Monday, April 5, 2010

Happy Easter!

Yesterday was Easter Sunday and when I called each of my sisters in the morning to wish them a Happy Easter, I could tell that we were all feeling the same way. We were all longing to be "home" for Easter. Home was mom and dad's house - the central gathering place to celebrate holidays, birthdays, good report cards or just a sunny day.

Easter at mom's house always meant coffee and Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in the morning, a big egg hunt for the kiddies in the afternoon and a ham dinner with all of the trimmings...right down to the lamb-shaped butter.

Mom worked magic in the kitchen and she always cooked enough to feed our hungry army...with take-home doggy bags to keep our husband's happy. Even if we stopped by unexpectedly, mom was able to whip up a feast in her magical "Fishes and Loaves" kitchen where a simple roast beef dinner for two could instantly turn into a banquet if someone showed up. To be honest, I think she and dad often took less for themselves to accommodate for the added mouths to feed but it pleased them to do so. Besides, dad was more than happy to follow his dinner with a slice of Wonder bread, slathered with butter and peanut butter if he was still hungry:)

Yesterday, Easter in my house fell short of mom's Easter Extravaganzas but we still had a nice day. I did start the day with Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and fresh coffee but not at the crack of dawn since Zach and Eric slept in until almost 11:00. Now that they are teenagers, the excitement and wonder just isn't there...or so I thought. Before going to bed Saturday night, Eric stated, "I hope the Easter Bunny doesn't forget to hide our baskets like he did last year." At 13, he certainly doesn't believe in the Easter Bunny anymore, but this was his not-so-subtle way to say, "Hey mom, I'm still a kid. Don't drop the ball like you did last year!" Oops! I guess I forget that my video game and zombie junkies are still kids after all. Trust me, the Easter Bunny didn't forget to hide their baskets this year...in fact, they didn't find them for nearly an hour! It was so good to see them laughing and having fun, I think I'll hide eggs for them next year...just like grandma used to. :o)

Russ had to work yesterday so he didn't get home until close to dinnertime. Unfortunately, he and the boys decided they didn't want the traditional ham dinner that I was looking forward to cooking, so instead we had filet mignon with mom's mashed potatoes, fresh asparagus, Au gratin potatoes, Easter bread, and frozen mixed veggies (for Eric). In the evening, we took a triple-chocolate cheesecake over to my sister Patty's house for dessert since she was still down in the dumps when I spoke to her after dinner. We had some laughs, along with coffee and yummy cheesecake so it was the perfect end to the day.

Maybe it's ok to start new traditions as long as we hold onto the memories of the old ones with all of our might.