Breaking News: We wore flip flops this weekend here in Jersey. Astonishing, I know. It was almost... dare I say... hot on Sunday.
Yet, no one complained. It was a long, cold winter.
Saturday was a morning soccer game followed by a Egg Hunt #1 which is the township's annual hunt. We use the term "hunt" lightly. There is no actual hunting of eggs - they are simply laying right out in the open in the freshly mowed plot of grass behind a roped off area.
You don't do it for the challenge. You do it for the chocolate inside each egg that has turned into a melted puddle of goop thanks to the hot sun.
And, you do it because it's tradition. We love tradition 'round here.
And you do it for the freakishly man-sized Easter Bunny who comes to visit on a firetruck.
Rella loves this dude, but the other girls have long been unimpressed. I think when they gaze into his mesh eyes and see the outline of a human head, it freaks them out.
Post-festivities, we headed off to our afternoon charity project - helping Angels of God assemble 628 Easter baskets! These were distributed to local homeless shelters, food pantries, and needy families. Each 'basket maker' received index cards with the gender and age of specific children who would be recipients. Then, they personalized the basket for that child - the girls LOVED this part, and I think it made it more meaningful...especially when they got a girl around their age! We are so blessed to live in a community that offers wonderful philanthropy opportunities for children.
CB was a trooper through our three hour shift, and as a whole did AWESOME. But, I had to keep a constant eye on her as she kept stealing and shredding the beautiful yellow ribbons volunteers were working so hard to assemble. Then she kept trying to steal the grass out of the Easter baskets. It's like... I have a toddler.
Perpetual toddler.
Palm Sunday is a big event with the Italian Catholic "Dr. Fabulous"side of the family. We all congregated at my in-laws with the North Jersey constituency and ate and played all day long.
The traditional egg hunt was a hit, as always. Hunt #2 - done. Two down, two to go Easter Weekend!
During this wonderful family afternoon, I realized it was again like I had a toddler. I changed 3 wet and one soiled diaper, cut up food, cleaned up spills. I chased CB more than once as she went bolting too far outside of the yard, and apologized for her hitting other children. She ripped a decorative wreath off a wall and destroyed it, broke a pair of rosary beads, ate the "palm" that was given to us for Palm Sunday, stuck her hand in the bowl of salsa, and stole everyone's drink. That was just her warm-up.
Yup, I still have a 19 year old toddler. Sometimes you gotta laugh. Sometimes you gotta drink the strong stuff. Some weekends necessitate a little of both.
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2 comments:
I enjoy your posts and your writing.
I came across your blog thru a friend of a friend. I found it almost coincidental how similar our families are after skimming thru your posts. It's almost a breath of fresh air to find another woman understand your own, my own, situation.
I also married young after becoming pregnant. It didn't work out as we found out raising a severely disabled daughter was too much strain especially at a young age. We were only 20. That child is now 21. Still as disabled by Down syndrome and autism as she was back then.
I too remarried after finding "the one". Instead a plethora of girls, we had boys. 3 to be exact. My last pregnancy I gave birth to twins, 1 boy, 1 girl. What a blessing that was. My boys are as typical and dirty as boys can be. My youngest daughter was a typically developing child just like her twin.
Around the age of 3, we noticed she wouldn't respond to her name anymore and developing this wringing behaviors of her hands. Before I know it, her language haulted and her ability to even chew her food became difficult.. My instinct having my oldest was of course, autism. Little did I know she would be diagnosed with retts instead. After about a year, she could no longer walk without assistance and lost all of her toilet training. She is now 6 and is wheelchair bound with a feeding tube.
It's never a dull moment, to say the least, in our house. I totally get the idea of having a "perpetual toddler". Aside from my youngest being wheelchair bound, it does not stop her from getting where she wants to go even if that means throwing herself out of the chair to knock over the full glass of water on the edge of the table, purely for the enjoyment of cause and affect. While my other daughter will laugh and what seemingly appears as egging her on. The boys, of course, will just fuel the situation more after leaving another full glass exactly at the same spot, apparently inbetween wrestling each other, they supposively, as my eldest son puts it, forgets sometimes.
As you can guess I try to keep a sense of humor in everything. Both my girls are not fully toilet trained. My oldest still needs to wear nappys but will use the potty if assisted or should say persuaded.
I saw you do marathons. Another similar passion I live by. If I got to chase 3 boys around and a 3 year old adult daughter who loves to play Houdini and could find a escape route in a jail cell. No joke. I figured why not put my art of running after someone into running for something. It's a good way of mediatation too, especially, when you really are not chasing somebody.
I hope to read more wonderful posts by you.
Anna.
Hi Anna,
I am so glad you introduced yourself here and told me about your incredible family!! I too am amazed at how much we have in common - SO incredible!! This is exactly why I blog - to connect with others that walk similar paths in life! :) I am very touched by all the things you shared. I can only imagine how true those words are that you 'never have a dull moment' in your life!! Oh my goodness!! Thank you so much for visiting me here in "holland" :) . I hope you stay in touch :)! Wishing you all the best :)!! Alicia
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