Weekend Wrap-Up: Hoppin' and Runnin'

So, it was another jam-packed weekend with a track meet, swim practices, 3 soccer games, a Phillies game for Dr. Fab and a friend's 40th Surprise Bday Party for me, a charity event, Palm Sunday Family Dinner, and two races.

The Sunday race is part of a kids running series that Rella does. The Saturday race was our local 5K "Hop n' Run" that both Pink and Rella ran in. Pink grabbed a second place win for her age group and Rella came in first place overall. Not first place kid. Not first place girl. Not first place 14-and under. First place as in FIRST PERSON across the finish line - men, women, children... everyone.

Baby girl is on fire lately. She's all #BeastMode. This is when I question how we are related. Clearly, she has much more of her Dad's genetic material.

I am so super proud of Pink. She always pushes herself outside of her comfort zone. She wasn't sure she wanted to race today. She actually didn't even sign up until that morning, right there at the registration table. We never "force" our kids to run or play soccer or swim, or do anything. It's only if they want to. Today, I guess she was feelin' it. 

So proud of these cuties!

The nice thing about these local, "neighborhood" races is that we can ALL go and watch together without there being a major travel and parking hassle. I love it when CB can join our family events and everything runs smoothly!

We finished the day with soccer games and our respective adult nights out. Sunday we participated in the annual Easter Basket Drive where we helped organize then assemble thousands of Easter Baskets that go to children in homeless/domestic violence shelters and are passed out through various soup kitchens to financially struggling families.  

 Then we scooted over to my in-law's house for our Palm Sunday dinner and egg hunt. Always fun catching up and relaxing with family (well, relaxing for ME. Maybe not so much for my mother-in-law who hosts it!)

Easter is fast approaching. That bunny better get its butt in gear!

Weekend-Wrap Up: Spring In Our Step

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.