed the service.

The happy couple after the ceremony. Yes, that's me running down the stairs in the background, lol. I wanted grab her train because I was afraid she was going to trip over it! :)

I love this photo of them. The bridal party met at a local park for pictures before heading to the reception. The bride's sister-in-law is a photographer and took all the photos.

This is one of my favorites...

photos copyright of Anna Granik

It was such a great day. The reception was a total blast. It had been a long time since I was there for a function that included the w h o l e family. It was awesome.

I even bought a tux for my brother's childhood friend Henry the monkey. I kept teasing him before the wedding, telling him that someone he used to be very close with was coming to surprise him. He kept trying to ask questions like where is he from and where does he live now? I told him he was from Ohio originally but he hasn't been seen much lately and he's just sort of hanging around. I know, I have a strange sense of humor, I get in from my father. But we amuse each other so it works out just fine.

Here they are after their reunion:

After everyone ate and we did the traditional Greek bridal dance, the newlyweds played Russian wedding games. They were so much fun! In the photo below, the bride was blindfolded and had to feel the ears of all the men sitting in a row. The object of the game was to guess which one was her groom.

At the end of the night the young kids (man, that makes me feel old) went out for breakfast and we old folks went home with our kiddos. And complained about our aching feet.

Please keep Albert (baptismal name Emmanuel) and Svetlana in your prayers.

Another "Imperfectly Perfect" Moment

2011-08-05T16:12:00.001-04:00

When we returned home from vacation last week, we were greeted by a nasty stomach flu. Lucky got it shortly after I did. I hadn't had a full night's sleep in over a week by this point and so of course, it would hit him on a night that not only did I go to bed late but the baby had woken up twice since. As soon as I seemed to doze off, I heard Lucky crying and running to my room. When I asked him what was wrong he told me his belly hurt and we went into the living room to lay on the couch. No sooner did I start to doze off for the second time, I heard his belly convulsing and before I could carry him into the bathroom he started to vomit.

This went on for more hours than I can coherently recall. After the second time, when I had started to clean it all up, he started crying and telling me he was sorry. When I asked what he was sorry for, he told me "for throwing up all over. Cause it's not your fault and you have to clean it all up." I don't think I ever hugged him so tight. I told him he never had to apologize for being sick, that it's never anyone's fault, it just happens sometimes.

All night, he clung to me and kept telling me "I love you with all my life, Mommy."

It never ceases to amaze me how many ways a child can make you fall in love with them. We talked about how I would always be there when he gets sick or needs me. I even promised to be there when he got bigger and didn't really want me there. Though, he promised he would never not want me there. (I'll have to remember to get that in writing for when that time inevitably arrives.)

As I watched him fall asleep, with his little head snuggled on my chest, I thought about how lucky I am. Knee deep in vomit and yet I was blissfully happy. Kids do that to you, you know? No matter how ugly the situation, their beautiful and innocent little hearts always present another perspective on life. We just have to choose to see it.

I've mentioned before on this blog, that I don't believe my life is perfect. But I do believe it's imperfectly perfect. Who can ask for more than that? And that night was yet another "imperfectly perfect" moment for me. It will remain in my heart as one of the most special nights of my life.

Writing this post reminded me of a campaign Hallmark began earlier this year called Life is a Special Occasion. They asked readers to complete the sentence "________ is My Special Occasion." Some of my fellow Blissfully Domestic writers video blogged their answers here. You should stop by and check it out.

So. What's your special occasion?

Preparing for the Dormition Fast

2011-07-31T17:18:00.003-04:00

The Dormition fast begins tomorrow and like every fasting period, I look forward to slowing down and shifting the focus of our home back to where it should be. I look forward to the daily Paraklesis services. I look forward to the quietness that I so desperately need to feel in my soul. I look forward to taking a break here in my tiny little corner of the internet and reconnecting with other Orthodox moms like you. I'm looking forward...

This afternoon, I put binders together for the boys with coloring pages and activities from the life of the Theotokos. I am going to scan and post some of them this week for those of you who would like to use them with your children.

I've taken a step back these last few months to fully enjoy my pregnancy and my family. And I truly have. Time passes so quickly and I do not want to miss a single moment with them. My absence has left quite a bit for me to catch all of you up on though! We celebrated his 40 days in May and are now making plans for his baptism and just came back from another incredible trip up north to visit my family, where I had the honor of being koumbara in my brother's wedding. So, there's lots for us to talk about now that I'm back!

p.s. For those of you who would like to learn more about the life of the Theotokos, check out {15 Days for Panagia}, the series I posted during the fast last year, here.

Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Muffin Tin {recipe}

2011-07-30T19:43:00.003-04:00

Today we made a batch of these yummy chocolate chip cookies! You make them in a mini muffin pan and so they are thick and soft and simply irresistible! We made these a few times last year, but I can't remember what site I found the recipe. I only have my scribbled down version, so I'll share that with you. If anyone knows the original site, please post it in the comments!

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup almond meal (also known as almond flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Chop the coconut either by hand or with a food processor until it is fine.
In a medium bowl whisk together coconut, flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars in the electric mixer until fluffy.
Add vanilla and eggs one at a time and continue to beat.
Add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time and beat until blended.
Stir in chocolate chips and refrigerate while preheating the oven to 375 degrees.
Grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
Scoop batter into prepared tin until each cup is 3/4 full. (Don’t over do it or the cookies will sink in the middle.) Gently push cookies down into the tin and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan.
Once cooled, use a butter knife to lift each bite sizer from the pan।

Yields approximately 4 dozen bite sized cookies.

NOTE: You can make almond flour yourself by chopping almonds in the food processor until they have a flour like consistency. With the Dormition fast beginning soon, you can also make these using the lenten chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Celebrating my Panteleimon

2011-07-27T12:40:00.003-04:00

Kalo Paradiso and Happy Nameday to my Panteleimon...

photo copyright of KaylaKeishPhotography 2011

May God grant him many years! To learn the story of how we chose the name Panteleimon, or rather how it chose us, click here...

A blessed feast of St. Panteleimon to all of you who are celebrating or that have loved ones who are celebrating today!

OPA! Greek Barbeque Recipes

2011-07-10T00:04:00.003-04:00

Just in case you're looking for something really delicious to throw on your grill this summer, I'm going to share these mouth-watering recipes from Bobby Flay's BBQ Addiction program on the Food Network.

How does charcoal grilled shrimp and calamari with grilled lemons sound? I love how he blanched the potatoes before he sliced and grilled them. These recipes are definitely going to become some of my summer favorites.

OPA! Greek BBQ Recipes by Bobby Flay

I wish I was able to post photos of these recipes but I can't find any online! Let me know if you try any of these!

Here and there and everywhere...

2011-07-09T23:17:00.005-04:00

Hey there, remember me? I can't believe it's been so long since we've last chatted. Needless to say, the last several months have been busy ones. With the new baby and the end of the school year and preparing for our vacation and and and...

So here we are halfway through summer.

We are still visiting my family in Ohio. Preparing for my brother's wedding and enjoying my new little niece (born 3 days before Sprout) and my big niece (not really so big, only 1 1/2) and all the rest of my family. We've been having a blast taking the kids to storytime and to the park for picnics. They've been reading like crazy in order to earn coupons to local fun spots like the roller skating rink and bowling from the local library's reading program. We also took them camping to Jellystone Park. The boys prepared for the trip by watching every episode of the first season of Yogi Bear. :)

It was a blast! With the two little ones, we didn't want to tent camp so we reserved a cabin. The boys loved the bunk beds and I loved that it was super clean! Yogi Bear wandered around the campground visiting campers, taking photos with the kids and even stealing the occasional pic-a-nic basket. He even pushed Lucky and Ace on the swings. They LOVED it!

My dad made sure to teach Ace all of his campfire tricks and carved each of them a special little toy out of sticks they found on our hike.

If anyone is interested, you can find a Jellystone Park near you by clicking here...

What have you all been doing this summer?

This Is How We Do It: "Greek" Easter

2011-04-20T21:33:00.001-04:00

I've always sort of cringed at the words "Greek Easter" for the simple fact that it's not "Greek" Easter, it's "Orthodox Easter". It is celebrated the exact same way (save cultural traditions), and has been for thousands of years, in not only Greece but Russia, Serbia, Armenia, Syria and in every other Orthodox church around the world.

I was recently sent this article by actress Rita Wilson (wife of Tom Hanks) and I wanted to share it with all of you.

I've added some of our personal photos below, for those of you who may not be familiar with some of the things mentioned in the article.

Why Easter is Greek to Me: Xristos Anesti!
by Rita Wilson

From the Washington Post.com

(Actress Rita Wilson, whose mother and father both were born in Greece, is widely credited with landing Nia Vardalos a movie deal for "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Wilson and her actor husband Tom Hanks had their own "Big Fat Greek Wedding" in 1988. They have two children.)

Why Easter is Greek to Me: Xristos Anesti!

Once every few years, Greek Easter falls the same week as “American Easter,” as it was called when I was growing up.

In order for “Greek Easter” to be celebrated the same week as “American Easter,” Passover has to have been celebrated already. We Greeks don’t do Easter until after Passover, because how can you have Easter BEFORE Passover? Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, after all. Unless it is one of the years when the two holidays align. Like this year.

Here are some of the things that non-Greeks may not know about Greek Easter: We don’t do bunnies. We don’t do chocolate. We don’t do pastels.

We do lamb, sweet cookies, and deep red. The lamb is roasted and not chocolate, the sweet cookies are called Koulorakia and are twisted like a braid, and our Easter eggs are dyed one color only: blood red. There is no Easter Egg hunt. There is a game in which you crack your red egg against someone else’s red egg hoping to have the strongest egg, which would indicate you getting a lot of good luck.

Holy Week, for a Greek Orthodox, means you clear your calendar, you don’t make plans for that week at all because you will be in church every day, and you fast. Last year, in addition to not eating meat and dairy before communion, my family also gave up sodas for the 40-day Lenten period. (Editor's Note: Read why our eggs are dyed red here.)

During one particularly stressful moment, there were many phone calls amongst our kids as to whether or not a canned drink called TING, made with grapefruit juice and carbonated water was, in fact, a soda and not a juice, which our then 10-year-old decided it was, so we had a Ting-less Lent.

No matter where I find myself in the world I never miss Easter, or as we call it, Pascha. I have celebrated in Paris, London, New York City, Los Angeles, and in Salinas, California at a small humble church that was pure and simple.

When we were kids, our parents would take us, and now as parents ourselves we take our children to many of the Holy Week services including the Good Friday service where you mourn the death of Jesus by walking up to the Epitaphio, which represents the tomb and the crucified body of Christ, make your cross, kiss the Epitaphio, and marvel at how it was decorated, on Friday afternoon by all the women and children, with a thousand glorious flowers, rose petals and smells like incense.

Some very pious people will crawl under the Epitaphio. I have always been so moved to see this. There is no self-consciousness in this utter act of faith and love. There is no embarrassment to show symbolic sorrow at the death of our Savior.

At a certain point in the Good Friday service, the Epitaphio is carried outside by the deacons of the church, as if they are pall bearers, followed by worshippers carrying lit candles protected from dripping on your clothes and on others by having a red plastic cup that sits below the flame to catch the wax drippings. Every Greek person knows all too well the smell of burning hair.

One time, in London, I smelled something and turned to look at where the smell might be coming from, only to be horrified that it was coming from me and my head was on fire. But I digress.

It is somber and quiet as we follow the Epitaphio, in candlelight, from the altar to the outdoors, in order for it to circle the church before it returns back to the altar. We sing beautiful lamentations that make your heart break with their pure expression of sadness and hope.

One of my favorite services during Easter is Holy Unction. This happens on the Wednesday of Holy Week. Holy Unction is a sacrament. It is for the healing of our ills, physical and spiritual. It is preparing us for confession and communion. This sacrament has always been so humbling to me.

When you approach the priest for Holy Unction, you bow your head and as he says a prayer and asks for your Christian name, he takes a swab of blessed oil and makes the sign of the cross on your forehead, cheeks, chin, backs of your hands and palms. It is a powerful reminder of how, with faith, we can be healed in many ways.

The holy oil is then carefully dabbed with cotton balls provided by the church so you don’t leave there looking as if you’re ready to fry chicken with your face, and before you exit the church, you leave your cotton balls in a basket being held by altar boys, so as not to dispose of the holy oil in a less than holy place. The church burns the used cotton balls.

There have been times when I have left church with my cotton ball and have panicked when I am driving away. At home I take care of it. Imagine a grown woman burning cotton balls in her sink. But that is what I do.

Midnight Liturgy on Saturday night, going into Sunday morning is the Anastasi (Resurrection) service. We will arrive at church at around 11 p.m., when it starts, and listen to the chanter as he chants in preparation for the service. My kids, dressed in their suits and having been awakened from a deep sleep to come to church, groggily sit and wait holding their candles with plastic cup wax catchers.

