our Easter weekend

I am not sure if it's the sunshine, the fact that we actually have GRASS on the ground in April with warmer temperatures (60's and 70's), just the fact of having 2 little boys, the hustle and bustle of our current stage of life (moving, job changes, etc. etc. etc.)...or maybe a little of all of the above that has been the reason for my kids' extra bout of rowdiness! W-I-L-D is not the appropriate spelling of the nature of these guys lately! Therefore, when last Saturday morning rolled around and my little men were more than a little rambunctious, I was relieved that Clay was home to help entertain! He can horse play much better than mommy can on most days. ;) Watching all 3 of them roll around on the floor wrestling was hilarious to say the least...the main reason for this being that Cooper was leading the pack every time. He would laugh and take a running leap onto Clay and Parker both, tackling their larger bodies then roll off just to get up and pounce again.

Disclaimer: No children or adults were harmed in the following pictures

After wrestling time was over and our little men started to dive into other ventures--of which I could easily see include a small tornado and possible injuries sweeping through our household in a matter of minutes--I decided it might be a good time to bring out a "creative project" to busy little hands.

Resurrection Rolls. You can find the details here and here.
Aunt Lolly texted me on Friday about a fun idea to try with the boys in the kitchen over the Easter holiday. I was thrilled for a new project...and I thought Parker was just old enough to do it this year! All 3 of the boys got in the kitchen and enjoyed the little cooking experiment. Clay and Parker fully participated in each little detail of the 15-20 minute creation. Cooper stood on a chair next to Parker and mostly shoved marshmallows in his mouth. My role was to prep everything, instruct the next steps, read the Bible story, and keep a certain one's little hands out of the butter bowl.

Because of the ages of our boys, we kept it simple, simple. This was a precious (and yummy!) project that I am sure we will enjoy again next year!!

Sunday morning the boys woke up to Easter bunny goodies.  Some favorites that our furry little friend likes to bring us each year include: Annie's Bunny Crackers, springtime and Easter books, and bubbles for fun times outside. This year, Parker got several fun things to add to his Pre-K collection: scissors, a tablet for perfecting letters, Alphie Letter and Number packs and a fun travel coloring/activity book. (The activity book has already been a hit as Parker really likes the special crayons that you place on your fingers in order to color!) Cooper's favorite Easter treats were a little plastic golf set (not shown in picture) and bubbles! (Apparantly, the Easter bunny knows how quickly Cooper chews goes through his little toothbrushes because he totally loaded both boys up with dental care products! Toothbrushes, 2 kinds of toothpaste, floss..we're good to go until Christmas!!)

Have you discovered Magic Milk Straws yet? If not, go get some for your milk today!!! Last Christmas, Santa brought some to the boys in their stockings...a special Candy Cane kind. This spring, the Easter bunny included some Vanilla and Chocolate in the boys' Easter baskets. Parker and Cooper both couldn't wait to try out their new flavors. Though both my boys inhale milk without special flavors being added to the creamy drink, it is fun to mix it up every now and then. (I don't know if Cooper likes the flavoring itself best or just that he feels so big using a straw without a lid!)

Following the morning of seeing what the good ole' bunny brought the boys, we headed to our church to celebrate our risen Lord and Saviour. This was the first holiday service I think I have ever attended here. I am usually working in the Nursery or Preschool Classrooms, so it was nice to be able to hear the sermon and worship songs in the sanctuary.
After church and a lunch out, we went home for a nap and an afternoon Easter egg hunt. 2012 was Cooper's first Easter egg hunt.

Cooper was precious. It took him a few minutes to figure out what he was supposed to do with the Easter eggs once he saw them. The first few times Clay and I would point an egg out to him in the grass, he would walk over to it, point at the colorful, round thing and just grunt over and over. ha ha! Eventually, he got the hang of it. ;)

Parker, having done this a couple of years now, was a pro at spotting the colorful eggs in our hidden spots.

Probably more so than the actual Easter egg hunt, the boys LOVED chasing after bubbles for a good portion of the windy afternoon!

What a blessed day we had all together as a family! Mine and Clay's favorite parts of the day were hearing the precious squeals and laughter of our little men as they ran throughout the house and yard. Such cherished moments...