May Altar

May may be half over, but with preparation for First Holy Communion happening the first week and then getting back into the routine in week two, we were left with this week to prepare a May Altar. Getting a late start also provided me with all the necessary materials to create a fun project. First of all let me say that last year I saved the golden foil covered cake cardboard from Grace's FHC cake with the intention of giving it to my aunt who makes cakes. However, a year later and the cardboard was still in my laundry room behind the metal picnic basket which holds all my laundry products. Everyday I was reminded of my absent-mindedness when I looked at that cardboard and thought about how many times I'd seen my aunt. However, I was blessed when Lee's cake came on the exact cardboard. Now I have two and surely I can be resourceful enough to come up with a use for those.

Next thing I know I'm at the Catholic gift store in town and I see a reduced price Mary calendar. I really don't need another calendar, but the pictures are lovely. I had an AHA! moment and bought the calendar. Here you can see the cake cardboards and the calendar.

I explained to the kids that we were going to make Mary May Altars, but instead of placing a statue and flowers, we would use pictures and flower stickers. I got out some supplies: decorative scissors, stickers, matting paper, glue and the kids went to work.

And here are the finished "May Altars".

While putting together their Mary boards, I even had a chance to tie in the virtue of patience. Grace and Lou worked together; of course (being 9 and 5) they had differing opinions of just how many stickers should be displayed next to Mary. Grace had a good lesson in being like Mary and excepting that beautiful comes in many forms. Lou had a good lesson in being like Mary and not fighting for her way.