As the service progresses, the moment we have all been waiting for approaches. All the lights in the church are all turned off. It is pitch black. It is dead quiet. The priest takes one candle and lights his one candle from the one remaining lit altar candle, which represents the light of Christ’s love (I believe).

From this one candle, the priest approaches the congregation and using his one candle he shares his light with a few people in the front pews. They in turn share their light with the people next to them and behind them. In quiet solemnity, we wait until the entire church is lit with only the light of candles; the light that has been created by one small flame has now created a room of shared light. (Editor's Note: See Miracle of the Holy Light that takes place in Jerusalem at the tomb of Christ every year.)

And at a moment that can only be described as glorious, the priest cries out, “Xristos Anesti!” “Christ is Risen!” We respond with “Alithos Anesti!” “Truly, He is Risen!” We sing our glorious Xristos Anesti song with the choir. That moment, which happens about an hour, to an hour and half into the service and seems as if the service is over, actually marks the beginning of the service. The service then continues for another hour and a half.

When I was a kid, after the service was over, we would go to the Anastasi Dinner that the church would throw in the church hall, where we would break our fast, drink Cokes at 2:30 in the morning, dance to a raucous Greek band and not go home until our stomachs were full of lamb, eggs, Koulouraki, and we saw the sun rise. Or was it the Son rise?

But usually now, after Midnight Liturgy, we drive home with our still-lit candles. I always love seeing the looks on people’s faces as they pull up to our car seeing a family with lit candles calmly moving at 65 m.p.h. down the highway. When we get home, we crack eggs, eat cookies, drink hot chocolate (so not Greek) and I burn a cross into our doorways with the carbon from the candle smoke to bless our house for the year. (Editor's Note: This tradition is in remembrance of the mark made on top of the Israelites doors during Passover.)

There have been many times when painters touching up the house have wondered why there was this strange black cross burned into our doorways.

The next day is usually followed by a late sleep in, then getting up and doing the same thing you just did but in the daytime at the Easter Picnic, usually held at a local park.

I have to say, the Greeks know how to do Easter. Make no mistake. This is the most important holiday in our church. It is a beautiful week. I haven’t even begun to touch on what the week is really like. This is a sampling of a sampling of what it is like. It is so much deeper, so much richer than I have written here.

But one thing is clear. It is a powerful, beautiful, mysterious, humbling, healing and moving week. It is filled with tradition and ritual. It is about renewal and faith. And even though it is still too early to say, Xristos Anesti! Alithos Anesti! Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Holy Week Activities for Kids

2011-04-18T18:43:00.012-04:00

In preparation for Holy Week, I try to find some fun activities to get the boys involved. This year, since I can't attend any of the services (I'm still in my 40 days), I have even more time to spend reading about holy week and doing various activities with them.

One thing we all love are the Resurrection Eggs from FamilyLife ministries. There is an Orthodox translation of the booklet (also available from Phyllis Onest) called Pascha Eggs that we use every year. This is a great activity that both of my boys enjoy (that is becoming more difficult as Ace gets older and is no longer interested in "baby" games, etc.). We bought our set from Wal-mart quite a few years ago, but I know Hobby Lobby (print a 40% off coupon) and most Christian bookstores carry them too.

I also pulled out our JOURNEY TO PASCHA: A Daily Guide Through Holy Week binder. It is available through the Greek Archdiocese and can be downloaded for free here. The booklet goes through each day of holy week, describing each service and explaining what it means. There is an icon for each day as well.

Last year, I printed out the story explaining why we dye our Pascha eggs red. I added it to the back of our binder along with the coloring sheets for holy week. It is available here from Orthodox Christian Education. The coloring sheets can be found here (sorry for the scribbles) :).

The most recent thing I printed out is the Lenten Board Game from Phyllis Onest, director of education for the Pittsburgh metropolis (GOA). It has over eighty questions and answers and the board is composed of various icons from holy week, etc. The questions are a little advanced for Lucky, and some even for Ace, but I just paraphrase those ones into something slightly different to help them understand or make up my own questions on the really tough ones.

Listen to my latest interview on Come Receive the Light. The topic is Surviving Holy Week with Children.

Boy, Oh Boy!

2011-04-09T12:39:00.008-04:00

Nektarios Evangelos
March 25, 2011
7 lbs. 11 oz.

Well, our little angel couldn't wait until his scheduled appointment and so on March 25 at 2:15 in the morning I began having contractions and at 6:39 a.m. Nektarios was born. We are so blessed to have this beautiful healthy little boy in our family and are humbled for him to have entered our lives on such a special day.

Of course, it wasn't hard to name him. With the love and history of St. Nektarios in our family and the celebration of the Annunciation (Evangelismos) on the day of his birth, everything just felt right.

The boys are amazed and won't stop telling me how cool babies are and how much they love him. It melts my heart to watch them all together. Thank you Lord, for your blessings.

Thank you for the kind emails many of you have sent, your prayers are so appreciated.

Troparion to St. Nektarios

The offspring of Selyvria and the guardian of Aegina, the true friend of virtue who didst appear in the last years,
O Nektarios, we faithful honor thee as a godly servant of Christ, for thou pourest forth healings of every kind for those who piously cry out: Glory to Christ Who hath glorified thee.
Glory to Him who made thee wondrous.
Glory to Him Who worketh healings for all through thee.

Sibling Kits & Classes

2011-03-22T11:03:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I took the boys to the hospital for the Sibling Class. They had such a great time! They watched a funny little video about babies and being a big brother or sister. The instructor let them pick out a baby doll or stuffed animal and then showed them how to properly hold a baby and how they could help Mommy change and swaddle them.

Then they got to choose from oodles of stickers and markers and confetti to make a card for the new baby's bassinet.

Ace made two. The first one he cut into the shape of a goat. The second one, he glued his picture and wrote a longer note, reminding the baby of the benefit of being a boy and playing with GI Joes.

Lucky, who is now rooting for a girl for the first time since the beginning of my pregnancy, glued his picture and gave me very detailed instructions on what to write on the card. He wanted to remind the baby how much fun he and Ace are and how much the baby is going to love them. :)

I finally put together sibling kits for them too. I made little tags that say "Biggest Brother and Big Brother" and filled them with goodies to keep them busy while they are waiting for their new brother or sister. Luckily, my mom is flying in this week and will keep them busy. They love their Yiayia!

I filled them with things like mini coloring/activity books, crayons, a lollipop, coin purses with change for the vending machines, bubbles (they'll be outside feeding the ducks while they wait), flashlights, big brother books, a big brother t-shirt and their cameras. I love the idea of them taking photos of their idea of how the day played out. I'm going to develop them and put them in little albums for their keepsake boxes.

I found these old-fashioned coin purses. I picked them up from a boutique near my house for two bucks each. Of course, I got them in their favorite colors.

I also found some fun Lego kits at TJ Maxx for $4.99. The boys will go home to spend a special night alone with Baba and I figured this will give them something fun to do together. So...now all we're doing is waiting anxiously for the big day to arrive! I'm so excited!

What is Clean Monday?

2011-03-07T07:24:00.004-05:00

As we enter Great Lent, I thought this post from the archives might be helpful to some of you who may have missed it last year. It contains some of my favorite Lenten recipes and craft ideas for kids! Hope you enjoy it! Kali Dynami everyone!

Adam sat before Paradise and, lamenting his nakedness, he wept: "Woe is me! By evil deceit was I persuaded and led astray. Now I am an exile from glory..."

The sun hid its rays, the moon and stars were turned to blood, the mountains were afraid, the hills trembled, when Paradise was shut. Adam departed, beating his hands upon his face and saying: 'I am fallen: merciful Lord, have mercy on me.'

Vesper Service of Forgiveness Sunday

What is Clean Monday?

Clean Monday (Kathadi Thevteda) marks the first day of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church. In many cultures it is a time for celebration. In many places it is customary for people to fly kites and attend festivals. Church tradition, however, tells us that after Holy Friday, Clean Monday (Kathadi Thevteda) is the most sorrowful day of the Ecclesiastical year. It is the day of Adam and Eve's exile from Paradise, and thus a day for quiet contemplation of Paradise lost and prayer.

Most monastics communities hold such a strict fast on this day that they eat nothing until sunset and double their prayer rule (prostrations, etc).

Here are some of my favorite Lenten links:

Curious George Bread

Shepherd's Pie

Benefits of Fasting

I'll be making plenty of this bread and I can't wait to try this Pasta with Peanut Sauce!

I love this recipe for no-high-fructose-corn-syrup granola bars!

I took this Lenten Treasure Chest out of the closet and we'll be making these posters again today after school.

This Kyra Sarakosti (Miss Forty Days) is from Crayola!

May you all have a blessed Lenten journey this year! Kali Sarakosti!

Psalter Prayer Group Reading Assignments

2011-03-07T07:00:00.010-05:00

Here are the assigned readings for the Psalter Prayer group for Great Lent 2o11. Names are numbered in order of where you begin. (NOTE: If there was more than one person with the same name I tried to include your username in parentheses to differentiate, if anyone is unsure please let me know.)

Before beginning to read your assigned kathisma, please recite the Trisagion prayers:

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who art in all places and fillest all things; Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come and dwell in us and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O gracious Lord.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal: have mercy on us. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy God, visit and heal our infirmities for thy Name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

At the end of each kathisma please recite the following:

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Glory to you, O God. (twice)

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Glory to you, O God our hope, O Lord, glory to You. Lord have mercy on (name of each person in your group).

Group One

Marianthy
Janice
Elizabeth (Garden Window)
Rene
Mary
Olga
Michelle
Photini
Juliana (MamaJuliana)
Katherine
Kyle
Maria Adriana
Sevasti
Macrina
Andonia
Christina D.
Elizabeth
Aiketerini
Genevieve (Jen)
Pauline

Group Two

Strategoula
Olga
Maria
Irene
Marika
Silvia
Natalia
Kassiani
Ekaterini
Luba
Juliana
Sara
Anna
Ioanna
Melanie
Presbytera Areti
Sarah
Tania
Konstantina
Genevieve

Group Three

Natalie
Kaliopi
Sevasti
Kyranna
Paraskevi
Asemeni
Kassiane
Michael
Svetlana
Sevasti (Touly)
Athena
Sophia
Laura Ophelia
Nonna
Anna
Thekla

Group Three NOTE: Please check back periodically to see if new names are added to your group! :)

Readings

Day 1--1-8 (Kathisma 1)
Day 2-- 9-17 (Kathisma 2)
Day 3--18-24 (Kathisma 3)
Day 4--25-32 (Kathisma 4)
Day 5--33-37 (Kathisma 5)
Day 6--38-46 (Kathisma 6)
Day 7--47-55 (Kathisma 7)
Day 8--56-64 (Kathisma 8)
Day 9--65-70 (Kathisma 9)
Day 10--71-77 (Kathisma 10)
Day 11--78-85 (Kathisma 11)
Day 12--86-91 (Kathisma 12)
Day 13--92-101 (Kathisma 13)
Day 14--102-105 (Kathisma 14)
Day 15--106-109 (Kathisma 15)
Day 16--110-118 (Kathisma 16)
Day 17--119 (Kathisma 17)
Day 18--120-134 (Kathisma 18)
Day 19--135-143 (Kathisma 19)
Day 20--144-150 (Kathisma 20)
Day 21--start over

St. Arsenios of Cappadocia used the Psalter as a Book of Needs. For a list of "needs" the Psalms can be read for, click here.

*PLEASE NOTE: Even though we began our readings already, I will continue adding people to the list as they come. So if anyone is interested simply leave your baptismal name and email address and I will add you to the list. Thank you.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: If beginning after Clean Monday, please count the kathisma from Day 1 NOT the day you are joining us. For example, if you're starting kathisma was 10 and we are 5 days into Lent, you will begin on kathisma 15.

Psalter Group time again!!

2011-02-23T09:07:00.002-05:00

Great Lent is right around the corner and you know what that means, right? It's time to sign up for the Psalter Prayer Group again! This is one of my favorite things during the 40-day fasts. I can't tell you how much I love this prayer group and am so happy that so many of you feel the same way.

I'm making sure that I start sign-ups well in advance this time so that I have plenty of time to assign readings and get them posted for you before Clean Monday (March 7).

So if you're interested in joining please leave YOUR BAPTISMAL NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS in the comment section of this post. If you're not familiar with this group, click here for all the details...

Ready or Not!

2011-02-21T09:27:00.010-05:00

It's almost time for our wee one to make its entrance! I wanted to post updates on my pregnancy more often but, as I'm sure you've noticed, I haven't had the time to post as often as I usually do.

I've been busy savoring time at home with Ace and Lucky and working on a couple of projects I hope will be finished by the time Sprout arrives.

