Ah, leave it to me, the non-crafty person that I am, to punish myself with an art project for the kids.
It WAS a great idea: placemats for the dinner table. Using Lenten purple construction paper and various holy images and Bible quotes to decorate it and using clear Contact paper to protect it from the elements.
The execution was poor. I am easily frustrated by my own ineptness and hence was short-tempered and impatient with the Contact paper with seems to have a mind of its own (closely resembling that of an obstinate donkey), so instead of peacefully, meditatively guiding the children in what could have been, should have been, a spiritual odyssey reflecting on the Passion of Christ, instead I was angrily fighting with this inanimate object that was thwarting my every move.
Oh, and I misjudged how much Contact paper I had/needed, so only 3 mats (out of 6) were “laminated”.
But the results are fabulous, and I’ll probably suffer through it again in a few weeks and make some for Easter. The kids had fun and will be able to enjoy the fruit of their labor for many weeks. Hopefully the pictures they covered and will see at every meal will keep them ever mindful of the season, and their sight might remind ME that a little bit of suffering bring great rewards.
Reit This Way 
Find a school supply store in the area (or maybe even an office supply store or Kinkos). They have lamination machines that will save you from one more thing on your list in Confession 🙂
No, that would involve taking all the kids to the store with me. I’d rather fight Contact paper.It’s not that they’re bad in stores. But the effort involved in buckling, unbucking, rebuckling…and walking through the parking lot.