tacky commercialized American overdone Easter

was so much fun.

My view on holidays has changed in recent years. I used to see the gifts and all of the cultural rituals as emptying a religious day of its meaning. I used to balk at Christmas stockings, roll my eyes at Santa Claus, conspicuously ignore the Easter bunny (but the chocolate covered marshmallow bunnies - they were always appreciated). I used to think the only way to honor God on religiously significant days was to strip them of any secular or cultural trappings.

Now, I couldn't disagree more.

Yes, on some level, holidays are a for-profit business. I'm not naive to that. But on a deeper level, the trinkets and candies of holidays are a spill over from their spiritual contexts. Didn't Jesus say that if the crowds were silent, even the rocks would cry out to praise Him? I kind of see it that way. Even W@l-m@rt gets involved in praising God a few times a year. They just can't help themselves.

So while I don't pretend that bearded fat men or life-sized rodents deliver candy and gifts, I DO really enjoy sharing all of the silly parts of the holy day with the kids. I'm not trying to strain out the commercialism anymore. I'm hoping instead that the deeper message - today is a party! We're celebrating Christ's resurrection and our salvation! - is communicated through all of the festivities, both religious and cultural.

Having said that, today really was a party. All day long.

It began at 5:45 a.m., with Brian preparing for sunrise service (Holy crap it's Holy Week is right when you work for a church) while I prepared Easter baskets (and read the Resurrection story, since I couldn't attend the sunrise service). As soon as Asher woke up, he wanted to see his Easter basket. In Asher's basket, I put three new books, a pint of blueberries (his very favorite fruit, but at 4.99 for 6 oz, a treat in our house), and some candies I made from little truck molds (left over from his first birthday).



I really thought he would be most excited about the blueberries, because he asks for them all the time. But it seems I underestimated the mesmerizing combination of meltables and automobiles.



Once Silas was awake, he had fun poking around in his Easter basket, too.

(Look at that little ham.)

Silas's basket had eggs filled with Honey Nut Cheerios, apple sauce, and two new books (including But Not the Hippopotamus). Baskets were followed by the normal morning routine. I tried to get a few Easter pictures before church, but I am never (ever ever, no never) successful at getting planned pictures of both kids. Maybe by the time they're 8 and 9 I'll have a picture of the two of them together. Alas.

(unsuccessful attempt #37)

Baskets, followed by pictures, followed by church (my favorite service of the year, always), followed by an afternoon of too much food at Brian's parents' house with my parents, my sister and her boyfriend, and friends from church (with their baby, who is Silas's age). It was all excessive and relaxed and fun.

(Asher and Brian, flying a kite. Asher really wanted to do it "all by MESELF" but really, a kite is a two man job. He finally consented to Brian's help.)

And just like that it was over - it was dinner time and Asher was perfecting his ability to escape while Silas was spontaneously bursting into tears. Even good days end.

By the time I put Silas to bed, I was so tired that I tucked the remote control in with him. At one point I saw a little red light flash under his belly and wondered about it, but obviously not enough to respond to it. I didn't realize what I had done until he was already asleep and I was back in the living room. Brian, my hero, was able to extract the remote without waking the baby (bless him). With that, I'm off to take up my rightful place on the couch. Happy Easter, all. He is risen indeed.