We never find out the gender of the baby, entirely because I love surprises and it doesn't really matter to me what it is. I pray for healthy children and that's it. I'd love a girl as much as I'd love another little boy to fill our house with more love and laughter. I know some members of our family are hoping for a girl and others are praying hard for another boy but no one will know for sure for about five more weeks! I told DH if it wasn't wrong to gamble, we'd be able to pay off the delivery by taking everyone's bets! ;)

Thank God, I've had a very easy pregnancy again overall and am just now beginning to feel "ready". I've been swelling and aching and all the other uncomfortable things that come along in the final stretch of pregnancy. Part of me can't wait to hold the baby in my arms at last and another part of me is trying to enjoy the kicks and wiggles from inside my tummy. What a beautiful and miraculous thing pregnancy is. I think God made the ninth month as uncomfortable as it is because otherwise we might want to stay pregnant forever to feel that little miracle grow and live inside of us.

I love that there are always a couple of years in between babies in our family. It gives me time to spend with each of them individually and by the time the next baby comes I am ready to change diapers again and smell the precious scent of baby wash and Dreft detergent. :) I don't mind having sleepless nights again and I try to take advantage of nursing in the wee morning hours by spending precious quiet time bonding with the new babe.

The boys are very excited to meet their new sibling and are already volunteering to help with whatever they can think of. Though no one has offered to assist in diaper changing yet...

The nursery is ready and I'm hoping to pull the bins of baby clothes down from the attic this week to begin washing and filling the drawers with tiny socks and onesies. I love how fresh and alive the house begins to feel when anticipating a new baby.

I love to read these prayers every morning and have kept my icon of Panagia Elevtherotria nearby at all times...soon she'll be on the table next to my bedside at the hospital! I can hardly wait!

Children in Church...what works for you?

2011-02-20T07:23:00.000-05:00

The Orthodox Christian Network has recently launched a new blog called The Sounding. I am very excited to be writing the Orthodox Home and Family channel for it! I will be posting my posts from that channel on Adventures of an Orthodox Mom as well (though they may be slightly altered and some things you may already be familiar with if you've read this blog for awhile).

The following post was published last week. Be sure to check out The Sounding for lots of great information and encouragement. There is a channel on missions, Youth ministry, Basics of Orthodoxy and more!

*************************
Yesterday we celebrated the second Sunday of the Triodion, Sunday of the Prodigal Son. Which means in just two short weeks we will begin our journey through Great Lent.

I love this time of year. For me, it’s a time to get back on track, yet another chance to start anew, so to speak. The next two and a half months are a chance for all of us to cleanse our hearts and prepare the glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This also means that we will be attending church more…a lot more. Needless to say, as a mother of two small children and one on the way, the biggest challenge I face is how to keep my children involved in the services, or at least quiet enough so that I can enjoy a portion of them. I’m sure there are families that have no problem keeping their children quiet and vigilant...though I have not yet met such a family. If you know of one, please send them over my way. Please.

I personally don’t like to bring “toys” to church, especially the kind that light up, make sounds or noise when hit against a chair. I learned this through trial and error when my first son was little. I quickly learned that he associated toys with playing and so every time we went to church and I pulled out his favorite toy, he took that as a signal for playtime to begin. He would start laughing and screaming and making truck noises as he rolled his little Tonka trucks across the pews, causing everyone within earshot to turn around, whether to smile at him or scold me.

I immediately began trying to think of things that would occupy him (and distract others less) while keeping his little heart and mind on the things of heaven.

While I’m still figuring out how to do this consistently, there are a couple things that have actually worked well for me over the years.

• ICON CARDS. I laminated, punched holes through them and placed them on a ring. Both of my boys enjoyed them much more than I expected and they have learned the names and stories of many beloved saints.

• ORTHODOX CHILDREN’S BOOKS. It’s especially helpful if it is a “Liturgy book”. My favorite one for children toddlers and preschoolers is called "It's Sunday, Shall we Go to Church?". It has great illustrations and helps little ones understand a little bit more about what's going on during church. Books about the saint(s) being commemorated that day are great as well.

• FAMILY SAINT BOOKS. I bought a cheap photo album and filled it with different icons of the members of our family. From Mommy and Daddy and siblings to grandparents, and so on. This was a great tool for teaching them the stories of our patron saints.

• PRAYER ROPES. My children, and many others I’ve seen, love prayer ropes. They pretend to use them as censers, to pray on, and on occasion they’ll use them to tie up their younger siblings (though I try to discourage that.) I still think it is a good idea for them to get used to holding them in their hands though. Even if a child is very young and is unable to learn the Jesus Prayer, it is still a beautiful thing to hear them simply utter the sweet name of our Saviour. Jesus.

Of course, as soon as I think I have something figured out, they go and get older and I find myself trying to master the next stage. Right now, I am working on ways to help my seven-year old understand and become more familiar with the different parts of the Liturgy and other services. I’m still on the hunt for a Liturgy book for early readers that explains what actually happens during the Divine Liturgy. Any suggestions?

Valentine's Day Fun

2011-02-15T10:02:00.000-05:00

We had a fun-filled Valentine's Day yesterday!

It started off with a big breakfast of heart shaped eggs, toast and pancakes.

Then I packed Ace's lunch with a heart-shaped sandwich and lots of red and sprinkle covered treats. Lucky and I enjoyed our lunch outside in the clubhouse (yes, celebrating Valentine's Day in Florida has some perks). It was a beautiful day!

I planned a scavenger hunt for after school. They had a blast running around the house and yard in search of the next clue and surprise. I loved watching them!

Some of their clues and prizes,

including a mailbox full of Valentine's from our family in Ohio!

For dinner, we made heart calzones (courtesy of Amy of MomAdvice) and heart pizzas. I followed the recipe Amy used, but I added some ricotta cheese and made them larger. The boys even cut the cucumbers in the salad like hearts! They always love helping in the kitchen and decided they wanted to be waiters for DH and I. So they tied on their aprons and served the food, being sure to pour themselves a glass of "wine" (cran-grape juice) with their meal.

Dessert was super easy and super delicious. We made chocolate filled crescents. These literally took only minutes to prepare.

Chocolate Filled Crescents Recipe

Ingredients:

1 can crescent rolls
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
powdered sugar

Directions:

Separate triangles.
Spread 1 Tablespoon chocolate chips along wide side of crescent.
Roll and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Tip: Next time, I think I will spread a small amount of Nutella before I sprinkle the chips.

Enjoy!!

FOCUS North America in Pittsburgh

2011-02-08T07:19:00.007-05:00

Troy Polamalu with sons, Paisios and Ephraim

FOCUS North America announced its plan to begin extending its program into the Pittsburgh area. Being born and raised in Northeast Ohio, cities like Cleveland and Pittsburgh felt like part of my hometown growing up, so I am was very happy to learn of FOCUS' plan to get even more involved there.

Theodora Polamalu, a board member for the North America division, spoke at a recent fundraiser held in Pittsburgh. (The following excerpt was taken from the Post Gazette. To read the article in its entirety, follow this link.)

Mrs. Polamalu spoke at the dinner on seeing the image of God in the poor.

"We are all images of the very God we serve," she said. "It is the imperative of this organization to restore the dignity that belongs to each man as bestowed by God."

She spoke of people who lost everything in the recession and of veterans who returned from war "to homelessness and despair."

"You might ask, 'Where is God in their lives?' The better question is 'Where is God in our lives?' " she said, urging listeners to respond in the name of Jesus.

The Polamalu family made the dinner even more special by donating items to be raffled off during a silent auction, including signed POLAMALU jerseys and even raffling off tickets for attendees to have dessert with them at the end of the dinner. They earned over $12000 for dessert alone!

One person in attendance stated, "The first thing Troy did when he arrived was went into the kitchen and thanked everyone for their hard work. It really set the tone for the night and got them excited."

Theodora reminded guests that nearly one-third of Pittsburgh's kids living below the poverty line and over 1400 homeless living in the city, the work of reconciling the needs of others is great. I am always in awe of their family's love and humility. Troy obviously being the one most often mentioned in the news but Theodora takes no backseat when it comes to sharing their family's blessings whenever she can. Like the saying goes, "Behind every successful man is a woman", right? :) Well, I guess that's not always the case but it certainly is in this one and I think Troy would agree.

Theodora also said that she and Troy hoped that "whether the name is Polamalu or Smith, we will all share the responsibility of lifting the great name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ whose name is above all names." Amen.

i love that Ephraim is missing his shoe in this pic...guess it's the mommy in me. :)

To learn more about FOCUS and how you can help, check out their official website here.

Pittsburgh Steelers' Troy Polamalu: Head and Shoulders Above the Rest

2011-02-08T07:14:00.003-05:00

by Dan Bickley, columnist - Feb. 3, 2011 06:32 PM
The Arizona Republic

DALLAS -- Focus on his hair, and Troy Polamalu will play along. Ask him about his celebrity crush, and he will not.

It's an important distinction in the life of a true warrior.

"My celebrity crush is my wife, Theodora Polamalu," he tells a reporter from "Access Hollywood." "No wonder nobody can stay married in Hollywood with questions like that."

Polamalu is my favorite NFL player, and it's not even close. He's humble, thoughtful, soft-spoken, stripped of ego and capable of great damage on a football field. He's on a journey that transcends his profession. | Playing pick-up with a legend

"I want to represent something bigger than myself, whether it's on the football field or off," Polamalu said.

When the Steelers came to play the Cardinals in September 2007, Polamalu had a special request for his coaches. He was compelled to visit a man he calls his "spiritual father," the one who founded St. Anthony's monastery in Florence.

Services began at 3 a.m. Sunday and ended four hours later. The Steelers provided the driver, and with a nourished soul, Polamalu rushed back to the Valley for a 2:15 p.m. kickoff.

"He's a special player that you sometimes make exceptions to the rule for," Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton said. "At least we do."

Horton was asked what time Polamalu returned from his sleepless night at the monastery.

"We didn't ask," he said. "We didn't care, as long as he was here for the game."

That kind of trust is rare in the NFL, and yet it's an important part of his relationship with the Steelers. It's why defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau gives Polamalu the authority to freelance within the structure of his system.

Maybe you've seen the goal-line footage of Polamalu leaping over an offensive lineman and sacking the Titans' quarterback as soon as he received the snap. Here's how it unfolded:

Early in the week, Horton told Polamalu that in certain formations, Tennessee's tight end never goes out for a pass.

"Never?" Polamalu asked.

That was the extent of the conversation. At least until Polamalu reached the sideline after his flying tackle. Horton wanted to know what in the world made Polamalu take such a risk.

"You told me that No. 75 never goes out for a pass," Polamalu said.

Thus, aware that he wasn't going to get burned on a pass play, Polamalu seized the moment to freelance. And that's how it works in Pittsburgh.

Polamalu won't acknowledge the special treatment or his special role on the field. That would imply he's better than his teammates, and you'll never hear anything like that come out of his mouth. With a straight face, he said his uniform number is the only thing that makes him different.

When he was named Defensive Player of the Year, he immediately tweeted that the Packers' Clay Matthews, the Ravens' Ed Reed, the Bears' Julius Peppers and the Steelers' James Harrison are "way more deserving."

Then he followed up with this:

"Individual awards only have a place in golf and bowling. Too many parts to single out one player in the world's greatest TEAM sport."

If that weren't enough to admire the Steelers' star, try this:

While attending his niece's volleyball tournament in Maryvale, Polamalu was spotted by some young kids in the crowd. They rushed over for his autograph. He happily obliged, and offered a better idea.

He took the kids into the parking lot for an impromptu game of football.

"My son disappeared for like 30 minutes, and when I went outside, I couldn't believe what I saw," Phoenix resident Jeff Leiva said. "They were playing football on this narrow strip of pavement. Troy was diagramming plays for the kids. He was the designated quarterback."

That's incredible.

"He told us a bunch of plays in the huddle. He told me to run a fly route," his son, Camden, said. "And I caught it for a touchdown."

Polamalu remembers the incident but declined to elaborate. Some things are from the heart and not meant for media consumption.

"He's the epitome of a competitor," LeBeau said. "Mentally and physically, he has the demeanor of a true warrior. He was born to play professional football. He's one of the best I've ever seen."

And the only one who would argue with that assessment.

Reach Bickley at dan.bickley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8253. Read his online column at bickley.azcentral.com. Listen to "Bickley and MJ" weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on KGME-AM (910).

Troy Polamolu: A Defensive Anchor Walks a Spiritual Path

2011-02-02T11:52:00.004-05:00

Loved, loved, loved this article that was published by the New York Times on Troy. I have so much respect for his family for the path they walk and only wish I had the strength to do the same...

Good luck to him at the Super Bowl this Sunday!!

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Troy Polamalu has won two Super Bowl titles with the Steelers. His team faces the Ravens on Saturday.

By KAREN CROUSE

Published: January 12, 2011

PITTSBURGH — Steelers safety Troy Polamalu opened his red leather-bound playbook to a dog-eared page. “The life of a man hangs by a hair,” he began reading in a voice as soft as falling snow. “At every step our life hangs in the balance.”

