Easter Weekend

Last year we didn't give into the major hype of the Holiday, so what should make this year any different?

Saturday I had gone to get Connor and nice new white Sunday Shirt and Abi some white shoes.  It was time to retire the golden slippers (I failed to take a picture of them before I threw them in the trash.  Think Wizard of Oz, but gold with holes scuffed into the toes).  While at the store, they had cute Easter Baskets for $1 each, so I picked some up and let Connor and Abi each pick out a $1 stuffed animal (you'd think I was at the dollar store...I wasn't).  Maybe we will use those Easter Baskets next year.

That was the extent of their Easter Celebration on our turf.  Fun, I know.  Our kids are going to lay into us about this one day...I am sure.  Do you remember your Easter from when you were 4, 2 or 1?  I don't.

Anyway, Sunday was a typical Sunday on our homefront.  With the exception that Todd had no meetings, but that was replaced with choir practice.  Todd and I both were to sing with the choir.  I had a two line solo and needed to be at the practice.  So at 10am, we all headed to the church for the practice.  While walking into the church, Abi was clutching her little purple easter bunny.  Her nursery leader asked her what it was and to my surprise, Abi replied, "It's my Easter Bunny, I got it in the purple basket."  SCORE!!!!  She totally thinks that she had a successful Easter and now the nursery leader won't think we are total schmucks for not throwing a treasure hunt.  I felt relieved.

Two cute girls from primary sat with our wild kids while we practiced, only to have all three kids clinging to me at the end of the practice.  I felt proud (truly) that my kids like me so much.  I have never felt more like a superstar than I did at that moment.   I thought, "they like me....they really like me."

Sacrament meeting started and Carly decided it was her turn to speak, LOUD.  So I got up to take her out, and Abi started wailing for her mother.  She does this a lot lately.  I think it kind of hurts Todd that she doesn't want him.  I hope it is just a phase.  Honestly, I don't know why she even wants me.  This morning she came up to me, rested her little head on my arm and said "mommy, you're stupid."

Back to church; I took both girls out into the foyer where I remained until Todd came and got me to sing with the choir.  I could hear both girls screaming from the stand.  Todd did find a room by the stage to lock themselves in for the remainder of sacrament meeting.

After the choir sang, I sat down next to Connor while the two cute primary girls remained and entertained him.  I then had an interesting conversation with Shelby, a ten year old.  It went a little something like this:

Shelby:  I asked Connor what he got for Easter, and he said 'nothing'.  She chuckled and looked at me hoping that it wasn't true.  You could tell by the look in her eyes.  So I asked him what he got in his easter basket and Connor told me he didn't get an easter basket.

Me:  The Easter Bunny skipped our house this year.  But don't worry, we're going to his Grammy's house tonight and I am sure the Easter Bunny will visit then.

Shelby:  Oh, good.

That Shelby is a smart one.  We couldn't fool her.  Carly didn't make it through nursery that day, so for the remainder of Sunday School I was out in the hall with her.  That's how we do Sunday's 'round here.

Grammy did come to the rescue with an Easter Egg hunt and Connor scored...as did Abi & Carly.  Thank heavens for awesome grandparents or this holiday would have been a bust in little Shelby's book.  I tried to explain to Abi and Connor before church that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ...they just got the Jesus part.  Hooray!  That's good enough for me.

You'll see that the dress Carly is wearing, is one that Abi wore last year.  The dress Abi is wearing is a pass-along from our favorite brown babe in Hawaii (for a few more months), Sami, and Connor is wearing his new Easter shirt.  So they didn't get the shaft entirely this season.

I was in charge of dessert for the event and I was so impressed with the end results.  For the kids I went with something I saw on Bakerella .  I didn't do the handles, as those sour punch straws didn't bend quite right. 

The treat for the adults was something I had been researching and preparing for ever since my last layered cake fiasco.  I found tons of great tips on-line and nailed this one on the head....in my book.  I know, it isn't a work of art, but it tasted divine and it didn't look as bad as I had anticipated.

Those are supposed to be carrots on the top.  It was a carrot cake.