Lent.

I've finally got round to setting up the Lent focal point. I saved the things we made from last year but needed to get some new jars for the sweets. This is based on another idea I got from Catholic Mom.com.

Henry made this cross by sticking on coloured sequins.

Honor wrote out the 'Fruit gum prayer' and we framed it. The children earn suitably coloured sweets ie jelly tots or fruit gums according to this guide. So they earn a red one for hard work/sacrifice. A yellow for something like good manners or, in Honor's case yesterday, when she encouraged her brother by saying well done for something he did at school, which reflect God's bright light. An orange for appropriate behaviour during bedtime story and prayers.

Then the sweets go in the jar. Last year they waited until Easter before they were allowed to eat them. But as the priest told us on Sunday, you can have Sundays off from abstinence so they'll eat what they have earned during the week on Sundays. After all - there's far too much chocolate arriving at Easter time anyway. A few days ago I found 2 Easter eggs from last year still in the cupboard!