Decorating for Easter

Frances and I have done some early Easter decorating around the house – she’s a great little helper.

This was very serious decorating

You have to love the post-nap flushed cheeks and extra curly hair

All of that hard work called for a well-deserved cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows

A word to the wise (in case you don’t remember from last year – I sure didn’t) that a little Easter grass goes a very long way.  I bought two bags from Michaels only to come home and find that I still had one bag left over from last year.  As of today, I have 2 ½ bags of Easter grass in the house, which as history shows should last me the next five years.

These rabbit figurines were a wedding gift to Will and me from one of my mother's friends.  Frances asked where the Baby George was, obviously assuming the little bunny in the mother's arms was her.  That's my girl!

Frances also helped me bake some Easter cookies. 

These were perfect for my three-year-old’s short attention span – pre-made sugar cookies with Easter M&Ms “gently” pushed in while they were still soft from the oven.

I know I am probably being a bit overzealous with the Easter decorating (yes, not typically a holiday that we have spent decorating – especially a month early), but I am so excited to share these little moments with the children now that I actually have the time.  It’s a nice change of pace to be preplanning how the big Easter bunny reveal will play out this year, rather than rushing to Kroger at the 11^th hour to buy the picked over Easter candy and last two plastic orange (the only color left) Easter baskets just to make sure we have something for Frances and George to enjoy.

Up next?  I think some Easter/Spring themed arts and crafts filled with glitter, glue and “washable” markers – most certainly outside projects. 

From their earliest daycare class, Frances and George have both enjoyed (and apparently excelled at?  A 4-month-old excelling at…?) art, so I am attempting to continue to ensure they still have that outlet.  I’ll admit that this is a bit of stretch for me though.  Even though I was an “artist” (dancer) for many years, I’m not a naturally crafty person.  I much prefer the physical playing – playgrounds, hopscotch, jump rope, walks around the block, flashlight tag, and anything involving running.  So, to make everyone happy, our arts and crafts to-date have been outside events – drawing with sidewalk chalk, “painting” the fence and patio with paintbrushes and water and digging in the dirt with shovels and rakes.  Of course, you can’t save or frame these artistic creations, so I should eventually move on to something more tangible.  If anyone has any crafty ideas for the amateur parent, I am all ears!

Happy Friday everyone!  I don't know about you, but I am very excited for this weekend.  Will has been MIA these past few weeks and the three of us have really missed him.