Adventures with the Ratcliff Family: Easter!

We had a really nice Easter at our house! It hit me over dinner that we were celebrating Serena's last first holiday, so that was kind of bittersweet. How special and unique she is to celebrate a first holiday after she has already turned one, but that is how her birthday fell. Next year it is actually ON Easter!

So apparently San Antonio is in an exceptional drought and the one time of the month it chooses to rain is very early Easter morning. I woke up to the pitter patter sounds of rain around 3am and thought "it just figures!" I have realized some people are inside Easter egg hunters, but my family always held ours outside. I know that we tell kids Santa comes into our house to leave presents under the tree, but the thought of telling my kids that an oversized, slightly creepy looking rabbit comes into our house is a bit much for me to take. So he leaves his treats OUTSIDE and always has. Plus with all the toys around, it would be a bit hard to hide the eggs and I can see the hunt taking way too long. Anyhow, I didn't want to do it inside, it had to be outside! By the time we woke up at 7am the rain had gone but it was wet outside of course. We didn't mention anything to Calli when she woke up (she didn't remember it was Easter). When Serena was up around 8:30am the three of them stayed upstairs playing in their room while I hid eggs in the wet grass and placed their baskets filled with goodies on a towel outside.

The girls looked out the sliding glass door to spot the eggs nearly at the same time. Serena was really funny, making her impatient noises that let us know she wanted to go out there and see what it all was! We put shoes on and went out and Calli ran around the backyard hunting eggs. Serena discovered the baskets first and went over to them. Of course then Calli wanted to see the baskets, but I convinced her to continue with the egg hunting first and she could see her basket later. When all the eggs were found we went back inside and the girls explored their treasures.

Now, I had left my Easter shopping to the very last minute. Usually I am so on top of these things, but now that Calli is older I can't exactly buy her Easter things while she is in the store with me. So I just had never made it out on my own and then it was Saturday evening, 7pm and we had to head to Target. Richard took the girls to the toy section while I scrounged some things up in the Easter section, which had previously taken up three whole aisles and was now all in maybe half an aisle. I think I did pretty well still and the girls seemed to really enjoy their toys.
The bunny brought Serena some new bath toys, a doodle toy, a small princess ball, trains, a cup and stickers. Calli got a Hannah Montana soccer ball, a water bottle filled with candy necklaces, stickers, trains, a kite and a Pixos kit she has been asking for since seeing the commercials around Christmas. So I think the Easter bunny did pretty well :)

After the morning excitement we got ready and headed to brunch at Cracker Barrel. Serena fell asleep in the car and got about a twenty minute cat nap. She was in a surprisingly good mood for the most part though. We came home and decided to walk down to the park to play for a bit. After that it was back home to just relax and enjoy the rest of the day. By dinner time poor Serena was so exhausted that she started to fall asleep as she was eating! Richard took her out of her chair and we decided she had enough excitement for one day and it was off to bed a bit early (she is still sleeping at 8am this morning, I just checked!).

Another holiday gone by, more traditions celebrated and new memories made. I am so thankful for our family, for our beautiful and healthy children. Although the idea is still kind of nervewracking for me, I am looking forward to having another beautiful child in just six short weeks (probably seven if he is anything like his big sisters!). Things will be crazy, we will be tired, kids will be cranky, but that is life and we will survive. Now that we're on the third we're kind of experts on this whole baby business ;). Okay, maybe not, but having such a close gap between Serena and the new baby has its advantages: everything is still fresh in our mind from Serena's first year and we know exactly what we are in for. So just buckle up, because it will be a thrilling, exhausting, -but most of all- fun, ride!

Coming downstairs on Easter morning

Calli starting the Easter egg hunt

Serena discovering her Easter basket already

Calli of course had to go look and see hers too

Checking out their goodies inside

I filled Serena's eggs with fishy crackers and dried fruit pieces. I knew she would want to eat whatever was in them and since she doesn't get candy this seemed like a good solution.

Calli looking at all her Easter things. Her favorite things she found in the eggs were nail polish. She insisted on me painting her nails before we left for brunch.

Serena in her pretty Easter dress

Calli enjoying some of her candy

Playing at the park

Swinging

Serena enjoying the slides with Daddy

Calli making friends. It's amazing how your heart can hurt so much as you watch your child try to make friends. You just want so badly for her to fit in, for people to like her, but you really have no control over it. Calli is an outgoing and friendly little girl who loves to make friends. She went over to this group of older girls to try and play with them and they kind of let her, but mostly ignored her. I have watched this scene play out a time or two before with her and it is always hard for me. I just want to cry and go up and make those kids like her. But of course, we can't do that and I am having to start to let Calli fight her own battles and create her own paths. It's scary and hard, but she will be a better person for it.