Repent from your sins and turn to the gospel.

Here's what we're doing around our house this Ash Wednesday to begin the Lenten season.

Crown of Thorns

Book Basket
We read about St Frances of Rome today. And, we have St. Patrick and St. Joseph's days are coming up soon.

A Fresh Lenten Calendar
It's not too different from our desert calendar from the last two years, but it didn't survive the move. However, I added the fruits of the spirit to the calendar. I know it doesn't really go with the theme, but I was going to do the corporal and spiritual acts of mercy and decided they were too difficult for the kids to understand or intentionally put into action. So I thought the fruits of the spirit might be a good way to focus their actions in order to remove a thorn from Jesus' crown.

Our Sacrifice Jar
We are trying something different this year for the kid's sacrifices. Instead of giving up dessert for the whole time, we draw one sacrifice each day out of the jar. The kids brainstormed with me and thought up 5 different sacrifices, and Hannah wrote them down.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (they have them every day!)
TV
Book on CD (the girls are addicted to them in the car so much so that they are miserable when we listen to music instead)
Chips (something I rarely even keep in the house when I am not pregnant, but you know...)
Dessert (put in the jar twice to make for a week of sacrifices minus Sunday)

I grabbed Hannah to photograph with the jar and then Genna comes in and wants to pose with it too.

And, of course, a little bit of ashes on sweet children...

Isaac rubbed his head all over me during the duration of Mass, so his ashes are mostly on my clothes. :)