This week's project, like that of the previous week, was largely decided by the calendar. Last week's was to celebrate Valentine's day; this week's was in preparation for Lent. We did this project last year, though Rebecca played a minor role in its creation. This time, however, she helped with the entire process. Elliot mostly observed.
So enough already, what did we do? The girls and I created a crown of thorns out of a standard salt-dough recipe and a bunch of toothpicks. I found this idea on the Internet last year as I was searching for ways to teach my children about Lent and what we do to prepare for Easter. It is a sort of countdown, much like paper chains are for Christmas. In this case the child pulls a toothpick out of the crown for every good deed he or she does, such as helping to unload the dishwasher or sharing a favorite toy with a younger sibling. When all the toothpicks have been removed, it's time for Easter. Then the crown gets decorated with flowers and jewels and anything beautiful to represent the glory of the Resurrection!
The process for this project was a lot different than previous projects have been. Instead of paints and stickers the girls got the chance to measure and stir and knead the dough on the kitchen counter. Elliot once again tried to take a taste, but the salt was too much for her (one cup salt to four cups flour). After we rolled the dough into three "eels" as Rebecca described them, Rebecca helped braid the crown and stick the toothpicks in. One hour in the oven and presto, out came a crown of thorns to help our family keep the Lenten season. I must say that it makes an interesting conversation piece when having friends over for dinner!
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