It was three days before the Steelers’ A.F.C. divisional playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens, a matchup in which the Super Bowl aspirations of two worthy contenders hang in the balance, and Polamalu was getting himself centered.

“How many millions of people woke up in the morning, never to see the evening?” Polamalu read. And then: “The life of a man is a dream. In a dream, one sees things that do not exist; he might see that he is crowned a king, but when he wakes up, he sees that in reality he is just a pauper.”

The book in Polamalu’s hands, “Counsels From the Holy Mountain,” guides him in football and in life. It contains the letters and homilies of a Greek Orthodox monk, Elder Ephraim, whom Polamalu described as his spiritual doctor.

Polamalu, 29, sought out the octogenarian monk, who resides in a monastery in southern Arizona, a few years ago, a meeting that led Polamalu to the place he described as “heaven on earth.” It is a summit of sorts. But not the Super Bowl, though Polamalu won two championship rings in his first seven seasons with the Steelers. Neither of those journeys shaped him as profoundly as the pilgrimage he made to Mount Athos, a Greek Orthodox spiritual center in Greece.

While there, Polamalu said he witnessed humility and sacrifice in its deepest, purest forms and realized that for all their obvious differences, the spiritual path shared much with a Super Bowl journey.

“Both require great discipline,” Polamalu said, “and a selflessness in the name of a greater good.”

A pacifist whose tough play epitomizes his violent sport, Polamalu is the anchor of both the Pittsburgh defense and its locker room. In a vote this season of the players, Polamalu was voted the team’s most valuable player, becoming the first safety since Donnie Shell in 1980 to be so honored.

“Obviously, in a lot of respects it’s a big deal,” Polamalu said, adding: “I’ve never been a fan of individual awards because football is such a team sport. There’s so many things that goes into making plays. It’s about teammates trusting one another and working together.”

Asked whom he voted for, Polamalu said linebacker James Harrison. “Nobody does what he does,” Polamalu said.

While Harrison, who amassed $100,000 in league fines this season for dangerous hits, appreciated Polamalu’s sentiments, he said, “Troy could be voted our M.V.P. every year.”

In the Steelers’ 41-9 win at Cleveland on Jan. 2, which clinched a first-round playoff bye, Polamalu was back in the starting lineup after missing two games with an Achilles’ heel injury.

It didn’t take him long to get his legs back. On the second play from scrimmage, Polamalu picked off a Colt McCoy pass for his seventh interception, tying a career high. On a goal-line play at the start of the second quarter, he leaped over the line of scrimmage and was in McCoy’s face before he had time to cock his throwing arm.

The play was reminiscent of one in the second week at Tennessee that resulted in a Polamalu sack of Titans quarterback Kerry Collins.

Dick LeBeau, the Steelers’ defensive coordinator, noted that Polamalu did not sack McCoy, who managed to get off a pass that fell incomplete.

“We prefer that he not go that far off the diving board,” LeBeau said.

Polamalu knows his freedom to roam has its limits. “When you do go a little bit off the map, you have to make sure you make the play,” he said. “If you don’t, it’s your fault.”

The Steelers’ rubber match this week against Baltimore — the teams split their regular season games — features two of the league’s best defensive backs in Polamalu, a six-time Pro Bowl pick, and the Ravens’ Ed Reed, who had an N.F.L.-leading eight interceptions in 10 games.

Both are deserving candidates of the league’s defensive player of the year award, though, naturally, that is not the way Polamalu sees it. “I think I’d rather go with him,” Polamalu said, “given that he’s played in five games and has like 22 interceptions.”

The quotation was pure Polamalu. If he is overstating someone’s abilities, you know he’s not talking about himself.

Against the Ravens in the 2009 A.F.C. championship game, Polamalu stepped in front of a Joe Flacco pass intended for Derrick Mason and returned the ball 40 yards for the score that gave the Steelers a cushion at 23-14. Players from both teams — Harrison and the Ravens’ Terrell Suggs quickly come to mind — have been vocal about how deep the rancor runs in this rivalry.

Polamalu said: “I don’t feel that way. There are things that are deeper than football rivalries to me.”

Polamalu was asked if he wished he could use his pulpit to address subjects other than football. “I’d rather not talk at all, to be honest with you,” he said.

Much has been made of Polamalu’s dual persona. Receiver Hines Ward described him Wednesday as “Clark Kent who goes into his phone booth on Sundays and comes out Superman.”

Off the field one sees the same dichotomy. Around the news media, Polamalu comes out of his shell and turns into the Jim Lehrer of the N.F.L. The least likely player to court the cameras is Polamalu, the Steelers’ most contemplative speaker.

After the Cleveland game, Polamalu was the last player to leave the visiting locker room. He emptied the contents of his locker into a black knapsack, fingering some of the items as if seeing them for the first time.

In the back of his locker was an 8-by-10 photo of Elder Ephraim with chin hair longer and fuller than the Rip Van Winkle beard that Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel has been growing all season. Polamalu slid the picture into a manila envelope, then carefully tucked it into his bag.

He kissed the three-inch framed photos of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, then crossed himself, repeating the sequence several times before tucking them into his backpack.

On his way out, Polamalu was stopped by a radio reporter. As a team official anxiously shouted into his cellphone, “Hold the Cranberry bus for Troy,” Polamalu serenely sat for a five-minute interview.

“At times when we need a little guidance, he’s the guy we go to,” Harrison said, adding, “Troy’s a lot deeper than a lot of people who actually preach the word.”

At the monastery in southern Arizona, the monks practice joyful mourning. Led by Polamalu, the Steelers engage daily in cheerful discomfort. They suffer together with the goal of celebrating as one on the first Sunday in February.

original post can be found here.

Is St. John the Baptist an angel?

2011-01-07T12:46:00.004-05:00

Awhile back, when Ace was about three, he asked me if St. John the Baptist was an angel. Instinctively, I told him no.

"Then why does he have wings in that icon?"

Hmm...good question. Why does he have wings? I had never really noticed his wings before. Isn't it funny how we become so accustomed to the things around us that we stop really seeing them?

The next time I had a chance to talk to our priest, I asked him. And I was amazed by what he told me!

Before Lucifer fell, he was the head archangel. When he and his army were banished to Hades, that entire rank was left empty.

St. John was obviously Christ's forerunner on Earth but what I didn't know was he was also his forerunner in hell. When he died, he went to hell like all before him did, before Christ bridged heaven and earth, and while he was there he preached the message of repentance. Just like he did on earth.

In return for this, Christ will establish him as the head archangel after His second glorious coming.

I also asked what would happen to the rank of angels that were banished along with Lucifer and he told me that monastics who earn the great schema on earth (and obviously membership into the Kingdom of Heaven) will fill that rank.

I just thought that was incredible! We can learn from our children every day!

Many years to those of you who are celebrating your nameday today! May St. John intercede for us always!

cheers to new beginnings

2011-01-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

my list of resolutions for two-thousand and eleven. can barely believe it myself. eleven things i resolve to do in the new year that is already at my doorstep.

pray more
to concentrate more on my spiritual life. to think eternally.

to adore the life i've been blessed with
to appreciate the here and now. to thank God for each day i live to see. the good and the bad. the happy the sad. to make sense of life's lessons.

rise above the little things
to give less attention to the little things people do to dim my spirit. and to repay each act of ignorance with kindness. laugh more.

continue working towards my dreams
to work hard. for myself. my family. our life. become the me i want to be. to be unafraid of failure. to finish what i start.

write every day
to keep a better journal. to build good habits. a more consistent writing routine.

think outside the box
to be creative, original and decisive. to be fearless of what onlookers might think. to push the envelope and be true to my own voice. to stand up straight and be bolder than bold. to refine and redefine.

forgive more
to blame my pride when i'm offended by others.

offend less
to be more understanding and less judgmental.

get out of my own way
to stop over analyzing the decisions i make. to trust myself and my instincts. to do what i know i should be doing.

be a better listener
to talk less and listen more. hearing and listening are not one in the same.

give more
of myself. to share the blessings i have been given. to think more about others.

cheers to a fresh start, to new beginnings. happy 2011.

Preparing for St. Basil's Day

2010-12-31T13:48:00.005-05:00

Our vasilopita's are baking happily in the oven. The boys are filled with excitement; wondering if one of them will be the lucky person who receives the coin hidden safely inside each loaf.

Later, we'll read the book that tells the story of why there is a hidden coin in our bread today, before taking a late nap before church begins. What an exciting tradition celebrating St. Basil's Day is for us!

Here's hoping that your new year is full of God's blessings...

Some helpful links from the archives...

Sharing St. Basil's Day with Ace's class (2010)

Basilopita recipe

Highlights for Kids article on St. Basil's Day

Story of the Coin

From Our Family To Yours

2010-12-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

i heart my {christmas binder}

2010-12-24T15:38:00.000-05:00

this morning i added another favorite recipe to my christmas binder. this binder is literally my saving grace at christmastime and i can't believe it's taken me this long to post about it.

i started it the second year i was married when i realized that in just two short years i had accumulated more christmas magazines and recipes than one desk could hold. so i started tearing out my favorite decorating ideas, recipes, craft projects, etc. and i put them in page protectors and placed them in a binder.

i punched holes in an extra christmas card envelope and wrote "random holiday memories" on it and every year i write, on any little slip of paper, whatever holiday happenings i want to make sure i never forget. like our first christmas as a married couple, when we spent the night in a hotel room because our house wasn't ready yet. we bought a tiny little tabletop tree and decorated it. our gifts to eachother (one each) were carefully wrapped and placed underneath it, waiting for us to wake up and open them on our very first christmas together. or the time ace decorated the tree for the first time and all the bulbs were in one spot on the bottom of the tree. or the year lucky sat behind the tree and ate almost every candy cane off before i noticed he was missing.

once we started having children, i began keeping a copy of each year's christmas card inside too. it's so much fun to see how much they change from year to year.

i also print out photographs of the boys during the holidays. opening gifts, leaving milk and cookies out for st. nicholas or helping me with some of the recipes inside (i place the picture next to the recipe). it's become sort of like a holiday scrapbook.

the next year, i realized it would be even more convenient if i kept my ever-growing christmas card list in there too. then i photocopied the family recipes i use every year and added them. before i knew it, i had almost everything i needed in one place and it was so easy to just grab the binder and look for what i needed.

then last year, on one of my favorite blogs, marta mentioned her christmas binder and she had hers organized into sections with tabs. i thought that was a great idea. so i added tabs too.

every year, my binder becomes more and more resourceful to me during the holidays. i know exactly where all of my favorite recipes are, i have a ton of fun craft ideas for the boys, and i can look back and remember all the blessings of christmas past.

Welcome Christmas Break...

2010-12-21T10:00:00.001-05:00

Goodbye 6:00 a.m. alarm, goodbye car line, goodbye homework. Hello Christmas break!

After a nice {sort of} relaxing weekend in Orlando, we stayed up late last night and read more of our favorite Christmas books.

This morning we slept in way past normal wake up times in our house and then made a fun breakfast to celebrate the first day of Christmas vacation!

Our first day of Christmas Break-fast!

We enjoyed a fun breakfast of gingerbread men pancakes and hot chocolate, complete with french vanilla flavored snowman marshmallows and peppermint sticks.

Lucky loves stirring his cocoa with the peppermint sticks. He just thinks it's amazing to watch them melt and to taste his pepper-minty hot cocoa.

Ace filled his cup up with most of the marshmallows. A treat I don't mind him having, since his usual snacks consist of fruits and veggies {TOTAL opposite of Lucky}!

After breakfast, we wrapped the last of the Christmas gifts and they helped me stack them up by the tree, which I had forgotten to water since we left for the weekend. So they helped water the tree too...

Hope you all are enjoying your break! Only 5 more days until Christmas!

Excellent Sermons by Fr. George Passias

2010-12-20T15:54:00.002-05:00

I have mentioned the sermons of Fr. George Passias before on this blog, specifically the series on The Life of the Theotokos. I was recently emailed an excellent site where many of his sermons (some only a few minutes, others hours long) are posted.

I highly encourage you to check some of them out. There is a 3 minute one entitled, "How do you know it's Christmas?" that is great.

http://www.saintspyridon.net/sermons/sermons.html

Special Delivery

2010-12-20T15:37:00.002-05:00

All of our ornaments have officially been delivered! What beautiful little ornaments everyone made! It was so much fun seeing all of the creative ways they were each made. There ended up being two groups of participants, so I can only post photos from the group I was in but if anyone wants to send me a photo of Group 2's ornaments, I'd love to see them.

We had a great time making this years ornament (below) and the boys had so much fun getting the mail every day and opening their packages!

Thank you again to everyone who participated!

Popcorn Ball Recipe

2010-12-20T12:08:00.001-05:00

For Ace's class treat this year, I made popcorn balls. My boys love them but it's not something I make often, usually only around this time of year, so they always look forward to munching on them.

