Saturday morning, we all got up early and drove down the road to IHOP for breakfast. Another mystery shop. I didn't eat a thing, though, having been up all night getting sick after trying a tiny bowl of cereal. Cross another food 'attempt' off my list! Sophia insisted on wearing her birthday hat, and she got a lot of smiles for it.
I had posted all those free eggs I'd gotten free on Friday night on Freecycle before we left, o we had to get home to start doling them out. We certainly didn't need them all, and indeed we still have about 5 dozen eggs. I love and hate Freecycle; people are so rude on there, it drives me crazy. But I like getting rid of crap I don't need, and sometimes scoring something really awesome.
Anyway.
Rob took the kids to the van dealership to give me a break while I dealt with the Free-seekers and took care of some things. The inside of the driver's door was coming off, so he got the parts needed to fix that. He's so handy, and now it's all better. Good thing, I was going nuts with that. When they got home, I had just finished making the green icing for their Easter cookies (green because that's the only color they left me when they got into the food coloring, and I wasn't going to break into my Wilton colors for them!).
I'd picked up some cheapy Easter sprinkles at the store too, so each girl got two bottles of them. Jack didn't want to help. Rob was outside working on his truck, and he wanted to watch and "help." So I iced, the girls decorated, and Jack wanted to help eat.
Their finished work. Oh! While we made cookies on Friday, we talked all about Jesus, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and what Easter means to us as Christians. (They were especially impressed about Him being nailed to the cross and having thorns pressed into his head, and Sophia likes to solemnly tell me that part, over and over.) Well, when Daddy came home from work, they showed me that they actually, truly, really listened, and parroted back almost verbatim what I had told them. All three of them told the story. I was duly impressed.
Digging in
Jack, refusing to let me take his picture. What else is new?
So after that, I wanted to run out and do the three Food Lion shops I'd taken, and I was in my car and just about to take off, when I remembered Jack's eye exam at 1230! Oops. So I stayed home instead and made a very sad CARE Package, for a little 18-month-old girl named Maddie. She died suddenly on the 7th, and her story has been all over the blogosphere ever since. They wanted everything to be purple for Maddie, so I sent a giant, white baby blanket we'd been given for the charity (I think on Freecycle!), along with a dark purple sweater and soaker set I'd knitted a few months back, along with the usual supplements. I hope it helps them through this time, somehow. Very sad.
I drove to the Post Office and man, it was mobbed. I never thought I'd get out of there on time. But I got the package mailed at last, zipped home to pick up Jack, and fled to Wal-mart for his exam.
He did so well during all the parts of the exam! He followed directions, read all the letters that he could read, and just generally cooperated and actually had a good time with it. He seemed really excited about everything and was very curious about all the machines, but then he is quite mechanically inclined. He didn't like wearing the paper sunglasses after getting his eyes dilated, though!
So he definitely needs to wear glasses and is farsighted in both eyes, after all. Initially, the machines read him as far- in one eye and near- in the other, but she said they get a better picture with kids after the dilation because they lose the ability to focus. They aren't anywhere near as bad as Chloë's eyes, which are about as bad as her dad's. And the doc recommended Sophie get an exam too, but they don't do them there until the kids are six-years-old, and I really liked that doc. Plus the exam was free with our insurance!
We went next door to pick out some glasses while the dilation took full effect. There weren't a whole lot of options to fit his tiny face, but I knew this pair was The One as soon as I put it on him. This is a bad phone picture; he doesn't really look cross-eyed wearing them! So they'll be back in about a week, and he has talked about it constantly since then! He's really excited to "wear glasses like Chloë." I hope the novelty doesn't wear off too quickly and he does something to damage them!
When we got home, we decided to all go to the nursery to let Sophia pick out the tree she'd asked for, for her upcoming fourth birthday. I, of course, love that she asked for a tree. A tree! How wonderful! How cool, how unique, how utterly Earth-friendly. My girl!! Here she is, once again making nicey-nice with the statuary.
Although it was drizzling, everyone was in good spirits as they checked out all the sights at the garden center, a place where we haven't gone in a very long time. (I have no gardening skills whatsoever, and Rob isn't inclined right now...) Here they are playing with a bubbler, which one of them deemed a 'birdbath.' Whatever, enjoy yourselves, just don't break it! (Mom, as you can see from Sophie's hands, they received the Easter cards!)
We were helpfully referred to the tree and shrub guy on duty, and he asked us what we were looking for. We told them our 4yo wanted a tree for her birthday, and we needed something pink and low-maintenance. He had what we needed. Sophie dutifully followed him over to the...
Crepe Myrtles! Sophia pointed out one after another and said, "I want that one!" She didn't seem to mind that they were mostly sticks with a few leaves at this point. I expected her to want some big ol' tree, already statuesque and thriving, but phew! She did not mind the littler ones in our budget.
"Mommy! I'm bigger than this one!"
The Tree and Shrub Man chose a tree in the Hopi variation, saying it would produce a nice, pink color and be in full flower already this summer. Perfect! That was the one.
On the way out, the kids stopped to admire the very large, very cool, but very expensive chimes. I love chimes. I just wish I had a place to hang them, here. Oh, how I miss living in an actual house.
So that was that. We went home, and it was time to shower and get dressed for church. We don't go a whole lot ever since Sophia was born and completely through a wrench in our previously-very-organized scheduling, but we do manage to go on the big holidays. I know, I don't want to be that Christian, but we are working on it. We keep trying.
Before we left, we did a quick Easter photo op. These are few of the funnier outtakes! I'm waaay behind on actually getting them into Sears for birthday pics, oops...
At church, the kid's program was having a Scooby Doo dinner, because we all know what that has to do with Easter: nothing. I still don't get it. But Chloë squealed and was too thrilled to go up and do her thing when she saw him.
Eventually, they all got into the groove, but the 'Doo was on the move to other kids.
So, we checked them into their respective rooms and headed into the sanctuary ourselves. Ever since Robby died, I get a little tearful at Easter, because I realize just how huge a sacrifice it was, given to us. I cried as usual, but no one saw me. The only thing I hated was not being able to sing along - my favorite part of the service - since I am still voiceless. I mouthed along, Britney-style.
Afterward, we picked up our progeny, went home and handed out a few more eggs, and then went out to Silver Diner for a late birthday dinner. Sophie had her free meal and shake coming, and they love to go. I don't remember what they're all looking out the window at here...
The cherry on top is always quickly scarfed up!
Chow time!
We went home, and everyone crashed after our long, busy day. I'm going to go take a break, maybe make some egg salad or have a popsicle, and then we'll see about Sunday...
Fin.
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