Last Saturday we did a little Easter Egg Hunt in the house. Apparently our kids are not any better at finding Easter Eggs than they are at finding lost toys. They definitely prefer having the eggs just spread out in grass, ha ha. Despite the moments of frustration when they couldn't find their color eggs (each kid was assigned an egg color), they did enjoy eating the candy afterwards. We also had some light up eggs and used those for a little lesson on following Christ's example. Look at us adding spiritual into the mix.
This past week was Spring Break for the kids so no online schooling to do. Monday I had to go in to the dentist to get my root canal. It was probably the worst one I've had. I could feel the pain in my brain I swear when he got up in that root. And then he shoved this metal ring into my gums while he was putting in the temporary filling. So painful. I still have to go back and get the crown. Not excited about that. And I am also having another tooth with sensitivity that I should probably ask about. I am just dreading the pain and another expensive bill.
Monday we also did a cool experiment with carnation flowers to talk about the atonement. We put the white flowers in colored water (well white flowers with painted tips because that was all I could find) and then we watched throughout the day as they started to change colors. That night we talked about how it was similar to Christ taking upon Himself our sins. It was a nice object lesson for an important Easter lesson. Also note Lucy's hair- being in quarantine I haven't combed it for weeks- can you tell?
That evening after dinner we went on a bike ride on our usual trail through the neighborhood and into the woods. We stopped at the bridge and the kids played around the river, throwing in sticks and climbing trees. It's a good outing for the kids and keeps them from getting too stir crazy.
When we came back from our bike ride, Tyler started a fire and we roasted marshmallows...and peeps! The kids thought it was funny that the Peep's eyes got all big and funky. Lucy is the messiest marshmallow eater alive. Her hand was literally coated with melted marshmallow.
Tuesday afternoon was rainy so we rented "Onward" from Amazon Prime and ate some junk food. Although I hadn't had any interest in seeing that movie, I actually quite enjoyed it. I also enjoyed just snuggling up with the girls. It was a good way to spend a rainy afternoon.
Wednesday the weather was beautiful so I decided we should try to bike somewhere new and looked up bike trails. We ended up going to Maybury State Park in Northville- it was about a 30 minute drive to get there. Tyler loaded up the bikes in his Suburban for me which was really nice but also maybe a poor choice because then I had no idea how to get them back in there. The bike ride itself was definitely more hilly than I expected. Most trails are fairly flat here in Michigan but this one was not. Surprisingly, Penny did amazing going up the hills and she had a blast going down them. Ben was really good at giving her pushes when needed and encouraging her. Lucy, on the other hand, started whining by the time we hit the second hill. She was pretty much miserable the entire time which put a damper on things. After we did a short trail- we bypassed the parts to make it longer- we went off trail to an empty parking lot by the farm center. Ben and Penny had lots of fun just biking around it. I got Steven and Lucy to do a couple races with me in the lot and then they were over it so we headed back to the car. I seriously had the hardest time loading up bikes. A guy felt sorry for me and said (from 6 feet away) that he wished he could help but suggested that popping of front tires is how he fit his in. Too bad I had no idea how to do that. Eventually, after much pain and a shirt covered in tire tracks, I got it done. So though the trail was pretty and a good change- I don't think the loading and unloading of bikes was worth it. I don't think we'll travel with 5 bikes again unless we get an actual bike rack for the car.
Thursday morning the weather started to turn. We went from 70 to 45. But the kids were desperate for another bike ride so I caved and we did our usual route that morning. The route takes us by the library and although the library was closed, we noticed a cart full of free books and games in front. We filled up Lucy's basket with books and I had the fun task of holding a game of Apple to Apples- it was the wood crate version of Apples to Apples- and riding my bike. I dropped it once and it was quite the task to get all the cards back in but it was definitely worth the effort. Steven really likes that game and with some help (me reading cards to Penny) everyone can play. Since the rest of Thursday was rainy and then snowy and then windy (Michigan weather is nuts in the Spring) it was nice to have a new game to play.
Thursday afternoon we made Resurrection rolls. You dip a marshmallow (Christ) in cinnamon and sugar (ointments) and wrap it up in a crescent roll (the tomb). Then you cook it (3 days) and the tomb is empty (because the marshmallow melts). Unfortunately I totally burnt them and we didn't seal the rolls to well so there was crusty marshmallow cinnamon everywhere BUT I think the lesson was at least learned. And I definitely learned not to cook them for so long next year, ha ha.
Friday we dyed Easter Eggs. It did not begin well. Since we use fake eggs the best way to color them is by putting them in a bag with dye and shaking it all up. Well Ben's bag apparently had holes because when he started to shake it, green dye splattered everywhere- the wall, the curtain, the table...It was horrifying. Thankfully I was able to wipe it all up quick enough and get the curtain in the washing machine fast enough that no staining occurred. After that things went better. No more dye going everywhere. The kids also tried using cups of water, vinegar and dye- the normal way- but discovered the fake eggs just float. Hence the reason shaking it up is the best way to dye them- assuming that the bags don't leak.
Later that day I did some makeovers for the girls. Painted their nails, did their hair and put on some lipstick and eye shadow. They loved it. They felt so fancy. Afterwards we all watched Dolittle. I was not impressed with that movie but the kids enjoyed it.
Also on Friday my friend Caroline dropped off some masks for us so that we can follow the proper protocols. I hate wearing it but I suppose it's good to follow rules and keep others safe. I think this Coronavirus thing is getting pretty crazy. Now stores can't even sell gardening supplies- what the what? And non-essentials are going to banned from sales too. I so worry about our economy when all this is done but I am grateful for the worldwide fast that we participated in Friday (even the boys did it without complaint). We just have to keep our faith in the Lord and try to stay positive.
Saturday I went grocery shopping first thing in the morning. I was able to find mostly everything but was surprised that at 9:30 things were already really picked over. Some things I was grabbing the last ones of. After that the weather had taken a turn for the better so we decided to go for a bike ride. It wasn't as fun as usual, Penny was struggling to keep up and I get anxious when I can't see the older kids. The way home was a little better though. Ben offered to stick with Penny and encourage her on. It helped a lot. She responds better with him than with me.
Saturday afternoon I attempted to entertain the kids by having them hide and find eggs in the yard. How quickly I forgot how much they hate finding things. The first round, Ben hid the eggs, and there was lots of frustration and crying. After discussing how to hide but not super hide the eggs, Steven hid the eggs and things went much better. It went pretty good the rest of the time because basically everything was in plain sight, just how they like it. I really need to find out how to help them be better seekers.
That evening we decorated the bunny cake. This years cake was way less creepy than last years.
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