Preparation

I can still smell the steam coming off the hot iron I just used to press my daughter's, sons' and husband's "Easter" clothing. I should really run upstairs to figure out MY outfit for tomorrow, but I felt the pull towards the computer to blog more intensely than the pull to my closet to get a head start on the morning...
I have to say that I have grown to love keeping this blog. It meets so many needs in a young mother's life. Some of which are...

the need to speak of those acts/thoughts/experiences which are usually unseen by the outside world (for we are "at home" and often do not have many witnesses to our day)

the need to know we are being heard- replies to posts, personal e-mails, phone calls and "face-to-face" conversations (imagine that, there actually does exist people talking in person still!) telling me of their experience/thoughts of reading my little old blog (aw, shucks!)

an outlet for a bit of creative expression

the freedom in speaking the truth without fear of judgement/backlash/comments/looking down noses at you (at least I can't SEE my readers doing these sorts of things, so I can also pretend they're not)

a record of sorts of my daily life, thoughts, happenings- I can actually look back and say, "Yes, I did do that yesterday didn't I?"

I have to admit that part of the intrigue of reading other blogger's blogs is the brief glimpse into their family life. I find my interest in other family's family life/dynamics so interesting that I have often questioned my "peeping Tom" status (or "peeping Veronica", or peeping whatever female name gives off the nosy vibe). There is a fine line between nosiness and intrigue; mine is the latter, I assure you.
So, here is a little bit of what we all did today to prepare for Easter. We colored Easter eggs. We chose three colors ( a hodgepodge of assorted squirts of food coloring... "Wow, mommy your so good at that! How did you know just how many squirts of which to put in to make that pretty color?") and dipped/rolled our eggs in them and then stamped them with our fingerprints. Elias' egg is precious. Sophia's are bold and artistic. And Nicolas' "thumbprint cross" is just so sweet. We scrubbed the kids from head to toe, armed with their new toys given as Easter gifts to them from our dear friends Chrissy and Steve (our friends who live in Manhattan who have asked permission to lavish our kids with gifts until they have their own to spoil... thanks you two). We gave them a special Easter package filled with sweets and a special personal gift for each. I felt the desire to make them each a special card this year. A homemade card, ink stamped with their name and a message telling how much they are LOVED. We made "Easter Story Cookies" for the first time with Sophia and Nicolas. This really prepared our hearts to welcome in the amazing triumph of Christ's Resurrection... the kids were appalled by the smell of the vinegar (the drink given to Him when He was thirsty and there just hanging on the Cross) and the taste of the salt (tears of His followers), but rejoiced as they added the sugar (the sweetness of His love for us) and "sealed the tomb" of the oven door. We can't wait to open it in the morning! Lastly, I ironed. Nothing fantastic or glamorous, just preparation.