Meet Milo, bottling detergent from yesterday and more ideas for Lent with boys

This is Milo.  He is one of Running Water's sons born on Sunday 2/21/16.  He is the smallest of the two, loves hugs and kisses, long naps and is not afraid of Papa Skippy (aka Mountain Apache's Warrior). He loves his mom and hopes to live on a farm in Texas someday.

 

Oh, and he has blue eyes like his mom.

The detergent is ready to bottle up. We left it over night to thicken. Stirred it up good. I used juice jugs from work that were going to be thrown away or water jugs.  Fill half way with detergent and half way with water and shake, shake , shake.  At this point I did add lavender to a couple of bottles and some I left plain because even that smells great.  Be sure to shake before each use.  Man, I love this stuff.  Made 10-12 jugs.

I love it when our friend and neighbor raises pig!

Teaching sons alms-giving.  This one I learned from my mom. When we were kids  saved all our change during Lent, well, really, all year in a big gallon jar. I think we assumed it was for some trip. But one Saturday before Easter mom told us that giving should be done without others knowing and we were going to give the jar of money to someone else. So, she had us sneak into church way before a Saturday mass and put the jar right inside the vestibule. The goal was not to let anyone see us and we must never tell anyone.  This was a good lesson to teach my sons. We saved our change mostly by collecting cans on our walks.  It got to be a joke in our family because my sons were embarrassed to collect cans.  But they didn't mind going to the can bank to have the cans be put on the conveyor belt and up and over to be crushed. It was sad, though,  most of the people there were poor mothers and homeless people, but it was what we did.  Anywhoo... we collected the money most of the year and then came time to give it away...it was our turn to put it in the back of the church, in the vestibule, without anyone knowing or seeing them. We got together -me and four little boys. Strategize.  And came up with a plan.  You must be covert like the military!  They must sneak in, not be seen, drop off the money and rush back to the car.  They did it but always came back running and laughing... announcing that no one had seen them. Success.  I am not sure they understood the whole idea of almsgiving but they did know we were doing something for someone else and unconditionally .  A lot of churches are locked during the day now.  But maybe during adoration some day, don't be surprised if a jar full of change appears out of nowhere for someone less fortunate.

Oh, and your jars don't need to be plain. Here is a nut jar I covered in fabric, glitter and a Smurf.

Hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by. I am heading to see a new generation of boy...my grandson before going to work. Fun!