Easter Cookies

I went crazy this year. Yes. Crazy. Sugar cookies twice in one year. Twice!! Sugar cookies seem like such an ordeal to me that we usually only do them at Christmas. However, Grandma DuBravac gave us some great "spring" sprinkles that I just HAD to make sugar cookies to showcase them.

And guess what? It wasn't an ordeal at all. In fact, it was pretty fun. The kids are getting older and are actually more helpful than difficult (sometimes). Luckily, this was one of the times (it also helped that Stayc monitored the kids' efforts while I made dinner). Needless to say, we might start making sugar cookies more than once a year.

Also, this time *I* made the cookies all by myself the day before. The kids iced and decorated them. I liked the system.

Some of the sprinkles came out easily. Other times, you had to REALLY shake them.

Remember what I told you about the concentrating tongue trick? You'll start to notice it more and more.

Oooo, now the sprinkles. Which one should I choose?

The kids were not satisfied with just one color of sprinkle. Would you be?? No. Each cookie had multiple types of sprinkles.

Still, it was a revelation to me that things that were once so hard are actually getting easier, partly because we've spent years working through the teaching moments and the difficult times, but mostly because the kids are just getting older.

Teamwork (and TIME), I tell you, is a beautiful thing.

Easter Morning

Again, I apologize for the sub-par pictures. Sometimes it's more important to document life than post pleasing pictures. The kids were appropriately excited by their baskets (and all the work that went into them. Sheesh :)

It's always worth it when I see how happy and grateful they are.

What to do first?!

How about eating a jelly bean to get things started?

The Bunny Hop

The Saturday before Easter, we held the first official Bluegrass Easter Egg Hunt (I'm testing out the name to see if I like it). It was supposed to be held outside, of course, but since we've had torrential downpours and tornado warnings for the last two weeks, we moved the activities to an indoor venue.

(Please don't judge me on the quality of these pictures. Stayc tried his best, but it's hard to get good photos with bad indoor lighting and lightning-fast children.)

After a pot-luck lunch, the kids participated in a variety of games and relay-races while the candy-filled eggs were being hidden. In addition to the Bunny Hop (see Phx above), we had an egg roll, using up all those hard-boiled eggs that we'd dyed during the week (and would never eat).

After the fun and games, the kids hunted for Easter eggs. It was a hoppin' good time (get it? get it?)!

Easter Goodies

As tradition requires, I included some handmade goodies in the kids' baskets this year. Since this has been my "Year of Origami," I made these little cuties for the kids (and for Stayc).

I came across this blog post and couldn't resist making them. I filled them with a Cadbury Cream Egg and some jelly beans. So cute!

Then I came across instructions for these little jelly bean boxes, and I had to make them too. (I HAD to!) I really like them because they only have the one little opening at the top. Similar to a waterbomb (for the origami proficient), the box needs to be "blown up."

Then, of course, there were the more traditional (for me, at least) sewn Easter items. I saw these bunny pouches here, and I knew I needed to make them. I went to Goodwill and found some wool sweaters to wash and cut up. I would have preferred some lighter colors, like the one in the tutorial, but I was limited to the wool sweaters I could find at Goodwill. Red and hot pink it was.

I filled them with markers and a little pad of paper that I got for FREE with a $20 off/free shipping deal at an online wholesale dealer called Dollar Days (ask me about it some day--it was an AWESOME deal!)

Lutece held hers by the ears and used it as a purse today at Church. Why not?

And because tradition also requires that I post pictures of their Easter baskets . . . if for no other reason than to have a photo record that the Easter Bunny did, indeed, visit our house . . . here they are.

My favorite part was the passports tucked into each basket. (How did the Easter Bunny know we need those?--Mexico, here we come!)

Oh, no, wait. My FAVORITE part, was the small slip of paper tucked into MY Easter basket. A coupon for a massage at a spa in town. What a great husband!

