Happy Easter!
Easter was loverly. Jimmy agreed to bring the kids up to my sister's by himself, (though he did ask me to set out the girls' Easter dresses and all accessories the night before). I went up to Fallbrook by myself, picked up Gramps and brought him up to my sister's. It was raining when we first arrived, but eventually it dried up, and by that time Jimmy and the kids had arrived. The menfolk went outside to hide the eggs. My sister and her husband were providing all the food: roasted pork loin, cheesy scalloped potatoes, succotash (made with soybeans instead of lima beans - which I highly recommend), and Asiago cheese bread. All served with a selection of wines from a local winery, (yum!).
The kids tore off to play with each other. The adults were able to enjoy some adult conversation. Then we had dessert: pound cake with marscapone cheese, macerated strawberries, balsamic reduction and whipped cream. Then we let the kids out to hunt for eggs. My sister had told me she would provided our kids with Easter baskets. Oh, what a weight off of my mind! Then, and this is the killer, while the kids were running around in full sugar-induced psychosis, my sister takes me aside and asks if Jimmy and I would like to leave the kids with her, slip off and see a movie. She even provided me with a coupon to the local theatre!
This has been the first time I've been tempted to send a thank-you note to anyone in my immediate family, heh.
So Jimmy and I went to see Blades of Glory. When we got back, Jenn and Jeff had just sat our kids down for dinner. All Jimmy had to do was take 'em home and put 'em to bed. Gramps and I stayed a little longer to watch some of Planet Earth with the fam, and then I took him home, made sure he took his pills, and headed home myself. What a delightful, relaxed and easy day! The best thing about it was the total lack of tension: my aunt was not there, (because she elected to spend Easter with friends instead), so my mom was at ease, Jimmy seems to have finally grown somewhat accustomed to my family and their weird, wacky ways, so he was the most relaxed he ever has at one of our family events, (getting up the minute dinner was over to wash dishes endeared him to everyone), and let me tell you, it was about time we managed to pull off a stress-free holiday. I think we all needed that!
The kids tore off to play with each other. The adults were able to enjoy some adult conversation. Then we had dessert: pound cake with marscapone cheese, macerated strawberries, balsamic reduction and whipped cream. Then we let the kids out to hunt for eggs. My sister had told me she would provided our kids with Easter baskets. Oh, what a weight off of my mind! Then, and this is the killer, while the kids were running around in full sugar-induced psychosis, my sister takes me aside and asks if Jimmy and I would like to leave the kids with her, slip off and see a movie. She even provided me with a coupon to the local theatre!
This has been the first time I've been tempted to send a thank-you note to anyone in my immediate family, heh.
So Jimmy and I went to see Blades of Glory. When we got back, Jenn and Jeff had just sat our kids down for dinner. All Jimmy had to do was take 'em home and put 'em to bed. Gramps and I stayed a little longer to watch some of Planet Earth with the fam, and then I took him home, made sure he took his pills, and headed home myself. What a delightful, relaxed and easy day! The best thing about it was the total lack of tension: my aunt was not there, (because she elected to spend Easter with friends instead), so my mom was at ease, Jimmy seems to have finally grown somewhat accustomed to my family and their weird, wacky ways, so he was the most relaxed he ever has at one of our family events, (getting up the minute dinner was over to wash dishes endeared him to everyone), and let me tell you, it was about time we managed to pull off a stress-free holiday. I think we all needed that!