Pre-Easter Activities

Our Easter Preparations

Well I was a little worried that we would have to decorate our Easter Eggs inside this year. We started going outside to decorate our eggs while living in Houston. Cassidy was 2 and I thought she would have more fun if I didn't have to worry about her spilling in the house. Well I was right, she colored eggs and herself that year. We have been doing it outside ever since. I didn't know if the weather here in Germany would cooperate, but it did. I set up three egg dying stations, one for each of the kids. Cassidy of course took her time, making sure each one was just right. Thomas was a little more careful, he gently placed each egg in a cup and had fun fishing them out with the metal egg dipper. Zachary on the other had, was a true two year old. He just threw the eggs into the cup, cracking a few. Then he dumped the first cup out onto the grass to get the egg out, until I showed him he could reach his hand in to get it out. He dipped, redipped and redipped his eggs. Clean up was easy, dump everything in the grass then stick the kids in the bathtub.

The Saturday before Easter there was a community Easter Egg Hunt and activities. Cassidy had been preparing Thomas and Zachary all week. She would hide the eggs around the house and the boys would have to go find them. At the park they had sectioned off parts of the field by ages. Zachary went out to collect his eggs first. They had plastic eggs and candy out on the field. Zachary ran out into the field collecting the eggs, but passing right by the candy. I think Cassidy taught him too well. He didn't think candy belonged in his basket. Thomas went next and knew just what to do, picking up anything in his path. Cassidy's group was just chaois. The kids were too many and too fast and the field was too small, it was over in a few seconds. But she lucked out and got a prize egg, so she was able to go pick out a big prize. But Zachary made out with the most candy and eggs. They had other activities, like egg rolling, the kids had fun with this. Zachary gave up pretty quick, he thought it would be faster to just pick up the egg and carry it to the end, rather than roll it with your face. They also had a good time with the egg toss and bowling with eggs. The Easter Bunny was pretty cute, although Zachary was too scared to have his picture taken with him, thats a two year old for you.

April Fool's

Cassidy is not so sure she likes dinner tonight. I like April Fool's day, well at least playing jokes on Cassidy. She is a good sport and tries to get some pranks in herself. So I started off the day serving Cassidy Cheerios for breakfast, only she wasn't quite sure what was wrong with her cereal. She tried to get a spoonful and coudn't. The night before I had poured some Cheerios and milk into the bowl and placed it in the freezer. Then when it was breakfast time I added a little more Cheerios and milk to make it look normal. I think maybe she was still half asleep and was getting frustrated. Stewart stepped in to try to help, until he heard me snickering. So after Cassidy finally figured it out, I treated her with Pop-tarts for breakfast. And it was off to school.

We had a prank planned for Cassidy's teacher. Cassidy turned in a permission slip for the field trip next week. But the permission slip was for a trip to Outer Space. Frau Julock played along and asked the class where their permission slips were and if they weren't turned in today then they couldn't go. There is no field trip. But it turned out to be a good prank for the class. They all laughed when Cassidy read the permission slip. They were going to Outer Space supervised by competent aliens. They were to bring a sack lunch of candy, marshmallows and pizza. And Cassidy's favorite part was that the planet-formally known as Pluto-was to be released from any liabilty. (Cassidy believes Pluto should still be considered a planet.) So I had taken great care to pack Cassidy's favorite things for lunch. ROCKS. I placed a water bottle, three rocks and a note that said April Fool's in her lunch box. She just laughed and said "Oh mom, where is my real lunch". I gave in.

Cassidy had Girl Scouts after school, after I picked her up and we came home. Cassidy asked "Mom do you have any other jokes planned for today?" I replied "No, I am too tired. I am just going to fix dinner and get everyone to bed." So we had fish sticks, peas and carrots for dinner. Cassidy wondered why the peas looked so funny. I told her that it was because I fixed fresh peas. I shucked them myself earlier, which was why I was so tired. (We usually have canned peas.) She bought into my lie. She ate her corn first (that was real). Then took a small bite of her pea and said she didn't like it. She took another bite and said "Well it tastes a little sweet." Then she ate a second pea and figured it out. It was Laffy Taffy, she ate it all up. I had fixed real fish sticks and served them to Stewart and I. But the kids had wafer cookies, spread with peanut butter and rolled in crushed corn flakes. Thomas ate his "fish sticks"first. I had given both Thomas and Cassidy ketchup to make it believable. Thomas ate his fish sticks without saying a word, and dipping every bite into his ketchup. Stewart asked him how his fish sticks were and he replied "good", he didn't even seem to care they were cookies. And once he tasted the peas he had no problems eating them all gone. We just had to make sure he ate his corn too. Zachary was the most content and ate everything without complaint.

