jacksonpeople: Easter in Snippets

We had a beautiful Easter, spending time with family on both sides. Our weekend included egg dyeing, egg hunts, excessive eating by yours truly (I mean, it was a holiday after all), baskets from the Bunny and celebrating the miracle of the Resurrection. But rather than detail those special family moments and meaningful experiences, I'll share a few random exchanges that are more typical for us. Here, then, is our Easter in snippets.

I mix up several spectacular hues to dye Easter eggs: Blue, yellow, green, yellowish-green, light blue, light green and bluish-green. Those are pretty much your only options when you discover that you only have two bottles of food coloring on hand at the eleventh hour. Abby comments, "Really great color variety you've got going there, Mom."

Ms. Fancy-Mirabelle twirls and whirls in a new Easter dress while I get ready for church in a less-exciting outfit. When Mira sees me putting a belt on, she becomes quite concerned:

"Mama that's a belt!"

"Hmm, you're right...."

"Moms don't wear belts, only mens wear belts."

"Mommies wear belts, too." (In case you haven't guessed it, I am not a frequent wearer of belts.)

"No they not! Belts are only for boys!"

I tuck in my blouse, and she becomes even more horrified.

"Mama your belt is showing! I can see it!" (In case you haven't guessed it, I am also not a frequent tucker-inner).

"It's OK if my belt shows."

"No it's not!" Distressed, she takes a closer look at my khaki pants. "Those are Daddy's pants!"

"No Sweetie, these are my pants." (Not that Randy wouldn't look lovely in the wide-leg Banana Republic taupe trouser. But they are mine.)

Seeing that I am apparently bent on wearing men's clothing to church, she tries one last tactic to set me straight. Sighing: "You do NOT look beautiful, Mom."

On the ride home from church, I mention that I noticed one of the musicians in the church band is a high school student. I ask Ethan if he would ever be interested in playing trombone in that band. He considers this for a minute. The prospect of not having to sit with his sisters during church is certainly appealing. But then he decides that if he was playing in the church band, he'd be able to see me in the pew too easily (he can't really see us during concerts because of the stage lights). He suggests that I would deliberately make him laugh by mouthing the word "poop" while he was playing. He and I then laugh uproariously, because we both have the sense of humor of a second-grade boy. And his accusation is potentially true.

Mira declares that she only likes red "jummy beans," not green, yellow or (heaven forbid) black! She also finds Peeps, a marshmallow bunny and the Cadbury egg unappealing. The Reese's egg, however, is very well received. That's my gal!

Randy and I spend Easter night completing our Ukrainian eggs, aka psyanky. It takes us twice as long to finish them as it should, because only one of us can work at a time this year. Why? Because we're old folks. Neither of us can see the egg unless we're wearing the single pair of reading glasses ("cheaters") we possess. Or I should say, I possess. They are a darling ladies' frame, complete with jeweled bows. Randy looks simply stunning in them.

[I am going to do a post on Ukrainian eggs next time.]

Here are some pictures from the Easter egg hunt at my mom's house.

Hendrik wondering why he is frozen in a wobbly stance in the grass outside in 50 degree weather wearing a dress shirt.