Some rubble and the Easter Bunny

Most of Saturday was passed boiling eggs and otherwise preparing for the great egg-dying event we have every year. I bought more eggs than usual this year -- knowing that Yvonne would want to join in as well... but the biggest change to our normal yearly routine was that I elected to move our egg-dying activities inside this time. Normally, I get a little flustered about all the brightly coloured dye being slung around the house by children and adults alike... SO I set up a table outside somewhere with the intention of hosing everything off when it's all over.

Saturday I had a bit of freedom... Realizing that the damaged countertops, cabinets, and kitchen floor were already doomed to be hacked into pieces and removed at some point in the near future anyway -- and that the walls still need at least one more coat of paint... I announced that there was no point in hauling everything outside. I admit it -- every time a small person spilled a cup of bright blue dye on the white counters I felt faint... But I recovered.

As a matter of fact - by the end of it all I was feeling victorious. That's the only way to describe it -- victorious! I had actually enjoyed dunking eggs and was not distressed about the blue, pink, orange, green and yellow stains all over my countertops. It was pure bliss, I tell you.

I was feeling so adventurous then - that I suggested that we all pile in the car and take a trip along the coast to see how things are shaping up nearly eight months after Hurricane Katrina. Mom blogs the story well (along with photos) HERE.

I was agreeing with Mom for a while... that things didn't look so bad anymore. There must have been improvement... or... something.... Coming home and going through my pictures - I was a little shocked at how bad things looked through the camera lens. Apparently, we have very much gotten used to things the way they are.

A hotel in Biloxi. I have no idea which hotel - they all look the same to me now.

Another Biloxi hotel.

A Biloxi home.

Uhm.. can you say "mixed message"?

The mini-golf course at Fun Time USA. I suppose we can check this one off the summer to-do list.

Debris.

We didn't get home from our excursion until around 8 pm Saturday night. I was very worried that the Easter Bunny was going to be too tired to get much done around the house before Easter morning... So I got to work right away. Dave spent several hours trying to get the kids in bed -- and keep them there while I worked on food for the Easter dinner the boys had requested. It was well after midnight by the time the dirt cup desserts were finished and the turkey was thawed. The Easter Bunny had already come and left baskets full of candy-filled eggs on our kitchen table. I wish he had taken a moment or two to help with the dishes. I got out a soapy rag to wipe down the counters before heading to bed -- and much to my dismay... the egg dye -- the only evidence of the victory won in the afternoon's internal battle -- was completely washed away. All of those years of fuss and worry -- and all I had to do was wipe the stuff up a few hours later. *mutter*

Easter morning we woke up to the sounds of scurrying children and rustling candy wrappers. I was so tired that later that day I had absolutely no memory of taking any photographs... So I was thrilled to find that I had managed to at least catch Yvonne inspecting her Easter haul.

It seems that the Easter Bunny rather rudely left the price tag intact on Yvonne's stuffed bunny... Bad rabbit.

And so... after a nice long Easter morning Mass that I think we all missed because Yvonne was in a horrible mood, a big turkey dinner at the boys' request, and an afternoon spent picking up candy wrappers... We rounded out the day with family movie night and plopped down to watch The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Then we all passed out.

Happy Easter. :)