I haven’t posted in awhile about Johnny.

But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t generated reams of material.

The other week, I was reviewing his Friday folder and the teacher’s weekly newsletter. Apparently, Religion class focused on the Church’s liturgical year while Science concentrated on the life cycle of the pumpkin seed. It all came together in Johnny’s Jack-o-lantern drawing for Art class.

As I made dinner last week, Johnny asked me when it would be Ash Wednesday. I was mildly perturbed as I tried to answer this question while draining pasta noodles. I couldn’t imagine why he needed a specific date. It’s October after all and Lent is pretty far back in the rear view mirror. But Johnny kept pressing me with his question, demanding a date.

I grabbed my phone and did a quick search while balancing Becky on my hip. According to Wikipedia, the bastion of all wisdom, the earliest date for Ash Wednesday is February 4 (when Easter is on March 22) and the latest is March 10 (when Easter is on April 25). Wikipedia is a God-send while I’m trying to cook, manage a precocious 7 year old, and handle a fussy baby. Johnny was satisfied.

When I packed up his backpack later that night, his inquiry made more sense. Apparently, Johnny mixed up a few lessons and melded them into something new. Which is the goal of interdisciplinary learning, I suppose. The result?

Johnny’s pumpkin, marked with ashes, is ready for the season of Lent.