We had a lovely Easter Sunday with the kids, yesterday. Hugh came Saturday night and stayed over; the others came Sunday morning, supposedly for brunch, but by the time we ate, for lunch! Mits and Pete came, and Jords and the family - Kerri Jo and the kidlets, Jules and Kenzie. We were celebrating Mits' birthday plus the rite of spring called Easter - for us, a non-religious celebration of blooming daffodils, brilliant cherry blossoms, warm rain, bunnies, and chocolate.
The 2 kids immediately went to the basement and pulled out the lego and various figurines; everyone else relaxed in the living room and chatted, while I cooked. My timing was thrown off because of a surprise phone call from Norway, so I spent at least half an hour getting thoroughly heartsick talking to my brother, Peet, nephew Dee, and sister-in-law Irene, all of whom I visited last summer and whom I miss, constantly. Dee and Irene are coming over next year during the Olympics, but I wish I were going back to Norway this summer, first!
While I was cooking, before the kids came, JR went out, bless him, and did the Easter Bunny thing, so we had chocolate goodies for everyone, at the end of the meal. Before overloading the kidlets with chocolate, however, I gave them Easter gifts: a book each, and a toy each. Thanks to the rain they couldn't run outside, so it was good to have a new toy to entertain them with! Not that they are ever any trouble keeping entertained....Jules plays happily with the Lego (a giant supply saved from when his dad and uncle were kids, plus some that Hugh donated as well). He comes upstairs to show off his latest creation, then goes back down and plays contentedly. Kenzie likes to monitor what her brother is doing, while keeping the grown-ups in sight as well. At one point I looked downstairs and Mits was seated on the floor while Kenzie showed off the figures she was organizing; another time Kenzie was climbing the back of the chair to give her dad kisses. She is what my mother would have called 'a going concern'.
I was very grateful that everyone stayed for a visit after lunch, as I was too busy cooking beforehand to visit. I so much love having our kids visit, and I am so happy that my kids and JR's kids enjoy each other's company. At the end of our 'brunch' I served angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries, in honour of Mits' turning 26....Then we brought out the chocolate!
Easter when I was a kid was always so exciting, because we got more candy and chocolate than we normally saw any time other than Christmas! My parents never organized an Easter egg hunt, something I did every year with my boys, but we were always delighted and thrilled with what they gave us. Each year it was something different, and a different presentation. Sometimes there would be a basket for each of us, with a variety of chocolate and marshmallow goodies; other times there would be a large hen or duck that pulled apart to reveal hidden sweets. One year I received a lovely egg cup of white with blue flowers; I have it still. Our treats would be in plain sight, on the kitchen table or counter, waiting for us to get up and discover them. And I don't remember there being rules on what we ate, and when, or how much...a huge departure in our rule-bound household. Easter was, simply, a day of indulgence.
Most years we went to church, as my parents were church-going, at least in my early childhood. I was always impressed with the music and the flowers that filled the church on Easter Sunday, and sometimes I had a new pair of spring shoes or a new coat to celebrate with, but when it came down to it, Easter was about the surprise - the wonderful gift 'from the Easter Bunny' first thing in the morning. All the rest was insignificant.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment