Since Djembe had three performances Easter Sunday I decided to take the girls home for the holiday. I knew what I was getting into…six girls under the age of nine. Easter is a very special holiday for me so I wanted to spend it with someone who shared the joy of it. I knew that if we stayed home Easter morning would be rushed. So off we went. It took creativity packing all of the Easter stuff where the girls wouldn’t see it. I got there about the time my Aunt was getting home from school. The girls were so excited to see Mawmaw and their cousins. My cousin was here with his other two. THAT was an experience. They are interesting characters with their own slant on the world. Socialism is attractive to them…but anyway…the girls were excited. Since it was almost ninety degrees they wanted to get in the pool. No problem…but no one was allowed to drowned because I had NO desire to get in the water. Too chilly for my tastes. So they swam the afternoon away while me and my aunt watched. It was great to be home. Saturday my uncle took a few of the girls out while the rest of us went shopping. Two more baskets had to be made since my cousin came home with his other two. So I entertained a few kids while my Aunt shopped. After completing Easter shopping we dropped the girls with Pawpaw and headed to get groceries. It takes a lot to feed our bunch. I think 18 was our Easter day total. We made it home just in time for Pawpaw to take the girls to lunch. Woohoo! An hour or so sans kids! We had time to make baskets! This was our favorite part. We set to work separating Easter goodies and manipulating it all into baskets. Baskets are a BIG deal! See, Gran was my Aunt’s mother and she raised me as well…so we have a similar appreciation for the joy an Easter basket can bring. Gran made everything in our baskets growing up. We didn’t have much money but she somehow managed to make a special Easter basket. The joy of creating a fun and happy basket for our girls is rewarding. We set to work and let me tell you it takes time to make six Easter baskets. Pawpaw made it back before we were done and the girls had to be entertained in the pool again. Finally finishing it was a trick to get six, filled fully full, Easter baskets hidden. While Mawmaw took over kid duty I started dinner. Hot wings! woohoo. OK, hot wings are not NEARLY as big of a chore until you are cooking for 5 adults and six little girls! I have a new respect for my Aunt who does this on a regular holiday basis!!!! Hot wings were a hit. Afterwards…time for eggs. Apparently egg dying is now a marathon event for kids. They finished in record time, then it was the adults turn. I seriously think we had more fun than them. Cousin Patches wins the award for best eggs. He is an amazing artist. Excellent at glass blowing, but a pretty good egg art creator too. Getting the girls to calm down and go to bed was interesting. Finally we were successful and able to begin arranging baskets. We had a little fun letting the pet rats inspect all the eggs. Great pics there…
Easter morning we awoke at the crack of dawn. OMG I was so groggy while the girls inspected their baskets. Baskets were a hit…then I went back to bed. First I curl up in my aunts bed, but she decides (just after I get to sleep good) to come in and discuss an Easter outfit. I would post part of that conversation or a description of the outfit, but I was WAY too groggy. Next I stumble into the middle bedroom because Tweety wanted to use the computer but could only do so with an adult in the room. A lot of good I did because while she was on the computer I went back to sleep with the covers pulled over my head. I woke to my Aunt talking to her daughter overseas while Pawpaw was uploading pics from my camera. She almost sat on me. Curled under the covers I had been enjoying such a sweet nap. But it was time to start the day.
Easter was a great day. More family came, the girls had a good time hunting eggs, and then spent the afternoon in the pool. I braved the water and it really wasn’t so bad. All in all…it was a wonderful weekend, but it was sure great to be home in my own bed last night.
Hope everyone had a great holiday…Smiles!