Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Tuesday—Dear Jane

Dear Jane, I wish you would share your secret on keeping up traditions with kids that are older. Did you do hunts when the four of yours were teens? My kids are good sports and never complain, but I'm pretty sure that if there were no Pal or Hy we would just let many of those things slide and just lay on the couch. What's our deal? Tell me where we are going wrong. Love, Rachel


Dear Rachel,

My suggestion is to find a Ray and Grace to add to your family. I couldn’t get the kids to do an egg hunt for years. And then . . .

Cali and Ray came over late Thursday night to spend the Easter/Conference weekend, which ended up being positively providential because the pass closed on Friday. Ray told Cali he had to get a lot of work done and she assured him she could take care of that. She put a table up in Ande’s room and a sign:


On Friday Calvin came home with this year’s new batch of chicks. He promised he’d only bring home ten. Welcome twenty new chicks. "But one was free, Jane."



Ray came out a time or two and suggested we go to Clash of the Titans. Oh ho. What a pleasant surprise it was. I expected a night of pain. I was Greek Mythology ignorant, now I am Greek Mythology conversant—which is a whole lot of borrowed Bible stories with a heavy sprinkle of human. We came home and watched The Ten Commandments.



We had a wonderful time listening to conference on Saturday. Cousin Rachel came to spend the weekend with us too, which added to the Easter egg enthusiasm . . . and the Church’s humanitarian service mitten pile.

In between sessions Calvin, Cali, and Ray got a little shooting in.



It's not really a successful weekend for them without it.



While Calvin and Ray were at the Saturday evening Priesthood session, Grace cut Rachel's hair.



And in keeping with a new tradition we started last fall, we made cherry bread so it would be fresh and hot when Ray and Calvin got home.

We also colored eggs. Ande joined us via speaker phone.



hands and eggs from L-R: Cali, Rachel, Grace

And then, because we hadn’t had enough screen time in the last 24 hours already, we watched the three hour movie of Joseph.



We woke up in good time Sunday morning. The Easter bunny didn’t hide the baskets this year because where do you hide a bunch of these? He was perplexed too, so he just put them on the breakfast table.

In between the morning and afternoon session of General Conference, but before dinner, we had an Easter egg hunt. Everybody was in charge of filling six plastic eggs to hide. They were filled with ring pops, coins, Cadbury eggs, fruit snacks, chocolate bunnies. We divvied up first the eggs and then the lawn. Everybody went out and hid eggs in their section of the lawn and then we met up for the hunt.


I don’t know what I was thinking, but I hid my eggs easy—3 year old easy. Habit not brain guided me. When we said, “Go!” everybody took off running. It was the funniest thing to see.

Ray was a big hunter and because his stride is one for every two of the girls’ he covered a lot of ground. His sack was clear full. But when he bent over to pick up another egg, a bunch fell out and Grace was there to nab one of them.



Cali found the super egg.


And since we were out by the chicken coop I gathered the unboiled eggs that the hens had laid.

We watched the afternoon session of Conference with differing degrees of consciousness and then played several rounds of dominoes before Ray and Cali had to take off.

I’m telling you Rachel, the key to making sure your traditions stay alive is to invite happy, fun cousins, have a daughter that loves to make memories, and welcome people into the family that are willing and ready to make any event a success. That's the secret.

Love,
Jane

12 comments:

Barb said...

My weekend had some similarities - including the shooting. We may never again have a successful weekend without it.

Deanna/Mimi said...

Sounds like you had a great time. Traditions are so important in our lives. We did our "hunt" Monday after school was out as Sunday was filled with conference, dinner for 16 people and last but not least, our son coming with his new wife. You have such a beautiful family Jane. Please keep sharing your joys and your experiences...it helps us all.

Unknown said...

What an Easter weekend! So glad to hear everyone's updates :) I'll be remembering these tips when my kids get older - especially since I'm the ba-humbug one on traditions lately.

Jill said...

What a great Easter/Conference weekend! I need a do-over for mine since we had Randy's brother's family here last weekend. It should have been more fun, but it wasn't...I blame their teenagers.

Cali said...

you forgot to mention why that one chick was free... because his butt was plugged with poop. He needed "unplugged."

Cali

Derek-Jenny-Kaitlynd-Ethan-Dylan said...

So glad you had a happy Easter weekend!
We are doing my families this weekend! (Hey, 50% off Candy :))

I am also so excited to see my Gracie!

Anonymous said...

Tell Grace that she wins my Easter egg decorating contest. The "babies" were adorable---how could anyone eat them?

Thanks for the meal for Gma and Gpa. How in the world did you stand there talking to me while I was ignorantly spilling the casserole all over the tray? You're a much more disciplined woman than am I, dear friend.

Love you,
BRENDA

David and Deidra Law said...

How did you all make such cute eggs? We attempted...but they were not that cute!

Deidra said...

My dad has come home with way more chicks than he ordered before. He tried convincing us we needed a few, and that the back of our bro-in-law's rarely used pickup would make a great coop for them. He suggested parking on an incline for easier egg gathering. As it stood, the only sister with a house got the spares and Dad is still our egg supplier!

Chris and I love hiding eggs for each other. We decided this year that it's time for a new house or re-arranging, since we've been hiding them in the same spot for four years.

I felt like all we did was sit in front of the TV this weekend, too. Thankfully, it was good watching!

Rachel said...

That WAS fun! I loved it! Thanks for letting me join you!

Did Cali do some switching of the Easter Bunny's surprises????? It looks kinda fishy to me!

Rebecca said...

I was happy to see cadberry 'mini eggs' in Cali's Basket. I remember several years ago scavengering for them in Spokane on her behalf. I think of her nearly every time I eat one.

michelle said...

I love this! That photo of everyone before the hunt is so dang cute. As are Grace's baby eggs. It sounds like you had more than one weekend worth of fun!