A Lot of Easter

Get comfortable. Have you had your coffee? Rest your eyes for a moment. We are about to take a journey and you may have to pace yourself to get through this post...

Saturday was mostly spent reveling in the bliss of not having to take anyone to school... for a week! In other words: We didn't get much done, which was nice. Then sometime before dinner and after sunset, William asked, "We are coloring eggs, right?" And I thought 'eggs?' Then I scrambled... er... I mean boiled.


It takes time to boil and cool eggs, clear the dinner table, find clean mugs, locate the remains of the PAAS box that Maria has been carting around the house for 3 weeks and then make the secret dye formula...


...so, by the time we reached the point when we could commence egg coloring it was already 9 p.m. Bedtime lands between 7:30 and 9:00 in Cramalot, so the idea to start any project at 9 p.m. is sheer madness. Madness, I tell you!


Nonetheless, we proceeded. And everyone was happy and eager.


William brought the globe to the dining table and began his earth egg, complete with continents and oceans.


I love the intent look of focus on these boys' faces. They know how to immerse themselves in their work and play.


Did I mention that some children are asleep by 9 p.m.? If some children are not in bed, happily asnooze, then all kinds of suffering, frustration, misery, woe and despair may ensue. Warning: Due to the graphic content of the images proceeding this message, it may be unsuitable for grandmothers and sympathetic, emotional beings. Please scroll down to Alex and his bunny eggs, if you cannot endure a sad, angry, worn out and crying child.


I tried to console her.


I tried to comfort and reason with her.


She was in the depths of egg coloring despair.


Alex colored a bunny egg. The face in front and a tail and big fuzzy bunny feet around the back.


This might have cheered Maria.


And she did eventually recover when her daddy was finally able to leave work and join us. Can't you just hear her post cry sigh?


Max colored 10 9 eggs... I remembered it as 10, but he just explained that he "lost one." Should I be worried?


Last Halloween Geoff brought out his dremmel tool and 'carved' an elaborate tiki head pumpkin. We were sound asleep, as he sat in the dark, late night yard, chiseling away. And what do you think he started around 11 p.m. Easter eve?


Answer: The Egg Lathe (patent pending.)
He melted wax to the end of the egg and attached it to his cordless power tool, then gave it a spin. As the egg turned he applied crayon, pens and markers and the egg finished with beautiful and expertly applied stripes. I love Geoff.


Easter morning. Maria made a complete recovery, and found in her Easter basket a baby all her own to love and console. Holly and Rich are the best ever Easter hosts and we made it to their home just in time for the egg hunt and omelet buffet.


When was the last time we saw this little girl... it's been too long. Izzy looks almost ready to walk. Now that she is one year old she is adopting lots more sweet skills, like saying "hi" and clapping her hands. Love it.


The boys got new shirts to wear for Easter and my stylish son added his navy coat to complete his ensemble. Handsome boy. I think this may be the same coat he wore to James and Deanne's wedding. It was completely oversized at the time and the only one we could procure. Or is the one William wore...? I think so. It fits now.


Did I mention Holly and Rich are the best? They always have everything organized, they are generous and creative and they provide right down to the last detail.


Into the bucket; Maria figured it out.


William is funny. He looks serious most of the time, but he's got an intelligent humor and we bust each other up. Here is his "I'm too old for this, but I will oblige you with a determined egg hunter's grin," look.


There were lots of hidden eggs.


There were lots of children. When Holly told me the head count, including some neighbors and friends, I gasped, "Wow, that's a lot of people."
She laughed knowingly, then clued me in, "Your family alone is 6 people!"
Oh, ya. We tend to fill a party out.


Ahh... Easter cousins in their pretty dresses, sharing treats.


Max wore this shirt, because it's an Easter rule. He will follow rules... he might protest that button down, blue shirts are ugly, but he will follow rules. And do you see the boy behind him? That is the elusive cousin, Nick. He moves fast.

Here are our beautiful hostesses, Holly and Izzy


Holly's friend brought a coconut bunny cake. We ate, and ate, and ate, and played all day.