The Green Room

Palm Sunday

• Read Matthew 21:1-11 (the triumphant entry)
• Supper: we're trying hearts of palm and shrimp remoulade with rice. We might also do this hearts of palm dip or a plate of figs and cheese.
• Turns out there are a surprising amount of recipes that use hearts of palm. Next year I think we'll try this lemony shrimp salad and hearts of palm fries. If my husband liked eggs we would have these mini hearts of palm and mozzarella frittatas for breakfast. And maybe someday my family will be big enough soup fans that we can try this split pea soup.
• This year Sunday also coincides with the memorial of my mother-in-law, so we will be focusing on her as well. We're going to have a special dessert and show the girls pictures of her and tell stories about her.

Holy Monday

• Read Matthew 21:12-17 (Jesus clears the temple)
• Big house cleaning day! (This will probably spill over into tomorrow.)
• Vacuum, dust, wash windows, wipe down cabinets and doors
• Clear off the clutter spots I never get to: the desk and dry sink
• Clean out the fridge to make room for Easter food
• Put away all toys so there are none on the main floor. Make just Easter books and the resurrection eggs available. (That probably sounds harsher than it is. We actually spend very little time with toys during the day anyway.)
• Supper: crockpot chicken (one of our go-to recipes, and a subtle nod to the doves in the temple), leftover rice, vegetable

Holy Tuesday

• Read Mark 12:28-34 (2 greatest commandments)
• Do some acts of charity to express our love for our neighbors: this year we're going to take food to the homeless (we do this once a month and it providentially fell on this day this month - perfect!) and hopefully drop off some donations.
• Other options for future service: make cards of appreciation for our priests and deacons, visit a nursing home, help out at parish cleanup day (Saturday before Palm Sunday)...
• Supper: leftover shredded chicken, probably as tacos. Can you tell the goal is easy meals as we gear up for the weekend?

Holy Wednesday

• Personal note: I don't like calling this "Spy Wednesday" because I think it puts too much of an exciting spin on it. Maybe "Betrayal Wednesday" would be better?
• Read Matthew 26:1-16 (the anointing at Bethany and Judas' betrayal)
• In the future we'll hide thirty pieces of silver (coins) around the house and have the kids hunt for them (inspiration), when they're not so much of a chocking hazard.
• I don't have much else this year - we may have a snack of thirty rice crackers to symbolize the thirty coins.
• Go to confession.

Maundy Thursday

• Read Mark 14:12-31 (Last Supper - Institution of the Eucharist)
• Read John 13:1-20 (Washing of the Disciples' Feet)
• 8:00 a.m. Morning prayer at church (M will be late to school)
• IFF I have time and it's not too stressful, put together a triduum lunch based on all those neat teas, with unleavened bread and pretzels and crowns of thorns and 100 grape tomatoes and so on. (That's a big if.)
• Early supper: go out for lamb at a Greek restaurant (we could also roast a lamb at home instead, but I've been wanting Greek anyway!)
• Come home and do a simple foot washing with our family
• Mass isn't until 7:30, which is after bedtime, so we won't go this year
• Next year: go to seven churches in the morning and do two stations at each (like Kendra's crew) (have M skip school for the day)
• Update: After making all these plans, my husband has informed me that he has to work super late Thursday night. So I think we're going to transfer our evening plans (supper and foot washing) to the night before.

Good Friday

• Read John 19:16-30 (the crucifixion and death)
• 8:00 a.m. Morning prayer at church
• Noon Stations of the cross at church
• 3:00 I'd like to do something to mark this hour, though I'm not sure what yet - perhaps say an act of contrition
• Very meager supper: restorative vegetable broth and hot cross buns (both new recipes that I haven't tried)
• Again the evening service isn't until 7:30, so we'll skip this one this year

Holy Saturday

• Read Matthew 27:57-66 (laid in tomb)
• 8:00 a.m. Morning prayer at church
• Make our Easter eggs
• Make Resurrection Rolls
• Do a ton of cooking and prep for the next day
• Again, we're not going to hit the Easter Vigil because it's just too late
• After girls go to bed, finish prepping the house: put up Alleluia sign on the mantle (if I make it in time), put Easter baskets on the table, take purple cloths off crucifixes and put up sparkly papers behind them, hang balloons, bring out flowers, and any other decorations.

Easter Sunday!

• Hide the eggs we decorated as soon as I wake up so girls can look as soon as they wake up. (I am loving the idea of just hunting for hard-boiled eggs - I had spent way too much time earlier this year racking my brain for what to fill the plastic ones with.)
• Easter baskets will be filled with new books, socks and leggings, and maybe something edible like fruit, nuts, or pretzels
• 8:45 Mass!
• Have my family over to celebrate Easter and Cecilia's first birthday and my dad's birthday - there's a lot to celebrate this weekend!
• Dinner - ham, potatoes of some sort, might try these baked beans, corn, salad, deviled eggs, bread. (Other people are bringing some of this.)
• We're going to try these Resurrection Napkin Rings to retell the story before we eat.
• Dessert: Empty Tomb Cake, cinnamon chocolate cake (usually we do a cross-shaped carrot cake, but my mom gave up chocolate for Lent and I don't want there to be other junky processed chocolate candies floating around our house, so I'm hoping this cake prevents that), and homemade ice cream and fruit (because no, I will not let my baby eat cake yet).

Happy Holy Week everyone!