Easter 2011

For some reason, I have really gotten the Easter "bug" this year. I try to put so much energy into each holiday, big and small, mostly for the kids. It seems I remember so many holidays growing up and different traditions. Mom always took out decorations, seasonal tablecloths, etc. So now I am trying to do the same for my kids. Big at our house are the seasonal placemats, which Benjamin calls "new mats!". The window decals are a hit too! Just minor amounts of cash turn the house into a mini holiday haven. This year, the egg coloring was the most fun I think it has ever been. Benjamin is at the age where he really KNOWS what is going on and gets excited. Alexis, wanting to do whatever big brother does, is right in the action. I am feeling myself let loose too and enjoy the moments. Who really cares about the mess they make?? They have fun! This morning, Benjamin went right to his Easter basket and started tearing through it. Alexis soon followed! Then the egg hunt began. Each egg heard a big "I found an egg" yell! Most importantly, although we did not go to church, I laid in bed with Benjamin last night and tried to explain what Easter is really about. Kind of tough to explain to a 4 year old but it is amazing how quickly they pick up things. I told him baby Jesus went to Heaven (and Ben said just like Rusty and Cosmo) then came back home 3 days later from Heaven. Course, he wanted to know if that meant Rusty was coming back! Well, hopefully all of this will make up for the 30 minutes it took me to grate 6 cups of carrots for the fresh carrot cake I made today (shaped like a bunny of course!). Not that I had the time to do this but hey, the kids will have smiles later on when we dig in!