Random Mardi Gras/Lenten Doings

I always seem to be figuring these things out (or remembering to do them!) at the last minute.

However, here are some things we are doing today:

•     We're finishing up reading this book:

   Instead of the often raunchy celebrations of Mardi Gras found in New Orleans, it focuses on

one Cajun family and their community in a small town in Louisiana. Sam was inspired to create

this "costume" for our mini-mardi gras celebration this evening.

He, Paul, and Patrick also made very fancy masks for the occasion.  We're still working on the hat.

I hope to find some Cajun music (also featured in the book) online that we can listen to tonight.

No, Gumbo isn't on the menu for tonight, just chicken fingers. We don't do the traditional pancakes for Fat Tuesday, because pancakes are semi-regular dinner fare around here, so it would be nothing special. Besides, Catholics no longer give up dairy products for Lent.

•     Hopefully, if I can get affordable wooden letters from Michael's, we'll be doing  this activity. Hiding the word "alleluia" is a good way to teach the absence of alleluia at Mass during Lent. 

• Tomorrow we'll make a dough "crown of thorns" by making a braided dough wreath, and sticking toothpicks in it to look like thorns. Each time a good deed is done, the good deed doer removes a "thorn". The goal is to be able to remove all the "thorns" by Easter, then beautify the wreath for use as a table decoration.

These are the plans. I'll let you know how it goes.