Easter Morning

I loved that Aidan came downstairs all decked out and ready for a formal breakfast. Zeke, however, was still wearing his pajamas. :)

In addition to the normal Easter breakfast sugar, the children got fancy additions this year, thanks to a wonderful package that arrived on Holy Saturday. Thank you, Newmans! It made their day!

I had no energy for cutesy Easter surprise eggs this year, so I decided to decorate the eggs as-- wait for it-- EGGS.





Hey, it worked.

We didn't think we'd have anyone for Easter except for Mopsy, due to local government restrictions and the fact that some of our usual guests are elderly, but Deborah and Rundy and the boys decided to come after all! Mom is our germ conduit, anyway, traveling between our homes each week for visiting and some meals (because otherwise she would not eat!), so the risk of sharing germs was a moot point.

They needed surprise eggs, too, of course. (Erend ------> Eggrund was my favorite egg. Millie caught me chuckling at my own dorkiness.)

Cadence arrived downstairs all spiffy, too! She never took her bow out from the day before, and upon waking immediately put on Easter Dress Number One (yes, more are still to come).

Skylark is a goof.

I had to help her peel her surprise egg, and she was floored by the innards!

I actually helped her peel BOTH of her eggs. She wasn't as interested in the white one that came from a real chicken, though. Huh. Strange.

After family worship, John had to go to work, and the children-- Cinderellas all-- helped me finish the feast-making and vacuuming.

Our table decorations this year were brought to you by Molly (thank you! Everyone loved those napkins!) and a kind neighbor who dropped off a basket of fancy, homemade, foil-wrapped eggs on Holy Saturday.

Cadence and Skylark finished the job of "drumming on the plates for 10 minutes." Important stuff!

Cinderella never looked this good.

The Little Girls Were Fierce and Grumpy

The meal was ready a full hour later than I had planned, and the little girls had no naps, and they were, as the title suggests, FIERCE and GRUMPY. Thankfully, I threatened them just as fiercely and grumpily, and they settled down for a couple of authentically cheerful snapshots. :)  These are for you, Grandma Owen!

 Oh, wait. Puppies make everything better!

Now let's go eat!!!

Easter Dress Number Three

Had we met with others for worship on Easter Sunday 2020, these would have been the dresses they wore. Instead, they were the Post-Easter-Lunch frocks.

Every girl needs to wear three different poofy dresses on Easter Sunday. Isn't that a rule?

Puppies Rule the World

Puppies dominated part of the afternoon. Their sheer numbers gave them the advantage.

On the whole, Peregrine loved the puppies, as long as they did not try to reach the top of his head via the back of his neck.

Unfortunately, Tadhg was sure they were bent on his destruction and the destruction of all he loved.

Unless they were sleeping. Then he approached to pet them with tentative sweetness.

A Super-Duper Long Post for My Children (All Others May Skip to the Snapshot of Tadhg Swallowing His Cadbury Egg Whole)

Another year; another long afternoon of basket-hiding.

Skylark first.

She walked straight to the compost heap. Oddly enough, I had not hidden her basket there.

I post this picture to showcase manly Aidan. Every girl needs a good man to help hunt for baskets. Note the impressive stance. He's the guy!

Mom had to call Lark over and actually point to the basket before she discovered it, but, hey, all's well that ends well!

The daintiest Cadence was next, tripping tiptoed over the lawn.

 Her luck was no better than Skylark's. As obvious as that pink basket is to all of us, it might as well have been hidden in the Artic Circle for all she could see it.

After I gave a few obvious hints, though, she triumphed, too.

Tadhg was supposed to be next. 

Nope.

Not interested.

On to Pippin!

I missed the moment when Tadhg found his basket (it was rapid), but I arrived just in time to enjoy him eating the Cadbury Creme Egg Deborah had tucked into his basket.

 His form is flawless.

On to Aidan! Short and sweet.

Whoah. Good hiding job, Abby. Basket No. 1 topples to the ground (with more to go).

 Dapper Zeke on the hunt.

Ready for takeoff...

Zooooom. 

Lucinda looked lovely in blue (her third Easter dress of the day, as well) and strolled around the yard.

Success!

Pip was so busy tugging these two around that she didn't look up and notice she was passing right under her basket!

She found it the second time around, though (while wearing Easter Dress #2)!

 I did the shoddiest possible job of hiding the oldest three girls' baskets, and Annika's laughing here because 20 seconds after coming outside, Susannah spied all three of them.

 I hid hers precariously enough to cause it to topple over, also. Upended basket #2.

Sorry, dear.

Oh, look! Here are Annika and Aidan with About-to-be-Upended Basket #3!

Sorry, again.

Millie found  a puppy before she found her basket, which I had skillfully hidden inside of a garbage can. (Really, have pity on me. By the time I hide the ninth basket, I'm done and ready for a nap.)

But I couldn't take a nap. Millie's desserts were waiting! Necessary things first.

Carrot cake.

Lemon raspberry cheesecake.

Plus, Deborah brought chocolate peanut butter cake.

The nap could wait.