Popcorn Ball Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
18 cups popped corn

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, syrup, vinegar, and salt.
Cook over high heat until mixture reaches 255 degrees F (hard-ball stage) on a candy thermometer.
Stir in vanilla.
Pour over popped corn, tossing gently to coat.
When mixture is cool enough to handle, press popcorn into 3-inch balls with lightly greased hands.
Cool completely on waxed paper.
Can add food coloring, if desired.

I also remember my mom wrapping them up to look like Christmas ornaments!

She would wrap them tightly in waxed paper, followed by the tissue paper (like I did in the first photo). Then she would cut the paper and take a piece of ribbon and poke through it with a toothpick into the top of each ball. They were always so cute! I didn't have time to do that this year, but thought I'd share the idea in case you do!

Enjoy!!

gingerbread men rock

2010-12-20T12:07:00.001-05:00

my boys *love* gingerbread men. they love the cookies, they love to color them, they love everything about them. so i've been trying to sneak them in wherever i could this holiday season.

first, i found this great pancake mold at jo-ann's for $6.99 + 60% off! so we've been using it for more than just pancakes in the morning! i've also been scrambling eggs and pouring it in the mold too. you can pour a little, add some cheese, ham or whatever omelette type extras you like and then pour more egg on top too. they turned out so yummy! ace is my best eater but is really picky when it comes to his eggs and even he loved them!

i also have been making gingerbread men pizzas for lunch. just roll out the pizza dough and cut it with a gingerbread cookie cutter. then add sauce, cheese and whatever toppings you like.

you can also do this with grilled cheese sandwiches! we'll be making mitten grilled cheese this week!

enjoy!

baked with love

2010-12-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

tis' the season to pass out cookies to all of our friends and neighbors. today i delivered baked goodies to our mailman, ups driver and the school crossing guard.

i lined these beautiful little tins ($1.00 at wal-mart) with gold tissue paper and filled them with a few of each of the cookies i've been baking.

then i carefully tied some pretty gold glittered ribbon ($3.99 + 60% off at jo-ann's) around the tin and secured it with tape at the bottom.

i took the poinsettia clips ($1.00 at target) and poked a hole through the top ribbon and clipped it into place.

voila! an inexpensive and yummy way to let someone know they are appreciated!

next on our list is the school office, ace's teachers and our neighbors!

christmas traditions {holiday baking}

2010-12-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

there are certain cookies that the mere mention of invokes childhood memories. three cookies that my holidays would be incomplete without are my grandmother's pizzelles, my mother's peanut blossoms, my aunt's caramel nut balls. i can remember my mother and both of my grandmother's buzzing around the kitchen for weeks before Christmas. my sister and i would beg to help. we would chop nuts, unwrap kisses and roll out dough until our little hearts were content.

last week, lucky and i tied on our aprons, put on our favorite carols and set to work. the scent of freshly baked cookies filled our house for days. it was wonderful.

ma's pizzelles

mommy's peanut blossoms

aunt ruthie's caramel nut balls

next on my baking list are kolachi rolls, oreo truffles and popcorn balls for ace's class party. what are some of your holiday favorites from the kitchen?

christmas traditions {little women}

2010-12-15T11:53:00.001-05:00

twenty years ago, on Christmas eve, my grandparents gave me a copy of Little Women.

i have cherished that book ever since. it is worn around the edges and the illustrated cover has begun to fade but every Christmas season i pull it off the shelf and read it. the night after i finish, i make a pot of hot cocoa and sit on the couch to watch the movie. sometimes the boys join me (there's hot cocoa and marshmallows after all) and sometimes it's just me, meg, jo, beth and amy.

last night i began my reading and sighed at the welcoming scene that immediately invited me to get lost within the book's pages.

"four sisters, who sat knitting away in the twilight, while the December snow fell quietly without, and the fire crackled cheerfully within...books filled the recesses, chrysanthemums and Christmas roses bloomed in the windows, and a pleasant atmosphere of home peace pervaded it."

Fire at St. John Forerunner Monastery in Serres, Greece

2010-12-14T07:14:00.004-05:00

There was recently a large fire at the Holy Monastery of St. John the Forerunner in Serres, Greece. I am not sure the extent of the damage but wanted to pass along this video clip (link at bottom of post) for those of you looking for information on the fire.

The clip is in Greek, and I don't understand all of it myself, but you can see the video of the fire. From what I did understand, a fairly a large section of the monastery was damaged but none of the sisters were harmed. Thank God! I am trying to find out more details and if there are any monastery needs that we can assist with and will pass along the information in case any of you are interested in helping out, if necessary.

Fire at Serres Monastery

christmas traditions {the nutcracker ballet}

2010-12-14T07:08:00.001-05:00

this weekend i took my boys to see the nutcracker ballet. it has been an annual tradition in our family since we had ace. this year, lucky was finally old enough to come along. i wasn't sure how he would react but figured we'd give it a whirl.

we stopped by our favorite starbucks before the play for a cup of hot cocoa. we snuggled on the sofa and read the book before heading to the theatre.

lucky ended up loving it! he didn't want to leave when it was over! it was a beautiful performance and the boys enjoyed the infamous duel between the nutcracker and the mouse king. ace decided that he was going to rewrite the story so that the mouse king would finally defeat the nutcracker. can you tell who he was rooting for?

before the play began, the boys played with the nutcrackers they brought along from home.

this ballerina is one of my favorites. i remember her from years past and it's amazing to see how she's grown each year. she performs beautifully.

dh was out of town for this year's performance, so it was just me and my little men. i had to get a photo of the three of us, so i balanced the camera on top of my coffee table centerpiece and set the self timer. cheese!

it was a beautiful night, full of memories we'll never forget (at least i won't). just one of the many things i'm thankful for this Christmas season.

little things in life

2010-12-06T15:59:00.004-05:00

last night we all cuddled by the fire and read the stories of st. nicholas. the miracles and amazing acts of charity are always so inspiring. then the boys lined up their shoes by the door with care, in hopes that st. nicholas soon would be there.

they woke up this morning anxious to see what treats and trinkets they would find inside their tiny little shoes.

this is a tradition we look forward to year after year on the eve of december 6. we said our prayers before bed, adding a little song about st. nicholas, before getting tucked in for the night.

find out more about st. nicholas day and the real st. nicholas here...

Our Journey to Bethlehem

2010-12-02T11:04:00.006-05:00

Last night the boys and I spread out a blanket and gathered around the fireplace to read the first story from our Advent Storybook. It is a delightful book about a little bear's journey to Bethlehem. Each night, the bear's mother reads him a story while he opens the next door on his Advent calendar.

The little bear, led by a shining star, meets many others on his travels across hot deserts, snowy mountains, through dark, lonely nights. His adventures filled with acts of heroism and kindness, and many small miracles, show him the path to the Christ Child.

And by journey's end, Benjamin Bear--and youngsters who share the stories and their simple morals along with him--will be ready to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas.

I love that each story ends with a little conversation between Benjamin Bear and his mother about God. Tonight's story ends with,

"Does the mother eagle always catch her young when they fall?" asked Benjamin when his mother finished the story.

"If we trust in God, He will always catch us before we fall," Mother Bear replied and gave Benjamin a big hug."

I also cut out different icons for the feastdays that we celebrate during the month of December and on those nights, we'll also read the story of the saint being celebrated.

On December 6, the story is about St. Nicholas, even though he is dressed like Santa Claus, but I like that at least he is acknowledged on his feast. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was an Orthodox book, celebrating the 40 days of Advent? Maybe in the future... :)

We did this last year for the first time and the boys just loved it, so I was really excited to begin again this Christmas season. So, as Ace and Lucky opened the first door on their calendar and nibbled on their treat, we began our own journey to Bethlehem.

Orthodox Children's Ornament Exchange {Sign-ups}

2010-11-29T19:15:00.003-05:00

We will be doing our annual Orthodox Children's Ornament Exchange again this year! In past years, we've done book exchanges as well but I think everyone really had fun with the ornament exchange and I received several emails asking if this is something we'd be doing again, so I went with that again this Christmas.

The rules are posted below, so please leave a comment if you would like to participate. It is only one ornament per family and last year, I believe we ended up making a total of nine, which included one to keep at home. If there is a bigger turnout than expected, I will divide the families into groups.

It was a lot of fun and I know my boys loved getting so many fun packages in the mail!

If you would like to participate please sign up a.s.a.p. as I will be posting partners on Saturday!

The rules:

01. Each child will make enough ornaments to send one to each member of his/her group. ORNAMENTS MUST BE HANDMADE.

02. Include a card (handmade or not) making sure that their name is legible.

03. Adding other trinkets, candies, stickers, etc is a nice gesture but it is not required.

04. Packages must be postmarked by Wednesday, December 08, 2010 to ensure time for the children to enjoy their ornaments before Christmas.

{HELPFUL LINKS}

Psalter Prayer Group Readings

2010-11-15T09:47:00.008-05:00

Here are the assigned reading for the Psalter Prayer group for December 2010. Names are numbered in order of where you begin.

Before beginning to read your assigned kathisma, please recite the Trisagion prayers:

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal: have mercy on us. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy God, visit and heal our infirmities for thy Name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Rebecca
Sieglinde
Anastasia
Maria (OrthodoxMaria)
Elesa
Elizabeth (Garden Window)
Photini
Christina
Ioana
Mirjana
Marie
Anna
Sevasti
Cassandra
Elizabeth
Marian
Janice
Simone
Olena
Janelle

Group Two

1. Luba
2. Maria S.
3. Sara (Jayne)
4. Kalliopi
5. Joseph
6. Melangell
7. Vasiliki (Vicki)
8. Adriana
9. Evdoxia
10. Anne (MaggieAnne)
11. Nerajulia
12. Filio
13. Melanie
14. Chrysovalandou
15. Olga

Readings

Day 1--1-8 (Kathisma 1)
Day 2-- 9-17 (Kathisma 2)
Day 3--18-24 (Kathisma 3)
Day 4--25-32 (Kathisma 4)
Day 5--33-37 (Kathisma 5)
Day 6--38-46 (Kathisma 6)
Day 7--47-55 (Kathisma 7)
Day 8--56-64 (Kathisma 8)
Day 9--65-70 (Kathisma 9)
Day 10--71-77 (Kathisma 10)
Day 11--78-85 (Kathisma 11)
Day 12--86-91 (Kathisma 12)
Day 13--92-101 (Kathisma 13)
Day 14--102-105 (Kathisma 14)
Day 15--106-109 (Kathisma 15)
Day 16--110-118 (Kathisma 16)
Day 17--119 (Kathisma 17)
Day 18--120-134 (Kathisma 18)
Day 19--135-143 (Kathisma 19)
Day 20--144-150 (Kathisma 20)
Day 21--start over

Christouli & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

2010-11-13T21:03:00.003-05:00

The other day on our way home from running errands, Lucky got hungry.

Lucky: Can I have my grilled cheese sandwich?

Me: We don't have any grilled cheese.

Lucky: (points to the sandwich container from the day before on the center console) Yes we do. I didn't eat it all yesterday, there's more in there.

Me: No, it's all gone. (because I ate it)

Lucky: Who ate it? Christouli?

Me: (giggling) No, Christouli didn't eat your sandwich.

Lucky: How do you know? He probably likes grilled cheese. It's good and Christouli likes everything good.

Psalter Prayer Group Sign-Ups

2010-11-13T19:50:00.005-05:00

I received quite a few emails asking if I would be organizing the Psalter Prayer Groups again and I planned on posting this sooner but unfortunately did not get a chance. For those of you not familiar with the details, this is how it works:

During the 40 days of the Nativity fast, we will each read a kathisma (set of psalms) from either the Psalter or the book of Psalms. On November 15, we begin reading our first assigned kathisma and then continue with the next one each day. So we will be reading through the entire Psalter twice throughout the Christmas season. At the end of each reading, we say a short prayer and pray for all of the people in our group.

For those of you with screen names, please leave your baptismal name and email address in the comments so I can add it to the list so you can be prayed for properly each day.

If anyone has any questions please email me at Sylvia{at}OrthodoxMom{dot}com. Kali Dynami!

Sign-ups will continue throughout the advent season, so people can jump in at any time. I will post the assigned readings on Monday.

p.s. I will also be posting information for this years Orthodox Kid's Ornament Exchange this week...stay tuned.

incredible. amazing. miraculous.

2010-10-30T22:15:00.000-04:00

it's incredible how one moment you're not even thinking about babies and the next you can't stop.

it's sheer bliss to catch yourself humming lullabies and hugging teeny tiny socks.

it's amazing how quickly you can love someone you've never met.

it's fascinating to imagine a tiny little person living inside your tummy.

it's a miracle knowing that every day that little person is preparing for it's entry into the world.

it's so exciting to think about the moment when you finally meet your newborn babe.

it's wonderful being a mama-to-be.

xoxo.

Preparation for Confession by St. John of Kronstadt

2010-10-26T07:00:00.002-04:00

The following is a wonderful prayer to read before participating in the holy mystery of Confession.

