And yet another Monday....

Today I am knee deep in a triple whammy--it's laundry day (again), it's the day after a major holiday, and it's the first day of Spring Break. When the kids asked if today could be pajama day, I thought that sounded like a fabulous idea!

I fully understand why holidays always stressed my mom out so much when I was growing up. Even when we try to take it easy, a significant holiday can affect my kids for a week. The night before Easter my out-of-town inlaws came for dinner. That in itself was cause for celebration for the boys. They were very excited to see Grandma and Grandpa and were little crazy people all day. And they ate nothing. They were offered food 3 times that day and chose not to eat.

Knowing the Easter Bunny was coming, Ryan was in our room at 1:30 am asking if it was time to go downstairs. I don't recall my actual words to him, but I'm banking on the fact that he can't actually recall them either. They were both up at 6:00 am, ready to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord by spreading Easter grass all over my living room and taking turns coming in to show us what the Easter Bunny brought. One item at a time. Around this time we discovered that the Easter Bunny had made a delivery to our front porch and had covered our lawn with candy filled eggs. Mike and I looked at each other and concluded that it must have been his parents. And I was beginning to rethink my decision to fill candy eggs and hide them in the living room.

See this darling Easter picture of my boys? Do you know the yelling that was involved to get Eric into that shirt? From both parties?

They then had breakfast with a jelly bean chaser and we went to church. After church they were once again served a meal that was not eaten. At all. We then went to Mike's sister Tiffany's house for Easter dinner (we had the boys fill their backpacks with stuff to do, and asked each of them to bring a pair of pj's for the ride home. Eric decided that was a wasted step and he came downstairs wearing the pajamas. In order to avoid a replay of the morning's activities, we threw our hands up in the air and hustled everyone into the van). Of course Grandma and Grandpa were there again and the boys absolutely adore their Uncle Marcus. They got to play video games, run around the basement, and hunt for more candy filled eggs. Knowing they would be completely aghast at the mere suggestion of eating the roast beef dinner the adults were having, we made the kids fish sticks and fruit cups. Nothing.

So by now they have eaten nothing but candy for two days (as I keep scolding the adults "I said NO MORE candy for them!), they are both sleep deprived, and Eric hasn't napped all weekend.

[side bar: we hinted all afternoon about the Easter Bunny's visit to our front yard. Mike's parents seemed really aloof and uninterested in the whole thing. Until it dawned on us that they didn't know what we were talking about. As in, they didn't do it. As in, some stranger gave our children candy that they've been eating]

By 6:45 it's time to go home to get the kids to bed and the six adults in the room are unable to corral two small boys. It seriously took us 20 minutes to get their shoes and jackets on.

Now this will come as a big surprise, but the boys complained about how hungry they were on the way home. And although they turned their noses up at the bananas and cereal offered them, they each did eat a bowl of cereal out of sheer desparation. Could not get them into bed fast enough.

And this morning: evil. Pouting, whining, crying, stomping...all before 9:00 am.

We did finally discovered the boys' benefactor--K.D from down the street. She is the 11 year old neighbor girl and budding babysitter. The boys adore her and she clearly thinks they are pretty swell too.

And on a happier note: I'm taking a break from knitting things for people to admire on Etsy and started on my $46 socks. Look at how yummy they are: