The DDA Trouble Free Zone Part 4

[bengalbelle]

Ok, here's what we do for Easter.

The day before Easter all the cousins (35 live here in town) get together for an Easter egg hunt. We then have a large potluck dinner while the kids get all hopped up on sugar.

When we get home from the hunt, Alan and I gather the kids in the kitchen to make Resurrection cookies. This requires some reading in the Bible while we make the cookies (anyone who wants the recipe, feel free to PM me).

Next morning, we all get up and get ready for Church. This is one of only 2 times a year that the kids get special outfits for Church, so they are really excited about it. The Easter Bunny has not arrived at this point, so we really focus on a more religious side of Easter. While we are at Church, either DH or I sneak home to hide the baskets. For the last couple of years, we've grown a grass centerpiece, and the Easter Bunny always leaves us some specially dyed eggs and candy in the grass centerpiece.

When the kids come home from Church, they are allowed to find their Easter baskets while I finish getting dinner on the table. We eat a dinner (usually ham, au gratin potatoes, vegetable, rolls, jell-o beans, and dessert, and then DH hides our special Easter Eggs. These are a dozen eggs that contain symbols of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. We then hold an egg hunt, and go over the Easter story.

After the story, we eat the Resurrection cookies.

We've tried to find a balance between the religious side of Easter and the secular side. It works for us.

There was a neat idea in Family Fun magazine this month where parents would "spider web" the house. Each child had a different color yarn, one end attached to the basket, and the other attached to the bed. In the morning, they had to untie the end on the bed and wind the yarn until they find their basket. That sounds like fun, but a little bit too much work for me.

We usually spend the Friday night before Easter dying eggs for our big hunt. That's the big thing we do each year. Every family dyes at least 3 dozen eggs, and we also buy candy. While the daddies keep the kids busy in the house, the mommies hide the eggs and toss candy around the yard. We don't even try to hide the candy. Our goal is to make sure all the kids have fun and find as much stuff as they want. Then we divide the kids by age (1-5, 6-8. 8 and up) and they are sent to the yard little ones first, the next group after a minute and so on. They hunt and hunt and have a ball.

We've also done Easter bonnet parades with everyone making a hat and showing it off.

That's all I can think of now.

Got to run to book club!
I'll come back later.

I'd love the recipe for the Resurrection Cookies.

I had never seen the eggs that tell the Easter story until Christopher attended an Easter party last yeer. Thanks for reminding me to go look for them. I'm going to get my hair cut and colored tomorrow so I'll go look right after!

I guess the hard part is that Christopher is the only little one in our family and we always go to my MIL's house for Easter. He hunts by himself, but it's just not the same as having a group. I really need to come up with something special for an "only" child. I saw the yarn thing too. It was way complicated. We're going to make the tie-dye eggs (Kristine, I'll be thinking of you).

 

[triplefigs]

Denise-I found this on the net-"Kindergarten attendance is not mandatory in Georgia." I don't know how up to date that is but I think that would take one point of pressure off you. Seems like it would be down to would Rees do better with more time at home to get back into the swing of things (Dec trip) or would he do better with smaller crowds (Sept).

Thanks for looking, but they turn 6 this summer. School is mandatory for 6 year olds in the State of GA. We held them back as they were so preemie (should have had a mid-Sept b'day and would have missed the Sept 1st school cut-off). I appreciate the help! I think Dec is going to be our best bet.

 

[mommykds]

Ok I have a nomination for DH of the year over here...
I came to bed still not feeling well. My head is pounding. My DH comes in & gives me his work lap top so I can "DIS" in bed. He knows this cheers me up. Aaaahhhhhhhh!

 

[triplefigs]

Go give that man a

Oh, he's happy! But I didn't have the blue ****s...

 

[bengalbelle]

It is a tough decision..you both have to want it. I am not ready to say I am done yet (I have 3 kids ages 10,6, & 5) . My DH would love another one. I would too except that he travels alot for business & I am alone with them. Nothing wrong with that but we do not have moms/family who can help. My mom had a stroke & cannot help. DH's mom won't help sooooo I worry about dragging this potential baby around to all my older kids functions. The poor thing would never be out of the car seat. I am in the car all day running around..you don't realize how "easy" you only have your first. But then I think..I love my kids so much one more would be great...Hmmmm ok now YOU have got me thinking..

Good luck with your decision.

How do your 10 and 5 year olds get along? There will be 5 years between Christopher and this baby and I worry all of the time that I've waited too long .

 

[mommykds]

Just to jump back on the 80's topic for a minute..

I always loved Matthew Broderick in Ferris Buellers Day Off. I must have seen that movie at least 100 times. I finally got to see my "crush" in 2001 at The Producers....

My other favs were Pretty In Pink, 16 Candles, & The Breakfast Club..."Da da da dah..da da da dah...da da da dah...when you walk on by".....

 

[triplefigs]

Sorry to hear about Rees. However, he did get one break - he got the most wonderful mommy in the world. If your husband is anything like you, then he got two breaks - the most wonderful daddy in the world. You are an inspiration to me with all that you do for your three. You are an amazing woman.

Oh, Vicki, thank you. And John is the BEST daddy in the entire world. From day 1, through all the heartache, tests of our faith and marriage, the wonderful and the sad, he has been there for it all. He never misses anything they do-concerts, plays, recitals. He comes to all doctor's appointments, cleans the house, does the laundry, irons, helps cook. he is a FULL partner in every word. And he's my best friend. Now, yes, we definitely have our moments, but I am so lucky to be married to a man who loves me and our kids wholeheartedly.

 

[legalslave]

I'm way back on page 1116. I don't know if the oldest has been crowned yet, but I graduated in 1962 and got married 11 days later.

no,,,I graduated in 1968 got married a year later

 

[mommykds]

Oh, he's happy! But I didn't have the blue ****s...

 

[UP Disney]

Now that the girls are older, we hold a scavenger hunt of sorts. On the counter the Easter bunny leaves a clue. Each clue leads the girls to the next clue. Eventually after 8 or 10 clues, it leads them to their basket. We dye eggs before Easter and those get hidden upstairs. I thought the yarn was a cool idea but also thought it was too much work.

My mother-in-law used to do a plastic egg hunt in the yard. She would fill up the same number of eggs for each kid. She would then tie different color ribbons on each egg (same amount of each color yarn) and hide them in the yard. Each kid got a different color yarn. She also tied the same color yarn on baskets that she would hide. The younger kids eggs and baskets were always easier to find than the older kids. In this way, she could ensure that everyone got the same of everything. There were only 6 grandkids so this wasn't difficult to do. I did it a couple of years when Easter was held here instead of the in-laws.

We attend church on Easter morning as well as many Lenten services leading up to Easter.

 

[triplefigs]

Despite earlier comments, I think that I agree with Jennifer and other recent posts. I think that you should forget about the school itself and just worry about what will be best for Rees, no matter which month it is.

Thanks, Tia. I do think December may be better for him. Yes, the crowds will be a lot more, but with good planning and the GAC card, we should be ok. I just think he would have a hard time missing an entire week. I could see him struggling to get back into the swing of things, be more emotional, etc. And he'll have 11 days to "decompress" after our December trip before school starts back. He won't be any more "off" than any other kid returning from Christmas vacation.

 

[Tammi67]

I'm doing a little happy dance today cause I got my DME tags today for my 1st May trip.

Then ours must be coming soon too!!

 

[bear74]

Well, I'm on my laptop with no designing capabilities, so this will be nothing special. But.....



3000!

congrats

 

[triplefigs]

I TOTALLY agree!! This is the bottomline and absolutely true!!

Y'all are just too sweet to me!

 

[KristineN]

Oh, he's happy! But I didn't have the blue ****s...

I am making another t-shirt tomorrow...so I may upgrade to GREEN!!

 

[Tammi67]

Once Amy moves, we'll get her on the motivation and support thread. Then I can send her motivational pm's every once in a while. She'll get so tired of hearing from me, that she'll do some pages just to get rid of me!!!!

Or not, but just tell you she did!! Oh I forgot, Kevin reads this too so that might keep her honest.

 

[UP Disney]

Or not, but just tell you she did!! Oh I forgot, Kevin reads this too so that might keep her honest.

Nope, for scrapbook pages, I am going to start requiring pictures because we know that she knows how to post and she has an adorable little one that we want to see pictures of!!!!

 

[triplefigs]

I am making another t-shirt tomorrow...so I may upgrade to GREEN!!

 

[Tammi67]

Ok, here's what we do for Easter.

The day before Easter all the cousins (35 live here in town) get together for an Easter egg hunt. We then have a large potluck dinner while the kids get all hopped up on sugar.

When we get home from the hunt, Alan and I gather the kids in the kitchen to make Resurrection cookies. This requires some reading in the Bible while we make the cookies (anyone who wants the recipe, feel free to PM me).

Next morning, we all get up and get ready for Church. This is one of only 2 times a year that the kids get special outfits for Church, so they are really excited about it. The Easter Bunny has not arrived at this point, so we really focus on a more religious side of Easter. While we are at Church, either DH or I sneak home to hide the baskets. For the last couple of years, we've grown a grass centerpiece, and the Easter Bunny always leaves us some specially dyed eggs and candy in the grass centerpiece.

When the kids come home from Church, they are allowed to find their Easter baskets while I finish getting dinner on the table. We eat a dinner (usually ham, au gratin potatoes, vegetable, rolls, jell-o beans, and dessert, and then DH hides our special Easter Eggs. These are a dozen eggs that contain symbols of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. We then hold an egg hunt, and go over the Easter story.

After the story, we eat the Resurrection cookies.

We've tried to find a balance between the religious side of Easter and the secular side. It works for us.

There was a neat idea in Family Fun magazine this month where parents would "spider web" the house. Each child had a different color yarn, one end attached to the basket, and the other attached to the bed. In the morning, they had to untie the end on the bed and wind the yarn until they find their basket. That sounds like fun, but a little bit too much work for me.

We usually spend the Friday night before Easter dying eggs for our big hunt. That's the big thing we do each year. Every family dyes at least 3 dozen eggs, and we also buy candy. While the daddies keep the kids busy in the house, the mommies hide the eggs and toss candy around the yard. We don't even try to hide the candy. Our goal is to make sure all the kids have fun and find as much stuff as they want. Then we divide the kids by age (1-5, 6-8. 8 and up) and they are sent to the yard little ones first, the next group after a minute and so on. They hunt and hunt and have a ball.

We've also done Easter bonnet parades with everyone making a hat and showing it off.

That's all I can think of now.

Got to run to book club!
I'll come back later.

When I die I want to come back as your kid.

 

[tmfranlk]

Well, my fondness for Shaun was before my file folder days. The file folders came to be during the late 80's (I graduated from high school in 1990), so my folders included: Ricky Schroder, Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez, etc.

Amy

So you had the complete Outsiders folder collection! I KNEW I liked you!!