Winter Fun List week 2 update!

We haven't done a ton around here since last week really in regards to our Winter Fun List, but here's what we did get done. Now that Jason's back to school this week, I'm hoping we can do a bunch of things on the weekend before the boys' Catechism class starts back up on the 25th. Also, I never though I'd say this, but I hope it snows again soon. Just a few inches - I'm talking 4-5 max - so we have a nice fresh coating on the ground. As of right now, we have slush and some snow and lots of patches of green/brown in the yard. Wanting to get out sledding, snowman-making and throwing snowballs at each, we would love a small snowstorm. NO snow days from school though!!! ;)

Our improvised King/Epiphany cake:

I wanted to do a tradition New Orleans style King Cake but had a hard time finding a recipe that I liked. We try to eat whole grains, and no artificial food coloring. While we could easily substitute natural food dyes for the fake petroleum-based ones, I couldn't find a whole wheat recipe. From all of the recipes I did see - I started planning this a little late - it's traditionally brioche dough, made into a round wreath, either braided or not, and then you place a plastic baby, a coin or a bean inside before baking. To decorate it, it's glazed and then drizzled with purple, gold and green icing. I didn't have green or purple natural dyes, although we do have orange left from a couple of years ago in the fridge.

To make it easier on all of us this year, I purchased a vanilla pudding cake that had white icing drizzled on it and placed a quarter inside from the bottom. We didn't actually have it until Tuesday, January 7th.

Jason laughed at me because I put candles on it, but I thought it was fitting as it's supposed to be a celebration of Christ's birth with the 3 Kings or Wise Men. The boys all liked that little touch.

We also discussed Epiphany and why it's celebrated last Sunday. We have the little blue book that our Parish hands out and there's always some interesting information in there. Although we didn't talk about St. Andre Bessette yet, we will learning about him and St. Hilary this week.

Before Mass yesterday, we were looking through Alex's Mass and First Communion Book that he got last year as a gift and started praying the Rosary together. It's nice because all the prayers are right in there: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, etc as well as all the Mysteries, and a nice illustration explaining the order. My plan is to spend 15 to 20 minutes a night praying with the boys and in the process have them learn the prayers. They both know the Our Father prayer, and most of the Hail Mary (I didn't realize they knew what they do!) but not The Apostle's Creed - I don't have it memorized either - or the Glory Be. Since both of them got a nice set of Rosary beads for their First Communions, they are all set.

It was so cold early in the week that we didn't get any outside activities in, and then it was back to school for the older boys Thursday and Friday. Saturday, Jason was working at City Airport, so we had a lazy day around here and Sunday was Mass in the morning followed by grocery shopping for me.

Thanks again to Learning Life with 3 Sons and Homeschool Camper for hosting this link-up! I'm hoping for a more exciting (and photo-filled!) week to share on next Monday.