Spring Tea Party, Easter

Home. Where our hearts live and love. It was so good to be home! Justin picked Mia and I up from the airport on his way home from work. Drove through a spot of hail and rain, just to make sure we knew Idaho’s weather was still on par. The kids were excited, so excited as we drove up! The hugs were amazing. I dished out the gifts as soon as possible. Josie fixated on getting a locket like her friend Savannah. Somehow I was able to deliver, thanks to Katie wanting to peruse a Christmas Store of all things in Little Italy. The boys got baoding balls, hats, gyroscopes, and a pin from Hamilton. The little got lockets, Chinese fans, cute painted bells, tiny colored pencils, Hamilton pins, and a snow globe. Yay. I was beyond tired, like speech was difficult. I had to run to Walmart for Phillip’s prescription. We all went to bed early. Josie had a tummy bug, she had a difficult morning but was feeling better by the time I got home. 

The rest of Spring Break went by in a blur. Wednesday Everett, Evelyn, and I left home at 9:30 am for a couple doctor appointments. Everett met with Stephanie Lee, our amazing psychiatrist. I wanted to get a baseline for his winter blues he experienced recently. Seems like most of his feelings are stemming from anxiety over school and seasonal depression. We are not pursuing any medication, just making sure his situation is documented. There was an opening for ADD testing so I had him take that out of curiosity. He was really fidgety but the test results show he is not ADD, just bored with the test (basically, clicking squares or circles for 20 minutes). He is taking magnesium and L-Theanine, to help him relax at bedtime. We headed to Nina’s for therapy with her. The kids were starving so we stopped at Sonic for lunch. I was still numbingly exhausted, that hollow feeling between consciousness and unconsciousness. The girl’s room was a disaster again, spent a good two days switching out winter for spring/summer clothes and tidying up the room. 

All Josie wanted during Spring Break was a fancy tea party. She wrote down her plans on a sheet of paper before we left for NYC. I was too tired on Wednesday for a party. Thursday did not work out for some reason, maybe because Josie was not feeling well and we did not have cucumbers. So Friday was the DAY for a tea party. I went grocery shopping in the morning for supplies. Phillip wanted a more active role than just butler, he wanted to be a gentleman. The boys eventually decided to be “Butt” and “Ler” part butler and part guest. Amelia and Everett made most of the food: cucumber sandwiches and Nutella sandwiches; a charcuterie plate named Kevin made out of apples, cheese, and triscuits; a dessert charcuterie plate that was unnamed; soda, herbal tea, and pink milk for beverages. The party was held outside on the patio on a glorious spring afternoon. Queen Josie was the hostess. Butt directed the visitors, Lady Evelyn and Lady Amelia to the back patio. I was the court photographer. We had a lovely visit surrounded by terrible English accents and haughty giggles. Ler could ask Butt to fetch a sandwich (or finger food) and vice versa. 

Easter came very early this year. It crept up like a ghost bunny. I realized it was Easter as I was about to check out, realized I needed Easter eggs to dye. I had Easter baskets all shopped for so that was no worry. We dyed eggs as a family late Saturday afternoon, once again outside in the gorgeous spring weather. Everyone had 10 eggs to dye or decorate. The egg spinners are a crowd favorite! 

Sunday morning Amelia, Phillip, and I arrived early to practice the choir song for the Easter Program. We talk of Christ, we sing of Christ, we testify of Christ! Comparing Mass to Sacrament Meeting in my mind was interesting. We both talk of Christ but the atonement was missing from the Catholic service. Our meeting was focused on his atonement. I love the Savior. Evelyn caught a nasty viral stomach bug Saturday. She was miserable. Everett caught it next followed by Justin on Sunday. I myself felt quite terrible with digestion mishaps. Somehow Phillip and Amelia escaped the plague. 

I assembled Easter baskets and made a fun (and long) treasure hunt. The kids ran up stairs, downstairs, outside, to the Ostlers, and back. The final resting place was inside the van! We had some good discussions about Christ after watching some of the videos on Christ’s life throughout the week.