Some Bunny Loves Us

Rophone had to work on Easter morning so the kids had to wait patiently (or not so patiently) for him to get home before we could see what the Easter Bunny brought. After lunch we finally got the chance. Can you feel the anticipation?

Rophone then led the kids in one by one, hoping that I could get good shots of each. The space is pretty small, though, but I did my best.

Edith loves that bunny shirt. She has worn it the past two days in a row. 

Big loves the superhero underwear he received. He had the whole week of which pair/which day all planned out. Not only are they awesome, but they're super comfortable, too, he says. Bonus.

The other kids were a little harder to capture with the light behind them. 

Bud and Pen loved their shirts, but set them aside to be put on after the hunt was over. 

Ginger? Well, she was so excited about her underwear that she just couldn't wait to put them on.

Gorgeous.

Let the hunt begin! Each kid had a set of 5 eggs in a certain color they were supposed to find. Pen found one of her green eggs and was feeling gypped because she thought it was empty. 

Dollar bill = not empty. Psych! Ha!

And it continues…

Sometimes a change in perspective helps.

I think my favorite two moments of the hunt were when Edith proudly showed off how she refolded the shirt she got (I know she's blurry, but the girl has skills!)...

…and when Pen was totally stumped trying to find her last egg. All of the eggs were the same large size…except for one of Pen's. Her last egg was this little teeny thing that the Easter Bunny hid between the hi-hat cymbals. It was so funny when we were telling her she was getting hotter and hotter and she cried out, thinking she was looking for an egg the size of the others, "You don't know what you're talking about! There is no possible way an egg is hiding anywhere near here!!" Ha! It was hilarious. Devious Easter Bunny. 

I managed to snap a quick photo of the kids before we headed out to Grandma and Grandpa Gorilla's house for dinner. I love the way it's kind of unintentionally coordinated, but doesn't look too coordinated. I guess it just comes to us naturally. :)

Dinner at Grandpa Gorilla's was so nice. Super relaxing, which was just perfect. Edith absolutely loved their dog.

And Big absolutely loved hanging out with his grandpa. Big could talk for ages about stuff and so could Grandpa, so that's just what they did. In the pictures they're fixing a pepper shaker and talking about how to steer a horse. Important stuff. We're so glad they had us over.

Easter was really lovely this year (once the loooong, whiny wait of the morning was over anyway. Ha.). It was all that I'd hoped for-- relaxing and fun. Can't get much better than that. 

Back at It

The first Monday after Spring Break Edith and I took Pen to take the test for her driving permit. She passed! Edith did a little dance to celebrate her big sister's success.

I could tell Edith was beginning to feel much better by Tuesday. We managed to go to the park and take her babies on walk all in one day. Yes, she picked out her own lovely outfit. And, yes, her favorite color is still blue. :) 

When Rophone came home on Friday he invited the kids to play basketball with him. He didn't have to ask twice. They had such a great time.

On Saturday we managed to dye Easter eggs. Only the three youngest wanted to participate this year. The older girls were total party poopers. As the years go on it's becoming more evident that the way we spaced our kids is kind of like having two separate families. As the boys get older it might be kind of like we have three. Anyway, dyeing the eggs was loads of fun. They all get so into it. Big, I think, is the most obsessed with the whole thing. I'm pretty sure that next year I won't have to help Edith at all. She's getting so old!

I love doing things with my kids and watching them conquer new things as they grow. Although, I will admit, I'm a lot more comfortable with the younger ones dyeing eggs on their own and mastering play structures than I am with Pen getting behind the wheel. Ack!

Another Spring Break Staycation

By the time Spring Break came around, Edith had come down with Big's cold and cough. She was miserable. We managed to fit a few activities in toward the end of the week, but the beginning was really just about hanging out at home. No one wanted to play with Edith because she was so whiny, snotty, and sad, which made her even more sad. Especially after having Big to play with all day every day the week before. Poor kid. 

I tried to do a few things with Edith to make her feel better. It was funny when we played Sequence for Kids-- I couldn't remember if I needed to get 3 or 4 chips in a row to win, so I asked Edith, "How many chips do I need to get in a row to win?" Her quick response was, "Forty-two because you're 42 years old." Ha! No one would ever accuse her of not being competitive.

Big was pretty miserable the first part of the week, too. He's not very good at just hanging out at home. I tried to send him outside as much as I could. He brought me this lovely tulip from the front yard. He knows they're my favorite.

Just going outside wasn't quite enough for Big to be happy, so I gave in to his pleading and we worked in the yard. I can't believe how many pine needles there were. I forget how pleasant Big is to work with. He really does love it (and takes it so seriously).

We took the kids to the museum on Thursday afternoon since Edith seemed to be a bit better (Wednesday was horrible). It's always nice to culture the kids a little. 

I had the three youngest stand on the same sculpture that they stood on almost exactly one year ago. It's so fun to see how much they've changed. I think I'll do it again next year, too.

On Friday Rophone had the great idea to go out for an ice cream treat. The kids were happy to oblige (great acting for the camera, Rophone!).

The weather was perfect for hiking and I was happy that a few kids were eager to go with me on Saturday. Edith really wanted to go but was still too sick. I felt bad because I know how much she loves it. I can't wait to get her out soon. Pen, Big, and I had a blast, though. The perfect end to our Spring Break staycation. I'm so glad that hiking season is here again.

I really enjoy having a simple Spring Break at home (I sure don't want the kids expecting something grand every year. Ha!). It would have been better if everyone had been healthy, but hopefully we'll get that next time. We managed to have a good time anyway. It's hard to be back in school, but I know that the school year will be over before we know it (Ack!). Then our Summer staycation will begin...