Surviving Easter

Tribute-to-Passover Dinner

I know the title doesn't inspire confidence in our enjoyment of this year's Easter celebrations, but let's put it this way, the kids had a great time and didn't seem to feel like they missed out on anything.  Dan and I, on the other hand, struggled to survive Easter this year.

Here's why.

**Warning: this may be a TMI kind of intro.  Readers beware.**

First off, we went to bed at around 1:30am on Sunday morning.  That's bad news for parents with three kids.  Baaaaad news.  I was trying to get the house in order for Easter festivities and Dan was putting the finishing touches on his talk for church.  After sleeping for a bit (a really, really little bit), I had an unwelcome visitation from Montezuma's Revenge.  For three hours.  In the middle of the long, lonely night.  At the same time that I began my record (and repeated) sprints to the loo, Karsten woke up and Dan had to calm him down and get him back to sleep.  After that, he stood by the bathroom door to make sure I wasn't going to throw up (why do the runs and the vomits always seem to go hand in hand?).  Luckily, I never did throw up and Dan was able to go back to sleep while my body vacated itself.  In the end, I moaned myself to sleep.  And in the morning, I declared myself bested and asked Dan to forgive me for missing his sacrament meeting talk on Easter Sunday.  I also had to ask him to find the Sunday School president to make arrangements for my class.  I'm so lucky to have Dan. He took the two older boys to church with him and snotty-nosed Karsten and I stayed home to attempt a recovery before the Easter festivities would resume post-services.  It didn't work.  Karsten wouldn't sleep and I just kept thinking about the spring rolls I needed to get up and make.

Dan came home early to relieve me (of Karsten, ha!) and help me make the spring rolls before the boys got home (thank you, Sharps!).  We ate a yummy lunch of veggie spring rolls and stir fry.

Then we tried the sleeping thing again.  It didn't work so well.  Karsten was being a little pill and refusing to sleep.  It was frustrating.

For an afternoon snack I made little hatching egg chickies, an idea I found on Pinterest.  I made one little adjustment.  I used blueberries for the eyes instead of mini chocolate chips.  Don't you just love how they turned out all craaaaaaazy looking?  I love my demented chickies.

Later in the day, when it wasn't quite so hot (Yes, 78* is hot - I'm pregnant, remember?), Dan trekked the backyard hiding Easter eggs filled with moolah and the boys lined up for their Easter egg hunt.  This was Karsten's first time participating in an Easter egg hunt.  He was so cute!  He sucked in a breath of air whenever he found one, audibly surprised and pleased.  He also showed Dan every single one before it went into his little bunny bag.  What a darling boy we have.  Soren and Anders were practically impossible to catch in the act of finding. They moved through the backyard like a whirlwind.  I had to get them to stop and pose for me so I'd have proof they were there.  :)

I love his expressive feet!

New shirts from Old Navy.  Aren't they awesome?!

Anders is so handsome!  Hellooooo, future lady-killer!

Again with the feet!  I love his chubby feet!

Proof that Mommy was there.

And Daddy.

Preggo pictures for those who keep pestering me for them.  :)  I am now 32 weeks along and busting at the seams.

All the seekers counting up their booty.  Karsten found one of the two dollar bills I hid in eggs.  He scored a total of $2.92 for his little savings account.

Soren didn't get a dollar bill, but he must have gotten the most quarters because he raked in the highest amount at a whopping $7.32!

Anders enjoyed dumping the contents of his eggs into a little game box that Karsten had cleared out earlier in the day (see the cards on the floor in the background?).  He rocked the house at $6.78.

Needless to say, after a scrumptious combined dinner/dessert of crepes with our choice of almond butter, bananas, applesauce, coconut, maple syrup, and raspberry jelly, Dan and I pretty much threw the kids in bed and scurried ourselves off to sleep.

I'm not celebrating any more holidays until this baby comes.  (Except maybe Mother's Day.  I think I can handle celebrating that one. :D)

Hope everyone else had a wonderful Easter!