A quiet house is not always a good thing

I think every mom's heart skips a beat or two, when she just realizes the house is a little too quiet. Thomas and Cassidy were at school, so the house is pretty quiet naturally. I was playing Wii Fit, working on my boxing routine, when I realized just how quiet our house was. Yesterday I found Zachary in his room sitting by his bookshelf with every book pulled off the shelf and they were either piled on top of him or right next to him. This morning I crept into his room thinking I would sneak a peek, only to find out he was not there. Then I heard the water running in the bathroom. OK I thought he is playing with the water in the sink again (One his favorite things to do). But this is what I found instead. He had crawled into the bathtub, put the plug in and started his bath. So I guess it could have been worse, he could have gotten into the lotion or diaper cream or Peanut Butter and spread it all over the house, but instead I find my little boy washing his clothes. How cute is that.

Another Owie

Just when I put away the Vitamin E. Zachary happens again. This time he was by himself, I can't blame it on any siblings. A week after he got his stitch out of his lip, he fell and cut his lip again. In a different place this time and it didn't need stitches. Then last night I was putting on Thomas' PJ's and Zachary came running down the hall, then a crash and a scream/cry. I picked him up and he buried his head in my shoulder. I pulled him away and didn't see any blood, thank goodness. Then after he calmed down a little, I took a closer look and he had a goose egg on his forehead. There was literally a bump about the size of a chicken egg on his head with a minor cut. I think he tripped and fell onto the door frame or wall corner. But I guess he got what he wanted, to say up late. We laid on my bed and watched Winnie the Pooh, while I held an ice pack on his head. The next morning he swelling was gone and he was back to his clumsy little self. Zachary has had more bloody lips and gums than the other two. I am just waiting to see if he will break the broken bone record that Scott holds in my family. I really hope not.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Well I woke up this morning to a pinch. It was at about 5am when Stewart was heading off to work. Thanks honey. The kids all went to school and came home without incident. I don't think the German's celebrate St. Patricks Day. But I dressed the boys in green just in case. If you all remember our Valentine's dinner, this came about around the same time. The first year we had green waffles. I changed it the next year, after reading Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham. Cassidy said she would never eat green eggs. So what does any good mother do?, serves them. Well she now has them every year and looks forward to eating them. Every year on St. Patrick's Day I make my Aunt Janette's Sausage Ring with Eggs and Cheese. I don't think she meant for the eggs to be green, but doesn't it look pretty? This year I also added green biscuits to the menu. It was so easy I will probably keep that up too.

It was such a beautiful day today the kids played hard outside and got rather dirty. So after dinner it was bath time. After the boys' bath, I made sure to put green PJ's on them. Cassidy had pinched Stewart after he had gotten home and changed out of his green work clothes into his PJ's. I didn't want the crying to start after such a pleasant day. Then Cassidy came downstairs ready for her bath. But she was crying. The PJ's that had green on them were in the washer and she didn't want daddy to pinch her. So I pulled out green barrettes for her to wear and wiped off her tears. She asked if she could sleep with them in, because daddy said he was going to sneak up and pinch her when she was sleeping. Needless to say we solved the crisis and she is fast asleep upstairs.

The Pianist

Well Cassidy is enjoying her piano and the lessons Santa Claus brought to our family this last Christmas. She has two favorite songs, Jolly Old St. Nickolas and Old MacDonald. She especially loves playing it with her brothers around to help her sing. She was sitting next to me last week while I was playing and said "Mom your fingers are straight, Mrs. Emily says to keep your fingers curved." Well that is my problem. I guess if I can fix that I can play like Mrs. Emily (Cassidy's piano teacher also our Primary Pianist).

Grandma's Hats

Well the boys love the hats Grandma Grover made for them last Christmas. But I don't think they were meant for this. The boys play peek a boo and monster with them. And on our walk to the school bus they were spying out the holes as they walked down the trail. Well at least it kept their noses warm. They are doing great keeping them on their heads now. In December when they first started wearing them, it was a game with Zachary. I put it on, he takes it off, I put it on, he throws it down, I put it on, well you see where this went. And walking around the neighborhood you could tell we were American's right off. No hat on the kids is a big give away. I have friends that have gotten yelled at by a stranger, because they didn't put a hat on their toddlers head. Luckily no one has said anything to us. Unlike Zachary, Thomas liked his hat from the start and kept it on when we went out. All his friends at kindergarten wear hats, now he has one too. Cassidy wore hers right off too, but when you go catch the school bus in below freezing temperatures it is easy. But German kids her age don't always wear hats, so she doesn't stand our like our boys.

Snacktime

Well, with Cassidy and Thomas at school most of the day. It is just me and Zachary. It can get pretty quiet around here, lunchtime especially. We are used to lots of noise and talk around the table. So Zachary has found a way to make up for that. He pushes his chair up to the window and waits for his snack or lunch to be served. He just sits and enjoys the view while eating.

What is in the mind of a 3 year old

This is a picture of some local art? I have no idea what it is or what it means. All I know is that we drive by it quite often. So one day we were driving by it and Thomas (who is 3) asks "What are those?". Stewart and I were slow to reply, not really sure how to explain this art to a 3 year old. Then Thomas figures it out himself. He says "I know they are for killing dinosaurs." We had a good laugh, and told him that he just might be right. Maybe they were for killing dinosaurs.