What We Did Ash Wednesday

Pshew, we did it.

It took a whole day, and we didn’t get ANY schoolwork done (double day tomorrow!) but we went to Mass, got our ashes, decorated the house for Lent, and . . . Cleaned Out the Toys!

Here’s our day in pictures . . .

ashes
remember, baby, you are dust . . .
And the big toy cleanout . . .
before
during
(this part is what I like to call “sweep pile rescue”)
after
I know, it doesn’t LOOK all that different. But there is a huge stack of toys against the wall of my garage that says otherwise. We still have a lot of toys. More than I intended, but it was HARD getting rid of stuff. We got rid of half of our toy bins, and probably two thirds of the toys themselves. We moved art supplies and games down where big kids can reach them.
I’m happy with our progress. And, hey, this way we have something to do NEXT Lent, right?
This is what our school table looks like now:
I’m sure it will be very motivational, or at least now, if they’re spacing out, maybe they’ll be spacing out about the passion. So that’s something.
For our other Lent decorations, see here.
In other Ash Wednesday news, I got the following email:

“FYI, Bishop Michael C Barber, S.J. of the Diocese of Oakland, California, quoted your article “Outside the Box: 66 Things to Give Up or Take Up for Lent (in beginner, intermediate, and advanced). People found it humorous and insightful.”

So. Cool. I need new business cards. Kendra Tierney: wife, mother, blogger, inspiration of bishops. 

+;0)

Oh, also, not yelling is really hard. I’m glad it wasn’t a one day challenge.

Join the Catholic All Year Community—for free.

See how you match up on the liturgical living checklist—plus we’ll send you the Saint of the day.

Hi! I’m Kendra. For twenty years now, I’ve been using food, prayer, and conversation based around the liturgical calendar to share the lives of the saints and the beautiful truths and traditions of our Catholic faith. My own ten children, our friends and neighbors, and people just like you have been on this journey with me.

If you’d like to learn more about what Catholics believe and why, and to be inspired by saints from every era all over the world, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of how to teach your kids about the faith in a way that’s true, engaging, and lasts a lifetime, we can help!

➡️ Get my liturgical living checklist for free when you join my weekly newsletter. 
Sign up here.

Related Articles You May Like