Preparation for Confession
by St. John of Kronstadt

I, a sinful soul, confess to our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, all of my evil acts which I have done, said or thought from baptism even unto this present day.

I have not kept the vows of my baptism, but have made myself unwanted before the face of God.

I have sinned before the Lord by lack of faith and by doubts concerning the Orthodox Faith and the Holy Church; by ungratefulness for all of God's great and unceasing gifts; His long-suffering and His providence for me, a sinner; by lack of love for the Lord, as well as fear, through not fulfilling the Holy Commandments of God and the canons and rules of the Church.

I have not preserved a love for God and for my neighbor nor have I made enough efforts, because of laziness and lack of care, to learn the Commandments of God and the precepts of the Holy Fathers. I have sinned: by not praying in the morning and in the evening and in the course of the day; by not attending services of by coming to Church only halfheartedly.

I have sinned by judging members of the clergy. I have sinned by not respecting the Feasts, breaking the Fasts, and by immoderation in food and drink.

I have sinned by self importance, disobedience, willfullness, self-righteousness, and the seeking of approval and praise.

I have sinned by unbelief, lack of faith, doubts, despair, despondency, abusive thoughts, blasphemy and swearing.

I have sinned by pride, a high opinion of myself, narcissism, vanity, conceit, envy, love of praise, love of honors, and my putting on airs.

I have sinned: by judging, malicious gossip, anger, remembering of offenses done to me, hatred and returning evil for evil; by slander, reproaches, lies, slyness, deception and hypocrisy; by prejudices, arguments, stubbornness, and an unwillingness to give way to my neighbor; by gloating, spitefulness, taunting, insults and mocking; by gossip, by speaking too much and by empty speech.

I have sinned by unnecessary and excessive laughter, by reviling and dwelling upon my previous sins, by arrogant behavior, insolence and lack of respect.

I have sinned by not keeping my physical and spiritual passions in check, by my enjoyment of impure thoughts, licentious and unchastity in thoughts, words and deeds.

I have sinned by lack of endurance towards my illnesses and sorrows, a devotion to the comforts of life and by being too attached to my parents, children, relatives and friends.

I have sinned by hardening my heart, having a weak will and by not forcing myself to do good.

I have sinned by miserliness, a love of money, the acquisition of unnecessary things and immoderate attachment to things.

I have sinned by self-justification, a disregard for the admonitions of my conscience and failing to confess my sins through negligence or false pride.

I have sinned many times by my Confession: belittling, justifying and keeping silent about sins.

I have sinned against the Most-Holy and Life-Creating Mysteries of the Body and Blood of our Lord by coming to Holy Communion without humility or the fear of God.

I have sinned in deed, word and thought, knowingly and unknowingly, willingly and unwillingly, thoughtfully and thoughtlessly, and is is impossible to enumerate all of my sins because of their multitude. But I truly repent of these and all others not mentioned by me because of my forgetfulness and I ask that they be forgiven through the abundance of the Mercy of God.

Orthodoxy and Halloween

2010-10-24T17:17:00.005-04:00

Well, it's that time of year again. Time for witches, goblins and all the other haunting decorations to line the aisles of almost every retail store on earth. Time to take a different route to aisle 8 in order to avoid Lucky nearly tearing my shirt off to hide his face and Ace colliding into a display because instead of watching where he's walking, his eyes are glued to the floor as he whispers the Jesus prayer quickly and ardently.

Growing up, we celebrated Halloween like every other typical American family but when I was about 18, my parents decided we would no longer take part. I didn't really understand why, so I dressed up anyway that year, silently accusing my parents of being unreasonable and more strict than they needed to be, even though something inside of me always made me feel out of place that night. The next year, however, thanks to the sermon of a very pious priest, I finally understood for myself why we shouldn't, as Orthodox Christians, participate.

Last year, Ace's first year in public school, I was sort of nervous about the whole Halloween thing. I wasn't sure Ace's teachers would cooperate and I worried that he would be uncomfortable setting himself aside while the class had their parade, party, etc.

But he wasted no time informing everyone that he couldn't do any "Halloween stuff" because we don't celebrate it. Luckily, his teachers are Christian women and understood completely. They found different things for him to do instead.

It's funny because, while I was so nervous about the whole thing, he was completely fine with it, like it was no big deal. And I realized that my secular way of thinking was responsible for my worrying. How many times we can learn lessons from our children! It reminded me how important it is to raise him close to the Church. I saw the difference in his boldness and my hesitation, the firmness in his faith and the wavering in my own. I was raised in the Church but I was never firmly grounded in it. Orthodoxy was a tradition in my life, instead of being the very breath of my life, and the results were undeniable.

Below are several posts from the archives containing various articles and helpful links on Halloween and Orthodoxy. For those of you uncertain about your participation, I hope you sift through the following links and ask Christ to illuminate your mind and heart and you follow the path He lays before you.

Should Orthodox Christians participate in Halloween?

Trick or Treat?

Orthodoxy vs. Halloween

Celebrating St. Sevastiane of Markianopolis

2010-10-24T16:45:00.004-04:00

"St. Sevastiane lived and struggled during the reign of Emperor Domitian (81-96 A.D.) and was baptized by St. Paul. She immediately became one his disciples and began traveling to different places preaching the gospel of Christ. Due to her missionary work as a Christian she was slandered before the Governor Sergius.

When asked to give an account before him, she remained steadfast in her faith for Christ. She boldly confessed her faith and that she received baptism by the Apostle Paul. She also announced that she was prepared to die for her Lord."

Today we're celebrating the feast of St. Sevastiane, my patron saint. To read the story of her life, click here.

Coming this Spring!

2010-10-11T12:27:00.001-04:00

by way of official announcement,

baby no. 03 is on it's way.

xoxo,
Sylvia

On Discipling Children

2010-10-01T20:10:00.002-04:00

Check out my latest interview on Come Receive the Light, a podcast on the Orthodox Christian Network.

Disciplining our children is such a broad topic and varies so much between children and families alike. What are your disciplining techniques? What works and what doesn't?

PlanetBox: Lunch Transportation for the Green Generation

2010-09-24T16:18:00.002-04:00

I am so excited to show you guys the newest lunchbox we've been using for the last couple of weeks. It makes packing a fun lunch even easier! I'll admit it's a little pricey, but the money we saved last year on buying individually wrapped snacks and juice boxes made another investment like this worth it. There's lots of reasons why PlanetBox will become your new BFF.

The PlanetBox is an awesome and eco-friendly way to pack your child's lunch! I love that it keeps everything neat and separated, even after it's been tossed around before lunchtime.

Click the photo above to learn more about Chemo Duck, a program that puts a fluffy duck friend in the arms of children coping with cancer.

The interior compartment is made of stainless steel and is easily thrown in the dishwasher after each use. It isn't made to hold liquids, so you have the option of using the Big and Little Dippers (shown below). They're perfect for holding "wet" foods like yogurt, apple sauce or dipping sauces like ketchup or ranch dressing. I also use the little one for rice pudding, etc.

The metal compartment fits perfectly inside of the carry bag (carry bags come in 6 different colors), which is 100% toxin free (no BPA, lead or PVC) and made from recycled plastic bottles. It is also super easy to clean off. It can be completely submerged in water, so spills or stains are easily removed. The inside has a large mesh pocket that is perfect for storing napkins, utensils and hot/cold packs.

The outside of the bag has 2 pockets, one for holding a drink bottle and one for anything else you want to include with their lunch. I usually use it for notes and other fun stuff.

PlanetBox also offers 7 different magnet sets to stick on top. We alternate between this fun sports theme and the ocean theme (shown in above photo). Ace likes to use a different one each week. Each set has a spot where you can write your child's name too. Just remember to take them off before washing! I just stick them right on the fridge when I unpack it each day.

I also love that PlanetBox comes with a limited warranty for a period of 5 years and all the pieces can be ordered separately as well as in sets. So next year, if the carry bag is ruined, I can simply purchase a new one instead of having to buy another whole set.

Welcome Ephraim Polamalu!

2010-09-24T08:11:00.005-04:00

I wanted to share the wonderful news that Troy and Theodora Polamalu welcomed a second son into their family. Troy stated, "Today the Steeler Nation has acquired a new citizen. Theodora, Paisios, and I welcome Ephraim Polamalu. Boy born 5:01 AM this morning."

Welcome baby Ephraim!

What a blessing for the Polamalu family, may they continue to reap the spiritual fruits of what they've sown. Their family is such a wonderful example of Orthodox living in a secular world.

Also, I recently read another great interview by Troy on the blog Mystagogy. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
By Jerry DiPaola
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
September 19, 2010

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said his quest for religious guidance was an attempt to find true meaning in his life.

"I wasn't satisfied with what my idea of faith was," said Polamalu, 29, who said he felt blessed to be exposed to Catholic, Mormon and Protestant churches as a child in Oregon. "I went to church. Some days I would feel the music, I'd feel the sermon; some days I wouldn't. Sometimes, I would be crying. Sometimes, I would be dead and bored.

"That emotional experience was a very shallow experience. I wanted something that would touch my heart, not my emotions."

Polamalu started reading about religions and their history. He met with monks, even finding a Buddhist who lived in the desert in California.

"I was on a quest to find the truth," he said.

He chose Greek Orthodox and was baptized four years ago.

"The only church that I can say really never swayed was the Orthodox church," he said.

Polamalu found the truth on Mount Athos, a peninsula in Greece where he spent four days living with monks in a monastery.

Enormous, old castles dot the seashores and mountain slopes of Greece, and male monks — no women are permitted on the peninsula — live a life of confinement, prayer, asceticism and contemplation. Many monks live in caves, as they have for thousands of years.

"You're talking 1,500 years of tradition that has been passed down and unblemished," said Polamalu, who acquired a small, wooden cross on Mt. Athos that he wears around his neck at all times.

Polamalu is almost insulted when someone expresses amazement at how seriously he embraces his faith.

"We're talking about faith. We're talking about God," he said. "How can you not take that seriously? We're talking about the meaning of life, really."

Polamalu is careful not to push his beliefs onto others.

"It can lead to resentment, and that is not what you want," he said. "There is also a sense of arrogance sometimes when people are really hearty, evangelizers, and that is opposite of what faith is. Like, 'I know this better than you.' There are a lot of pitfalls to that."

Asked if it's proper to pray for victory or a game free of injury, Polamalu said: "That's for God to judge."

But he adds: "It's not about winning games. It's about winning your soul."

Homemade Waffle Recipe

2010-09-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

Since we've decided to do the 100-day real food challenge, I haven't purchased any frozen pancakes or waffles this year. We've been eating eggs and bacon or homemade waffles a lot. Last week, they loved the heart shaped pancakes with fresh fruit on top.

I was so worried that we wouldn't have enough time for big breakfasts every day but it really hasn't taken much longer. I actually feel sort of guilty that I didn't do this more often last year. I love watching them get all excited when they ask what I'm making for breakfast each day. Ace actually told me that these breakfasts remind him of the "fun days" when he was home all the time. Sniff, sniff...

So far the homemade waffles with fresh fruit and whip cream are at the top of their list. The recipe is one I've used since I got married and even though I've tried others, it remains my favorite.

It's quick, easy and the batter can be stored for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, even though it doesn't even last a week in our house. Some people have told me that they bake the entire batch, freeze them and just pop them into the toaster later on. I think this is a great idea if you don't have time to bake them fresh every morning.

HOMEMADE WAFFLE RECIPE

2 eggs
2 cups flour, unbleached
1 T sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup oil
1 3/4 cup milk

Preheat waffle iron and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Beat eggs until fluffy.
Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.
Pour batter onto iron and cook until golden brown.
Add toppings. Our favorites include fresh fruit and whip cream or powdered sugar and syrup.

Get this free cookbook download, 29 Tasty, Easy Breakfast Recipes, for other terrific breakfast ideas!

Back-to-School and Back to Routines

2010-09-10T10:53:00.001-04:00

Wow! It's been a busy month!

We had an awesome Night Before 1st grade party for Ace. We made our school bus cake again (this time instead of buying pound cake, I baked one using better ingredients in 2 loaf pans) and read lots of fun back-to-school books like The Night Before First Grade, If You Take a Mouse to School, First Grade Here I Come! and a few more favorites. We went over basic rules and safety precautions, practiced the pledge of allegiance, student pledge and made sure he had his student I.D. number memorized.

He's had a great couple of weeks so far!

Lucky and I have been busy at home playing G.I. Joe's and working on his shapes and recognizing letters of the alphabet. We've been using a lot of these free printables from First School.

He's gotten back into his routine with no problem though. He'll still try to pull a quick one on me when it comes to doing his homework as soon as he gets home but I don't budge. :)

Last year we printed this after school routine poster out from Living Locurto. We laminated it tacked it to the wall to remind Ace of what the first things he needs to do when he gets home. (We added "change school clothes" and "show Mom schoolwork" is now "Do Homework")

We also use this weekly homework calendar from Family Fun. Ace's homework is assigned on Monday's and due on Friday's. This calendar helps him decide what subjects he wants to do each day. He usually fits two subjects in one day so he can have a "day off". I like it because it helps him assume responsibility for his homework. He crosses them off as he finishes them and if he asks to go play, I ask what homework he has left and he can look at the calendar and see.

