Ashes and snack

Today was FANTASTIC. Oh so FABULOUS. Today, was a normal day, with normal activities like going to the gym, playgroup at the library, lunch at Baja Fresh, a park in the afternoon. Wheee! That's right, people! We are OUT and ABOUT! After 3+ weeks of Bennett being sick, you should have seen the pure joy, if not faint recognition, at being at the park on a sunny day. We loved every. minute. of it.

Being Ash Wednesday, we were trying to figure out a service to go to. I thought I had finally settled on the 6pm service, but by the time I got everything prepped for cooking dinner after church, diaper changed, shoes on, etc, it was already 5:45. Plan B, I cooked dinner and fed the kids in a hurry and then rushed over to church for the service. Morgan was fascinated with the ashes. I read to her the explanation of Ash Wednesday I had received in my email the day before. She really wanted to go to the service with me, and since I had heard it was short, I told her that she could. She sat on my lap during the service. It started with music and then there was a mini-sermon about Ash Wednesday and Lent. There was some humor in the message and so everyone was laughing here and there, Morgan laughing along with us. Then she started to anticipate the humor, and I probably don't have to tell you that she ended up being the only one to laugh on a couple of occasions. Throughout the service, she would periodically turn to me and whisper in my ear, "When do I get the ash??" I would tell her in a little bit and she'd sit there quietly listening until she couldn't stand it anymore and had to ask again. As soon as the mini-sermon was over, the nice gentleman sitting on my right looks at Morgan and says, "You're giving up ice cream for Lent, right?" If looks could kill...

Finally, it was time for the ashes. We stood up, got in line and went to the front of the chapel where the ashes were being placed on foreheads. The woman in our line asked if Morgan would like ashes and she said she did, so she got some. I got mine and then we headed towards the back of the chapel where communion was out. I grabbed the "bread" and the "wine" and stepped aside to say a prayer. Meanwhile, Morgan is tugging at my pants and asking if she can have some. I quickly and quietly say no and then proceed to take communion. When I'm done, she looks at me and asks if that was what was for snack. Ha! As we are leaving the chapel to go get Bennett from the nursery (it is now FAR past his bedtime), I explain to her that when she is older and learns more about Jesus, she will be able to participate in that special ceremony, but not until later.

When we get to the nursery to pick Bennett up, he takes one look at my forehead and one look at Morgan's forehead and points to his own and proclaims "ME!! Me that on mine head!!" I rub a little ash from my forehead and put it on his and that seems to make him happy. Good thing he didn't see the snack I'd just had!!