our Easter

Easter was....well, it was Easter. A mix of the good and the crazy. We had a lot of fun with it at home this year. Bruce made me watch an episode of Raising Hope this past Wednesday night. I decided I wasn't going to make Penny a basket (I had in years past, even when she was too little to even notice) because she got so much stuff from my mom and grandma. In the episode, their family didn't have a lot of money to celebrate Christmas so they celebrated every little holiday during the year to make up for it. We both cried a little, then ran out and did what every guilty parent does, buys stuff, and prepares to make this Easter the best one yet.

I decided to buy a few things I knew she would like.

• Frog pinwheel. She had one that got obliterated by some strong wind a few weeks ago. She still talks about it, so luckily we found one to replace it with.
• A small shovel and rake. Thank you, $1 bins at Target. Funny though, they seemed more sturdy than the $3.99 ones I found in the actual gardening section.
• It's Easter, Little Critter. She loves the Little Critter books, especially ones like this with flaps.
• Annie's Gummy Bunnies. The only somewhat Easter candy at Target that didn't have food dye besides the chocolate. Luckily, she loves them.
• Chocolate bunny. See above, the other candy without food dye. Plus who doesn't love a chocolate bunny?!
• Beanie baby rabbit. Penelope actually requested a 'beanie baby bunny' from my mom, and they were no where to be found in stores. They sell beanie babies still but they are a newer type with huge eyes and they look slightly alien. I found this one at the bottom of her bag of beanie babies. I don't think she knew that she had it, because she seemed surprised.
• Those three 'baby foods'. Penelope never ate them as a baby, but now at 3.5 they're a 'special treat' when I need her to sit still at the grocery store.

We also got some Easter eggs to do our own egg hunt at home, but Bruce worked Easter morning and by the time he got home it was time to get dressed and go to my grandma's house. But we have them for next year now.

Then we did what we do every year. We rushed around last minute to get us all dressed and looking decent, went to my grandma's house for lunch and an Easter egg hunt, and tried to snap some decent pictures.

We got a few good ones. I was happy.

I made these pants for Hank specifically for Easter about a month ago. Of course, they were already getting too small when Easter rolled around, but I put them on him anyways. 

Both kids had a lot of fun. Penny enjoyed searching for eggs, and Hank clearly loved my cousin's skirt.  

Easter for us adults was good but still, as all holidays in our family, a little crazy. One of my cousin's kids is simply a jerk. She prays on the younger kids, and Penelope is the youngest girl. It gets me really upset and I try not to dwell on it. Luckily one of my cousins has taken up the habit of stealing from everyone's purse and that is a fantastic distraction. The aunt I am closest with, we like to take turns watching him and speculating his next move. I also try to steer clear of heated arguments I don't want to become a part of. It seems as if the older we all get (my mom has 4 sisters and 1 brother, there is a lot of us), the crazier everyone is getting. I wonder if holidays have always been this way, but I was too young or unobservant to notice? All the people who seemed to have it together, I'm now realizing they simply don't. The people who used to be quiet and avoid confrontation, they now speak their minds and lash out once they realize they can't put up with certain things anymore. Holidays might not have that magical feel they did when I was younger, but they are far from boring as an adult.