Easter

Happy Easter! In our household, the holiday began in the following way:

JULIA: (coming into the bedroom with Ethan to wake me up) It's time to wake up, Mommy!
ME: Happy Easter, Julia!
JULIA: Happy Easter, Mom! Come on, Daddy, let's go get Madeleine!
(Ethan and Julia leave and go into Madeleine's room.)
JULIA: Happy Easter, Madeleine!
MADELEINE: Uh-uh.
JULIA: Happy Easter! (grabbing Madeleine's foot and snuggling it)
MADELEINE: Stop!

Even though Madeleine woke up on the wrong side of the bed, both kids had fun discovering their Easter baskets and sorting through all the goodies they received. Julia's favorite Easter basket item was her My Little Pony coloring book, in which she has been coloring all day. She even gives names to each of the ponies she colors, and provides me with some back story about her various ponies. For example, I present to you Kate Drisella Bush:



Here's what Julia had to say: "Um, Mommy, um, this pony is named Drisella, but really her name is Kate. Well, Kate is her first name, but, um, Drisella is her... her... next name. And do you know what her last name is? BUSH. So her full name is Kate Drisella Bush. And Mommy, do you know which one is Kate Drisella Bush? She's this red pony right here. And her Mommy sang her a song that said, 'Oh, I wish I had a baaaaaaby and I would name her Kate Drisella Buuuuush!' That's the song her Mommy sings to her."

In addition to her My Little Pony coloring book, Julia also got a new My Little Pony to add to her collection, as well as a pony book and lots of candy. She got even more candy after participating in an Easter egg hunt at church and another one at the Rowe house. Madeleine received her fair share of candy as well (leading to loud exclamations of "Aunt chocolate!") throughout the day, and all in all the girls had a fine holiday. Julia has been so excited about her Easter goodies that you would think she'd have Easter basket on the brain all day, but surprisingly, she wound up misunderstanding my request to move her Easter basket up to her room:

ME: Julia, grab your basket and bring it upstairs, please.
JULIA: Okay!
ME: (running upstairs to put some things away and wondering why I hadn't seen Julia go into her room yet.)
JULIA: (from the hallway near the stairs that lead up to my bedroom) Uh, Mommy, okay, um, I brought the laundry basket over here but I need a little help getting it up the stairs!

I went downstairs to see her lugging our laundry hamper down the hall with all her might. This hamper is Julia's height, and it was full of folded laundry. Why she assumed I was asking her to bring that basket upstairs rather than her very own Easter basket is beyond me, but I applaud her effort to help out with the household chores!

Happy Easter to those celebrating today!