Baskets Full of Easter Joy

Easter morning we woke up to rain, thunder, and lightening. The girls also woke up to baskets filled with Easter treats left by Peter Cottontail.

Just look at those faces...

 

Thankfully, the rain cleared out and we were able to have a wonderful Easter lunch complete with more Easter egg hunting!

Happy Easter, everyone!

'Twas the Night Before Easter

I'm pretty sure Anna Claire and Mallory are sound asleep {it's 8pm}, but I'm giving them a few more minutes just to be sure. They were SO tired tonight after a fun filled day hunting more eggs, visiting with Peter Cotton Tail, and dyeing Easter eggs.

I can't believe it, but they are already questioning the authenticity of the Easter Bunny {they aren't even five years old!}, so I've got to be careful. Here's an example: Anna Claire asked me this morning if the Easter Bunny was really a human because when she hugged him at school Thursday she though the felt a human leg. I explained that bunnies had bones just like humans did and gave the example of Cody and Tanner having had bones under their fur and it was just like that with the Easter Bunny; she seemed satisfied with that...for now.

They are growing up too fast!

Good Friday Evening, Y'all

Spring Break has officially begun. Hooray!

Just wanted to share a few quick pics from Anna Claire and Mallory's Easter egg hunt at playschool yesterday. Guess what? It ended warming up a bit after all and turned into a really beautiful day. We all had a great time {Granny and Grandmom were there, too}, and I am so happy I got to sneak away from work for a little while to be there!

Waiting for the Easter Warm-Up

Last night Walter and I filled 28 {!!!} plastic eggs with candy, and I put together little treat bags for Anna Claire and Mallory's Easter egg hunt at playschool later this morning...and it's gonna be cold! It's hard to wear cute little Easter dresses when it's literally freezing outside.

The girls have never had a cold Easter. Let's take a little stroll down memory lane...

2009
2010
2011
2012

Is this really their fifth Easter?...but that means they're going to be FIVE soon??!!

In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion

This afternoon Mallory told me God should not have let it get warm and then made it cold again. She said God was frustrating her.

{I kind of agree with her.}

This was Anna Claire on St. Patrick's Day. It was SO warm and sunny. Where did all that warm weather and sunshine go? Spring Break is next week!!

And this is the guy at Best Buy telling me they can't fix my camera {ha! I laughed out loud tonight when I saw this pic on my camera}. I was already grouchy because it was cold and rainy on Saturday {and Sunday}, but he added insult to injury!

Spring Break needs to hurry up and get here...but I am NOT ready for Easter!! I got motivated a couple weeks ago when the time changed and the weather was warm; we put up a few decorations, but I have nothing else to show for it. I've got to get hoppin'! {get it? Easter bunnies hop!!??}

Never mind. I should be watching DWTS...

A Lesson on Raising Twins

by Mallory

Easter Sunday I was ready to get the girls dressed to go over to my parents when Mallory ran over to her closet  and pulled out the dress she wanted to wear...a brown, long-sleeved, polka-dotted minky dress.

Not exactly what I had in mind. I asked her to put it back because she and Anna Claire were going to wear their new lavender checked, smocked Easter dresses to which she replied oh~so~matter~of~ factly:
"Mommy, you know Anna Claire I don't always like the same things. Sometimes I want to wear something different."

Touché sweet girl. You are growing up way too fast for mommy.

{she did end up wearing the Easter dress, by the way}

Assisstant to the Easter Bunny

Last year I helped out the Easter bunny and made the girls these silly bunnies:

So, I was looking for a way to possibly start a tradition of making the girls an Easter bunny each year when I came across the idea for faux-chenille bunnies on Pinterest. So cute, but I didn't have any flannel and a trip to the fabric store wasn't in the plans. Then I had a brilliant idea {I have those sometimes}. I could use a few of the girls' flannel baby blankets. I still have stacks of them in their armoire and wouldn't their use make these little bunnies so much more sweet and sentimental? Yes, I thought it would.

This was a pretty easy project, but I was still surprised that they turned out pretty much like they were supposed to. The girls love cuddling with them, so I got a little overly excited as I was talking to Mallory today, and I told her that I had made the bunnies from some of the same blankets I used to swaddle her in.

Oops.

Anna Claire overheard me and with a shocked expression on her face, demanded, "So you're Peter Cotton Tail?!"

Whoa! Where did that come from?!

I thought very quickly on my feet and told her he had asked for my help when we saw him at the Easter egg hunt because he wanted her and Mallory to have very special bunnies in their baskets on Easter morning. I thought I was in the clear until she asked me if I had put the bunnies in their baskets myself. {She thinks of everything.} No, I told her. I left the bunnies on the table so Peter Cotton Tail could find them.

And then she went right back to pretending to be the Princess and the Pea without another word about it.

Crisis narrowly averted.

Easter Photo Eggstravaganza, Part II

Easter Sunday was lovely.

Of course, things started off with Anna Claire and Mallory diving right into their Easter Baskets. Peter Cotton Tail was very kind to the girls this year. The biggest hit, as always, was bubbles! I also have a cute story coming soon about the Easter bunnies I made for the girls.

We spent most of the day over at Granny and Papa's having Easter lunch with the family, swinging in the hammock, and even taking a dip in the kiddie pool {sorry, no pics; by this time I was eggshausted! ha.ha.}.

Easter goodies from Granny and Papa, too!

The kids table. I think they are finally all old enough to sit alone and eat fairly independently, so the mommies and daddies can also enjoy our food {somewhat} peacefully.

Happy Easter! We hope you and you family had a wonderful holiday!

Easter Photo Eggstravaganza, Part 1

The Saturday before Easter was Aunt Pam's annual Easter egg hunt, so we made some yummy rice-krispie treats to share...

 The girls picking weeds flowers...

This year, the Easter Bunny made a special appearance. At first, Mallory was very excited to see him...

 So was Anna Claire...

Then, out of nowhere, Mallory got shy, took a U-turn, and hid under the swing set. It took a lot of coaxing to get her to come out.

She wouldn't sit with the Easter Bunny unless Granny sat with her...Don;t kn ow what that was all about!

 Owen and Oliver...

 Connor and Dylan...

 Anna Claire and Mallory...{we bribed her with a cupcake}

 Pinata time!

 Time for one more craft before the Easter Bunny comes...

Happy Easter!

What a fun~filled day we've had and it's only the day before Easter. We'll be back soon with more pics from Aunt Pam's Easter egg hunt {above} and all the fun I'm sure is in store for Anna Claire and Mallory tomorrow!

Decorating Easter Eggs

We decorated Easter eggs twice today. First, the girls got a little crafty ~ and a little messy ~ decorating foam eggs with stickers.

Later in the day, we dyed Easter eggs outside...wearing smocks so as not to get too messy. The girls did a great job listening, though, and when the eggs were done there wasn't even a droplet of egg dye anywhere. Egg salad for lunch tomorrow!!

I love the colors {we used McCormick's neon food coloring this year because I had a coupon}, but can you see all the cracks? Four out of six eggs cracked while they were boiling. Why does that happen?