What back to school routine tricks or helpful activities do you have?

Clarification

2010-09-07T07:02:00.012-04:00

image found here

There are a few points in regards to my last post that I feel must be clarified and instead of re-posting this 100x in the comment section, I am going to post it here in plain sight once and for all. Therefore, please do not continue to try and raise the same points continuously because I will not continue answering the same questions. I will not speak on this subject again, unless something is brought to my attention (see * below) and I feel the need to correct myself. So DO NOT leave argumentative comments because they will be deleted. This is not a forum for arguments. I believe everyone's opinions on both sides were voiced clearly enough in my last post.

First of all, let me remind everyone that this is my blog. The expressions voiced here are the thoughts and opinions of me--a stay-at-home Orthodox mother. I have every right to speak those thoughts and opinions. I have never made any claims to have authority over any priest or bishop or church cleaning lady, for that matter, and am quite honestly offended by such ridiculous accusations.

For those of you who were offended by what I have said in regards to the program in question, I will say this. Forgive me, it was not my intention to upset you. However, my opinions are based on what is going on in my community. I had no idea this situation ran so deep. What I do know is that a once strong and thriving community now stands divided since the introduction to this program.

I have been in touch with a woman who was one of the first to head this program here in the States and I am awaiting her response. What I have discovered so far is that the woman who was in charge of training our teachers has been referred to by other people in the program as a rogue. She is taking the Episcopalian version of the program and teaching it to Orthodox Sunday School teachers with no adaptation to our faith. I had no idea that my experience with the program was not a normal experience.

For those of you "demanding" I retract my statements...I will do no such thing UNLESS I am proven otherwise. My statements are based on what is happening in my community, not yours. I pray I am wrong. Some of the people I have spoken with have showed much kindness and love in trying to explain the way things are supposed to work and others have been more judgmental and accusing than they accuse me of being. I will however, try to clarify several points:

I APOLOGIZE for saying that you should pull your children out of the program. If your program is not the same as the one I am referring to and your family is comfortable with it, then it works for you and that is your choice.

I APOLOGIZE for any offense that my opinion has caused. I never imagined so many people would be affected by my simple opinion.

I APOLOGIZE (though I NEVER insinuated any thing of this sort, some people got this idea) for in any way, shape or form giving anyone one the impression that you should take my advice over that of your priest and/or bishop.

For those things, I ask your forgiveness.

That being said...

I WILL NOT be forced to remove something that I posted, that I believe, no matter how many people disagree with my beliefs.

I WILL NOT apologize for believing that the Orthodox Church, which has sustained herself for 2,000 years without ever straying or adapting to the times, alone contains all the elements necessary to guide our youth and adults in sharing in a "common religious experience".

I WILL NOT apologize for believing that our holy icons, which are written through prayer and fasting, that have performed miracles for generations, are capable of providing a "hands on" learning experience. I WILL NOT.

*I have asked for teacher's guides, curriculum outlines, photos, ANYTHING showing me that Orthodox life is involved in this program and I hope that I will receive something.

Until then, I will not be forced to change my opinion. I truly pray that I am wrong on this matter and that somehow the experience here is unique and not a typical experience.

Until then, I ask you to put yourself in my shoes. Many of you have sent emails and left comments asking me to put myself in your shoes. Now I ask you to do the same. I am not making any assumptions of what I think this program is. I am telling you what it is in my community.

If the things I have described where happening in your community, tell me, how would you react to that? How would you react to not being allowed icons in Sunday School? How would you react to someone telling you they are creating a common religious experience with your Church and other churches of different denominations in your community? Would you be angry? You should. And I am. So before you're so quick to tell me not to be judgmental, perhaps you should follow your own advice.

UPDATE: Due to the uncommon circumstances with this program in our town, I am taking down the previous post. Considering the fact that I am still not 100% sure of its presence in our Church, I do not want to misrepresent it. So for the time being it will be removed and if I feel it's necessary to re-post it at a later time I will do so then.

Needing Less Than We Think

2010-09-02T11:00:00.007-04:00

"I seek peace and do not find it, for my conscience is stained; there is no tranquility in me due to the multitude of my iniquities." - St. Ephraim the Syrian, The Spiritual Psalter

For a long time DH and I have talked about simplifying our life. We have become so reliant upon our modern conveniences and comforts that somewhere along the line our wants merged with our needs. We somehow tricked ourselves into believing that we really needed all of the things we spent our money on. I convinced myself that we lived simply enough. We don't have cable, I don't shop just to shop (most of the time) and make a strong effort to buy the only the things we need (there's that word again), we rarely eat out, try to eat as much as possible from our garden, etc., etc. Right? Riiiight.

Then one day last week DH came home early. He got laid off.

Initially, of course, I was in shock. I couldn't believe it. We had discussed the possibility of this happening, he worked at a bank and we all know what kind of shape the banks are in these days, but I always quickly dismissed the thought because I didn't want to think about the "what ifs".

After I got his call I immediately started going through the checkbook, making a list of all the things we could eliminate immediately to save money each month. I was so surprised to see how many things we really could do without. I was also so ashamed that I actually made myself believe we were living simply all this time. But then an overwhelming sense of peace came over me. Somehow it all just felt right. I realized that perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. DH has been wanting to do something else for awhile now but was always to afraid to leave the security of his job. He's always apologizing for not having spending enough time with me and the boys and talking about how he wished he could do something that would afford him some extra time at home, so I really believe this is God's way of simplifying our lives for us since we're too weak to do it ourselves. We both believe that our economy is not getting any better, in fact, we believe it's getting worse. We've been trying to "downgrade" our lifestyles but because we are both so spoiled rotten our efforts haven't been 100%. So God felt the need to intervene. And I am extremely humbled that He worked His plan into our lives, undeserving as we are. Again.

And I know that it is going to get worse before it gets better, even now as sure as I feel, that feeling is fleeting and is quickly replaced by fear and vulnerability. But I am also certain of Panagia's presence with us; I feel her looking over us and guiding our lives. Even when we neglect our spiritual lives and regardless of our unworthiness, she is always there offering her intercessions to God for us. The night before I did a Paraklesis asking for peace in our lives and humility. Well, I guess you could say this might be the first step in attaining those things.

As hard as it is to give up some of the things I enjoy and am accustomed too, part of me is so relieved to have to do this. I feel such a joyful peace inside. Glory to God for all things!

I just keep praying that he finds work soon and that it is something he will be happy doing. I just keep praying that God continues to guide us and that we have the wisdom to listen...

St. Fanourios the Martyr and Miracle Worker

2010-08-27T08:38:00.005-04:00

Today we celebrate the feastday of one of my favorite saints, St. Fanourios the Martyr and Miracle Worker.

St. Fanourios is one of the saints that we ask to intercede for us when we lose things. His name is from the Greek word fanerono which means I reveal. I can remember my mother teaching us to do this as children and I would actually get excited when things were lost. She would bake a traditional Fanouropita and I would bake my own version with my sister in our easy-bake oven.

There is not a whole lot known about his life. We know that he lived during Roman times and was in constant persecution because of his Christian beliefs. There is an icon that was discovered on the island of Rhodes during a period when the island was ruled by Turks.

The Turks decided to rebuild the walls of the city that had been destroyed during the war. They sent workers outside to collect rocks from the house ruins to help rebuild the wall. While doing this a beautiful church that was also destroyed was discovered and many icons were found inside. Most of them were destroyed to the point that you could not read the lettering on them. Amazingly, one stood out from all the others completely unharmed. It was an icon of a young man in a Roman soldier's uniform. In his right hand he held a spear and in his left hand was a cross and a lit candle. Around he perimeter of the icon were twelve events of martyrdom that the Saint suffered, which revealed much of his life.

The Tradition of the Fanouropita

The tradition of baking a Fanouropita is a great honor bestowed upon the Saint. It is typically a small, round cake and is made whenever the saint reveals a lost object, a job, a cure or anything else the person has sought to find, is found.

There are many variations of this recipe but this is the one I have always used.

Fanouropita Recipe

Ingredients:

4 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. oil
1 c. & 2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
12 Tbsp. orange juice
grated peel of one lemon
pinch of salt
powdered sugar to dust the top

Directions:

Mix flour and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix oil, sugar, orange juice, water and lemon peel.
Beat mixture for a few minutes, then add flour, raisins and walnuts. Mix well.
Grease and flour a baking pan.
Pour batter into pan.
Bake for 45 minutes @ 350 degrees.
Cool completely.
Dust with powdered sugar.

tip: If you let the cake sit a day before serving, it absorbs the flavors better.

*It is also a tradition for each person to say a prayer for St. Fanourios' mother when eating their slice of the cake. The pita's can also be brought to church to be blessed and shared among the people.

There is a beautiful icon of St. Fanourios located at the church of St. Syridon in Palos Heights, IL. St. Spyridon's church also has a beautiful little book that contains the life and Paraklesis service to the saint. Call 708.385.0787 to order a copy. It is the only book I have been able to locate on St. Fanourios.

Mom's Gone Organic

2010-08-20T18:17:00.000-04:00

rBGH. BPA. GMO's. Infected Beef. 280 million eggs recalled. Children hitting puberty as young as 7. Child Cancers on the Rise. Autism Rates Sky-Rocketing. Aspartame. Fluoride controversy. Silly Putty ingredient found in McDonald's chicken nuggets. Obesity Rates out-of-control.

These are just a few of the headlines we've read over the past several years. As a mom, every time I read one I am scared to death. What am I really feeding my kids?

Five years ago we bought chickens and began eating fresh eggs. A few years later we put some cows in the backyard and filled our freezer with fresh beef. We drank organic milk but that was really about it. I'm the type of person who has a tendency to stay away from market trends. And that is what the whole "organic" movement seemed like to me. Like a fad, similar to the diet crazes we see so often that usually leave people broke and still overweight.

But the more and more headlines like those above that appeared, the more suspicious I became. A friend of ours recommended a movie called Food, Inc. My husband and I rented it on Netflix and by the time it was finished I vowed never to eat fast food, or non-organic food period, again.

For so long I simply put my trust in the people in charge of approving or disapproving of the preservatives and other ingredients added to our food. But that trust is no more. I cannot begin to under$tand how the$e thing$ are approved. From now on, I will decide what goes into our bodies.

I created a new blog, called Mom's Gone Organic, to track my progress with the decision to challenge myself to 100 days of eating real food. I was turned on to this idea by a blog I found called 100 Days of Real Food. Then we ran across Food: The Ultimate Secret Exposed. I decided that from now on I will take better advantage of our local Farmer's Markets and pay better attention to what food stocks my pantry. Since organic food is slightly more expensive than non, we'll have to cut out some of the "snacks" and eat less often. Which also works to our advantage.

I'm being realistic about the challenge and am not expecting to cut out all processed foods right away. It will take time. It will be the most difficult for me because I am the big junk-food junkie, with my secret stash of Butterfinger's and Lindor truffles. So often I blame the way I feel on my thyroid and other factors but in reality I think diet plays the biggest role in how we feel.

I will consider the challenge successful if I can cut out 75% of the garbage. That means no more fast food, all organic fruits and vegetables, no more frozen pancakes or other products that include more than 50% of unidentifiable ingredients. Whole Foods Market here I come.

So why not join me on the journey? It begins September 1! Are you game?

Here and There and Everywhere

2010-08-18T11:42:00.006-04:00

We've been here and there throughout the past month. Mostly there though. Savoring the last precious weeks of summertime.

We spent the last three weeks in Ohio visiting my family and having a grand ole' time. We got to spend quality time with my Yiayia, who thank God, is 1 treatment away from finishing her chemo, and the rest of our family.

We packed quite a bit of life in those three short weeks too. We celebrated Lucky's nameday and birthday, visited the monastery in Saxonburg, drove to Washington D.C., Ace lost 4 teeth, was able to serve in the altar 5 times, went to Browns training camp and had a few more happy surprises while we were there too. ;)

Ace really enjoys learning about American History, so my parents rented a 12-passenger van and we all piled in and drove to DC. We only stayed for 2 1/2 days but were able to see pretty much everything we wanted except for a couple of places that closed early.

The boys loved seeing some of the exhibits at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History that they recognized from the movie Night at the Museum. Ace also really enjoyed Ford's Theatre. The smartest thing we did was buy tickets for the double decker bus. It was $35 per adult/$16 for children, which sounds a little pricey but it was a 2-day pass to anywhere in the city. It saved us *alot* of walking.

We also threw a birthday party for Coleen and Lucky. They had so much fun! It was great getting together with the whole family and watching all the kids play. I was so happy to be there for my precious little cupcakes first birthday. She is such a cutie pie! Her facial expressions and "conversations" are so dramatic, it cracks me up.

We did a cupcake theme for the party, pink and purple for Coleen and blue and green for Lucky. We made an assortment of cupcakes, with the help of some of our cousins, for the cupcake bar and we made giant cupcake cakes to sing Happy Birthday with.

Lucky got really bashful halfway through Happy Birthday and was overwhelmed by all the great presents he received...

But by the end of the party he was content with just a balloon and a bag of candy.

Now we're back home, buried in four suitcases worth of laundry and enjoying the last lazy days of summer with root beer floats, snow cones and lots of snuggle time.

Hello Asheville, North Carolina

2010-07-24T18:47:00.006-04:00

This summer has been full of great memories and adventures. Our most recent adventure was a trip to North Carolina for my brother-in-law's wedding. So, My Big Fat Greek Wedding evolved into My Big Fat Greek Vacation. It was full of as much food, fun and family as you could imagine with 32 loud, overly-opinionated Greeks.

After the wedding we made the trek to Asheville.

What a city!

It is the perfect combination of history and modernism. Favorite retailers and restaurants are surrounded by historic buildings with unique architectural details rarely seen in modern-day structures. The weather was perfect; cool mornings and evenings and hot afternoons--exactly what I like my summer days to be like.

The hotel we stayed at was great too. I loved that they not only offered a hearty (and complimentary) breakfast but a terrific dinner as well. The staff was very helpful and even gave us our own "private dining room" so other guests would have room to enjoy their meals without getting hit by flying flatware (Lucky), becoming collateral damage during a G.I. Joe battle (Ace and Mikey), or losing their hearing due to high pitched shrieks (Julia could break glass).

Here's a sneak peek into some of my favorite moments:

My boys and I on the trolley in downtown Asheville

Cousins playing in the sprinklers

A beautiful butterly at the Biltmore

Lucky, my niece Julia and I on the front lawn of the Biltmore (more about that later)

Our Family in front of the Biltmore House

DH and I at the Biltmore Winery Wine Bar

The four of us after the wedding

It was a great time and it was reallyy nice having the whole family there. This was the first vacation we've ever taken with DH's grandparents, parents, brother, sister, aunts, uncles and cousins!

Thanks to @AshevilleTravel for all the tips and ideas! DH and I are definitely planning on visiting again soon!

Emotional Development and Christian Hope

2010-07-16T22:00:00.003-04:00

I've been reading the booklet On the Law of God (Synaxis Press) by Metropolitan Philaret of New York (this is not to be confused with the book Law of God by Seraphim Sobodsky, which is also a wonderful book).

Today I read the section on emotional development in children and found it very helpful. I know I fall into the category of parents who try to raise their children in a "greenhouse". So many times, out of fear of what the world breeds, I try to shelter my children and keep them away from many of the things their souls really need to be exposed to. I know, I know, I try not to but sometimes you catch yourself doing it completely unaware.

One section reads, "Unfortunately, in many good Orthodox Christian families, life is arranged in such a way that the parents consciously guard their children from contact with human need, sorrow, heavy difficulties and trials. Such an excessive protection of children from sober reality brings only negative results. Children who have grown up under greenhouse conditions, separated from life, grow up soft, spoiled and not well adjusted for life..."

I think many times this is overlooked by us as parents. We think we're doing the right thing by keeping our child protected from certain things, when in reality it is these very things that they must learn to deal with. How will they handle these trials later in life? This goes back to my decision to send them to school. As much as my heart yearns for them to be home with me forever, deep down I know that they must learn to function in society. I've said this before, I believe there needs to be a certain balance in a child's life in order for homeschooling to be effective and in our lives school provides that balance. If you live in an area where your child has efficient exposure to other children, than I think homeschooling is the perfect solution for you. Unfortunately, we do not. If my children were to be homeschooled, they would see no other children, save the half dozen kids at church on Sunday. So, I am thankful for the opportunity that school has provided both Ace and myself in leaving our "greenhouse". Now, I just need to work on everything else...

Now, this being said I have to also remind you that this does not, by any means, imply that I think children should be tossed into the world to "experience life". It simply means that I need to look closely at the things I shelter them from and decide whether or not I am truly doing this for their salvation or if it is a result of my fear of what they might encounter. If after examining the situation I still feel it's best to keep them away from something or someone, than I will do so with a clean conscience. If not, maybe I should give them a little more line.

Metropolitan Philaret continues by saying that one of the most important things we can teach our children is to have Christian hope. To help them understand that wherever they go, they are under the protection of God and to help them see the infinite vault of Heaven even while living in the physical world. This hope will sow anticipation in their hearts for the "resurrection of the dead and the life of the kingdom to come. Amen."

I think this is so important. It's so easy to fall into despair thinking about all of the things going on in the world but I need to have Christian hope. I need to find comfort and courage in God.

You can read the remainder of this section here.

So now the question I am asking myself is, What other areas of our lives are "greenhoused"? How can I change that to the benefit us spiritually?

What about you? In what ways do you live in a greenhouse?

BTW, I ran across this t-shirt on OrthodoxChristianChildren.com and thought it was really cute, so I wanted to share:

Nickels and Dimes {Warning: Vent Session}

2010-07-14T12:50:00.003-04:00

I have to vent here for a moment. I am soo furious. It all started the other day when I drove south a couple of hours with the boys and stayed at a place that had no land line. Of course, I didn't think this would be a problem because I had my trusty cell phone. Except that my cell phone wasn't so trusty. At first, I just sounded muffled, but soon no one could hear a word I was saying. By the end of the next day I couldn't even call out. To make matters worse, I was babysitting my niece and couldn't answer the phone when my sister called to check in on her. Do you have any idea how inconvenient it is to be traveling with three kids and no phone? Thank God there were no emergencies.

So much for trusty cell phone.

Then today, I was getting some last minute things taken care of for a road trip we're taking this weekend and I figured, "Hey, I'm going to be doing a lot of traveling over the next month. Maybe I'll finally sign up for that great 'NO CONTRACTS! $29.99 unlimited data plan for iPads!'" But when I called both Apple and AT&T to sign up, I was informed that the plan no longer exists. Now, to take advantage of the promotional offer promised when iPads went on sale, you have to automatically renew each month. Which basically equals a contract, right? I mean, if you cancel you are no longer eligible.

I guess I just really felt like one my worst fears is closer than I imagined. It makes me wonder what the world will be like 20 years from now. Everywhere we go people are glued to their cell phones. No need for casual conversation with the person sitting next to you when you can interact with hundreds of people on facebook right from your phone! Take a look around next time you're at a restaurant or waiting in line somewhere. How many people are playing on phones instead of talking to an actual human being? I keep reading articles on the trouble public libraries are in right now and how people think they're unnecessary nowadays with all the gadgets like e-readers and the internet. Why drive all the way to the library to borrow a book when you can download it for free? And I vow, to never, ever buy an ebook instead of a REAL book. Nothing can replace the feeling of a book in my hand.

I don't know about anyone else but I'm |t h i s| close to burying my electronics in the backyard. Will our grandchildren even know what a library is or will it seem as old-fashioned to them as a drive-in theatre?

I know I'm rambling right now but I feel like all these things are intertwined. I know it is impossible to keep from technology completely; there is a lot of helpful information on the internet, etc. But I am beginning to wonder, how much electronic dependence is too much?

Happy Birthday America!

2010-07-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

There's something about the 4th of July that makes it one of my favorite holidays. The first thing my dad did every year was proudly hang the flag from the front porch, as did almost everyone in our town. I can still remember looking down the street and seeing an ocean of stars and stripes.

Our neighborhood would throw a block party every year and us kids would go from backyard to backyard eating and having a blast. The women spent all day getting all the food and the red, white and blue desserts ready, while the men took care of the grilling and sneaked lighters to us "older" kids. We'd light hundreds of bottle rockets, tanks, snakes, roman candles and other fireworks. I'll never forget the year one of the neighborhood kids set their parents car keys into orbit. :) Those were good times.

Somehow, on that day I always felt a little more free. My parents would sit down with us and ask if we knew what we celebrated on this day. Their eyes would glisten and their hearts beamed with pride as they told of our family members who served in the military. I never quite got it, until I got older. Now my eyes glisten and my heart beams with pride as I re-tell those stories to my children.

As an adult, it's the one day I wish everyone could put aside their political opinions and just be thankful for all the blessings we have in this country. Whether you love the current president and hate the former, vice versa or you don't like either of them, that should all be put aside, if only for today. You may think our country is far from perfect, but it is still our country. Does perfection exist anywhere? I don't think it does.

Focus instead on our founding fathers and all the people who gave up everything in the name of freedom. Do we really understand what they did? The committed treason and went up against all odds to become an independent nation!

It sure was worth it, wasn't it?

Don't forget to whisper a prayer for those who continue to protect our freedom today. Thank a soldier. I love that my boys salute anyone they see in uniform. It brings tears to my eyes every time.

Happy Birthday America!

Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Frosting Recipe

2010-07-03T12:57:00.002-04:00

One of my cousins recently posted this recipe on Facebook and I almost caused water damage to my keyboard from drooling. It is so delicious!

The honey in the frosting adds such a nice flavor. This is definitely one of my new favorites!

Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients

Muffins:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Frosting:

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly. The muffins may be eaten warm or cooled completely and frosted.

To frost the cupcakes: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone cheese and then beat in the honey. Spread the frosting over the muffins. Sprinkle with the walnuts.

Enjoy!!

Click here for this recipe and more from Giada!

Eyes Wide Open

2010-07-02T10:42:00.005-04:00

That's what I'm doing this summer. Keeping my eyes wide open. Because I know that the minute I blink it will all be over. And I'm having too much fun!!

We've been enjoying the hot (and I mean h-o-t) weather and then giving thanks for the AC! We've had water balloon and smoothie filled afternoons followed by lots of reading in our blanket tents at night. It feels so good to have them both at home with us. I dread the beginning of school again. I'm still praying that it gets easier, but it's not lookin' so good.

This year we picked up a Slip n' Slide at Wal-mart for $5.00! The boys *love* it! They spend all afternoon slipping and sliding and jumping into our Olympic sized pool (which is about 3 ft. in diameter).

Stay tuned for the recipe for Ace and Lucky's favorite summer snack this year! Hint: It's yummy and healthy. :)

Last weekend we went with my sister-in-law Valadou and her kids to see Curious George Live. Of course, this was Ace's lifelong dream, to see "Gaki" live! I wish they could have taken pictures with him but we made due with what we had (see photo below). Ace is holding the famous Gaki that he has taken everywhere with him since he was one and Lucky is now the proud owner of the backup we bought the year we thought Ace lost him at the Watermelon Festival. :) We all had such a good time!

Afterward, we went out to celebrate for a friend's birthday. DH and I managed to get not one, but two photos together! Impressed? I know!

This weekend we'll be celebrating the feastday of Panagia Vlahernon. Anyone interested in attending services can find a schedule here.

Adventures of an Orthodox Mom on OCN

2010-06-26T12:27:00.002-04:00

I was recently interviewed by Fr. Chris of Come Receive the Light on the Orthodox Christian Network.

Listen to the interview here.

"Free Constantinople" T-shirt Giveaway

2010-06-17T08:17:00.007-04:00

What awesome things I learned from your comments! What a fun contest!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MELANGELL! Please email your shipping info to Sylvia{at}OrthodoxMom{dot}com!

T-shirts can be purchased here with a 10% discount. Be sure to mention Adventures of an Orthodox Mom blog in your purchase order.

********************************************************

Some of you might know that DH and I have a side business where we import different Greek and Orthodox items from Greece and sell them to church bookstores or for church festivals on consignment. Check out our site here.

We've recently been adding some new products and one of my favorites is this FREE CONSTANTINOPLE T-shirt.

They come in sizes S, M, L and XL.

So I am giving one away here on Adventures of an Orthodox Mom!

To enter:

Leave a comment

For extra entries:

Tell me something you know about Constantinople (I thought this might be fun!)

Follow this blog

Follow me on Twitter

Contest ends on June 24! Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Blueberry Pickin'

2010-06-14T12:11:00.003-04:00

Last week, we met up with some friends and took our kids blueberry picking. We missed the season last year, so I wanted to make sure we got some yummy berries this year. And we did!

It was so much fun! Lucky was old enough to pick this year too. And boy did he pick! He picked one, ate two, picked one, ate two...

We went early in the morning so the weather was beautiful. It was so nice being out in the morning sun and watching the kids have so much fun. Their fingers and tongues were stained purple by the time we left.

Ace raced around the bushes, eager to fill his bucket. Lucky just came to my bucket every time he needed a refill. :) Even with all the berries that ended up in our bellies instead of our buckets, we came home with about 7 lbs. of organic blueberries.

We came home and baked some scrumptious blueberry muffins too. I'm surprised the boys didn't turn into blueberries, they ate so many!

Click here for a great tip on freezing blueberries and for some great blueberry related books!