Easter Traditions

So many choices! Last week was a good week and a tough week, for the very same reasons. Even though Lutece has been in public school for nearly an entire school year, and it has, for the most part, worked well, there are still times when I wish we could ditch school and just do things our own way (I don't have the time right now to explain why we don't). The week leading up to Easter was one of those times.

Like most families, there are just so many activities we do year after year--traditions--that it feels wrong NOT to do them. This year, for the first time, we have felt the conflict between family traditions and time constraints. Let's face it, there is only so much time left each day after school, homework, and piano practice (let's not even mention soccer practice, mock spelling tests, math drills, playtime, etc.).

We chose family traditions over schoolwork this week (well . . . well-done schoolwork, at least). Nearly every day after school, I had some Easter activity ready for the kids to do. On Tuesday, we dyed Easter eggs.

Luckily, it was one of the nicer days this week, so we could do it outside (and I could maintain my sanity).

I've noticed lately that whenever Phoenix is really concentrating, he sticks his little tongue out. He was *really* focused on those eggs.

The kids had a good time, as usual, but as I mentioned, I had mixed reactions. It's so great to watch them get to an age where they remember (and expect) certain family traditions and activities. They relish these times together. I love seeing their enjoyment of each other and of our family time.

Yet I found myself so frustrated at trying to cram it all in this week between the activities of day-to-day life.

Still, you take what you can get when you can. You enjoy the good times. You remember what is good, what is better, and what is best.

Family is best.

Even when you finish dying all of your eggs way before your sister and all you can do is sit back and watch her dye the rest of her eggs.

Family time is still best.

Why We Don't Get Professional Photos

What would be the point? These kids, albeit just about as cute as they come (no bias here), do not know how or when to smile for a camera. Try to get a photo of them together? Well, this is the best I could do. However, while it may not win a best photo contest, I quite like this shot. It really captures Lutece and Phoenix.

We visited the Louisville Temple over Spring Break (the petting zoo was a side trip, a diversion for the kids . . . it helps that it's only 10 miles away). While Stayc was inside, I walked the grounds with the kids and tried to get a picture of them together. Sigh. I settled for individual shots. Lovely Lu.

Phoenix has his own idea of a smile these days. "Show me some teeth Phoenix."

There you go, Mom.

Then he laughs at his own wit and I snap a shot. It's the best I can do.

Get Back on the Horse . . .

I tried to mix it up a bit on our "staycation" last week (grimace). On Wednesday, we headed over to Louisville for a fun-filled morning of animal-watching. Some of you will remember another ill-fated trip to this petting zoo (it's worth re-reading . . . especially the comments :).

This trip was much less painful, but also much less interesting. Many of the animals were out to pasture in wide, open spaces beyond the farm and walkways. While I'm happy for the animals, we were sad that the more interesting animals were nowhere to be seen.

There were, however, lots of ducks and goats.

Phoenix had fun stalking the roosters. He chased them around until I realized that maybe I should be protecting the roosters and I curbed his enthusiasm.

Aha!! The dreaded peacock! As you know by now, Lu was viciously attacked by a feral peacock on our last visit.

You can imagine that she was wary as the peacock approached us.

He turned and faced us. Then began to walk toward us, slowly, slowly . . . Lutece creeping further and further behind my back.

Then, he turned and was gone. A phantom peacock. Whew.

Crisis averted.

Spring Break . . . Arts & Crafts

Last week was spring break, and since we are headed to Mexico in exactly one month and one day (not that anyone's counting), we decided to lay low and have a staycation. (Ok, seriously, that is just a ridiculous word. Every time I say it--or even write it--I can't help but roll my eyes and snicker to myself.)

Snickering completed.

Since it rained a couple of days, and the kids both had *small* colds, we spent a good amount of time doing art projects. I have found that painting on paper is fun for the kids, but what really excites them is painting something OTHER than paper. This time, they painted clothespins, turning them into groovy little people.

In fact, they had such a fun time of it the first day, that when Lutece had a friend over the next day, she wanted to paint some more.

Two hours worth of painting clothespins. Wow. They both ended up with a fine collection of clothespin dolls.

I only sat down to paint one.

She bids you Adieu.