Easter

Today was a good day. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t be physically surrounded by family, but we did video chats and doorstep turkey drop-offs. We shared pictures and videos on social media. I didn’t feel very isolated even though we couldn’t get together.

I was a bit nervous about how today was going to go. I’ve said this before (but I’ll say it again anyways) holidays/special occasions usually hit me really hard. There’s expectations, traditions, and things that you just really wish your kids would participate in and it’s really hard when they don’t.

Shamus and I were discussing last night about a couple of years ago when I had a mini-meltdown the night before Easter. He had to work that night and I was cleaning and preparing alone. I was tired, grumpy, and annoyed – and I just had this big moment of “what the hell is the point? Why do we do all of these things that the kids don’t care about? Why do we put in all of this effort when they simply do not care about any of it?” It was a rough night – it was also only a couple of weeks after Rory was diagnosed, which was probably part of it.

Then last year, much to our surprise, Penny was excited to meet the Easter Bunny.

This year I told her the Easter Bunny was coming and she said, “Easter Bunny – so exciting!”  I don’t think she really “gets it” as such, but she’s starting to. Rory isn’t there and that’s okay – he’s usually happy regardless.

So, with cautious optimism, we woke up this morning to find the hidden eggs and the small gifts and treats the Easter Bunny left. They didn’t really look for the eggs. They had no real interest in opening the gifts. They found some eggs that were lying around and opened them. Once they figured out there was candy in them, they randomly found and opened them up all day. It’s an egg graveyard in our living room right now.

We were absolutely delighted because it’s the best they’ve ever done. There were no tears or screams. They chilled for about 20 minutes in the living room before starting the rest of their morning routine. It was nice.

I cooked a turkey dinner for Shamus and I – the kids refuse to eat it. It turns out that cooking a big meal for two people is very anticlimactic!  Then we dropped off some turkey dinner to my mom and step-dad’s door and went for a fairly long drive.

There were some sweet moments too. Rory has been on this kick where we all need to go for a drive together. The other day I was sewing so Penny and I decided to stay home. Apparently that is unacceptable to Rory. Today when we said we were going for a drive he asked, “Rory?” Yep. “Daddy?” Yep. “Penny?” Yep. “Mommy?” Yep. When all was confirmed, he smiled and put on his boots and announced, “Drive! Let’s go!” (his words are expanding so much lately!)

Also, today Penny was eating Sour Patch Kids out of one of her Easter eggs. I asked, “are there any blue ones? That’s mommy’s favourite.” She rarely responds to my comments or questions, but she stopped and thought for a few seconds – then found and handed me a blue plastic egg. Not quite what I was asking for, but a very sweet gesture of generosity and (partial) understanding.

I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and that you’re surrounded (at a safe distance) by those you love. Happy Easter!

(We learned that if we turn on the selfie-mode so the kids can see the countdown, we can actually get pictures where they’re looking at the camera. #lifehacks)