UPDATED: Easter: Better every year

 Yep, I finally found the best one.

The Trade

We spent our Friday evening a few weeks ago with five girls at the roller skating rink after trading three new girls for two of our boys.

The following morning, I arrived home from a run for cinnamon rolls to girls quietly painting and looking out that window at the nesting birds.  No fighting, no wrestling, no screaming.  Good trade for a quiet Saturday morning on our part.

Four Months; Fifty Pounds

Sunday Afternoons

 

After cleaning an inch of pollen off the outdoor furniture.

And making sure dad had on a lucky necklace.

Less Disturbing Scenes From Spring Break

 

And our day at the lanes and in the arcade ended with an assessment from Nicholas:

"Mom, I actually quite impressed with you."

Meaning, I put down work and hung out with kids for two days without losing my mind.  Well Done.

There Were Four Hours

 

In April 2015, that there was no more laundry to be done in our home.

Not Quite

 

Alida: "Look!  It's me and grandma fishing!"

Watching Around Here

 

Well, I watched some pulling and pushing.

 

 

To get a view of these right outside the Dining Room window.

 

 

Momma was mostly protective.

 

And then there were babies.

 

 

And then daddy started watching us.

Around Here

Easter Dinner

So sweet.

Nicholas, what are you doing?

Going for the mac'n'cheese I see...

Not without a fight.

Ben, thanks for just hanging in there for picture time.

 

Jello made in egg shells--amazingly impressive.

The deviled egg plate from my mom's house, perfect.  I did finally replace the salt and pepper in the shakers shaped like an egg sitting under the chick. I think those may have also been from the 70s.

Greek Easter Bread.

Fun to make, not my favorite to eat.

Their now favorite, and will clearly be an Easter must every year.

Must be half chocolate, half white cake under there. 

Weekend Projects

 

A room to call his own, where I won't complain about dog smell or ask whose turn it is to take him out.

 

 

 

We can each fit in there now; wonder how long it will be before the dog can't...

 

 

 

Shingled, with a red blanket for the guy.

 

 

It'll be great for him when we stop spoiling him in here.

Scenes from Spring Break

Our first screening of Sharknado.

I'm not even sure how to admit that I sat down and watched the entire thing with the boys.

There's something you don't see every day

Not sure how it is Alida, that you are the only person in the world that can talk me into taking a selfie.

Success

During Dr. Seuss, Read Across America Week, she went to school as Junie B. Jones.  She put the whole thing together before bed one night, letting me know that she would have like to have been someone else but knew that the night before was not the time to ask me to help her put together an outfit.

 

Finally, someone listened to some rant  I made at some point.

Capable Elaine, thank you.

And that is exactly why, when you asked to borrow my reading glasses, I glady took something heavy and knocked the lenses right out of there for you on our way out the door to the bus that morning.

Foolish

This moment, twelve months later wherein I was still wearing that maternity sweater from the first pregnancy that I loved for being so comfortable ...

Would have made such a not-so-funny April Fools Day post.

Had I not actually been as big as a house by April Fools Day 2007

 

Eight years later, we've managed to keep around some pretty fantastic fools.