The season of Lent.....To abstain or not abstain

I am a believer in god but I am a bad catholic and don't practice my religion like I should. I have always followed the season of Lent, gone to church occasionally, and  even was a teachers helper in religion class.   The question I have is this.....Can you have what you gave up for Lent on Sundays or not?  Lately I have been hearing on the radio, on my friends facebook pages, and this even came up at a conversation in my Bunco group.  Apparently people are saying that you can have the item you gave up for Lent on Sundays.  I also heard that instead of giving up a food item you can volunteer to do charity work or just say a few extra prayers.  Never in my life have I ever heard of such a thing......until I just googled it!  My great internet search revealed that in 1966 Pope Paul VI wrote in his apostolic constituton that fasting and abstinence can be replaced with works of charity and prayer.  WELL I"LL BE A MONKEY"S UNCLE!!!! 

I gave my kids such grief and guilt how Jesus gave up his life for us and the least they can do is give up soda (which was their choice) for forty days.  I nearly brought them to tears because I was not giving in to having soda.  Anyway...How do all my bloggy friends follow lent?