Wonderful Easter

Well, I had a wonderful Easter and it isn't over yet! Friday evening I went out with a couple of my women friends from the homeschooling group. One of my friend's brother is in a band - an instrumental surf band and he was playing here in Vernon. So we went out for dinner and then to hear him. He is a cute young guitarist who was schooled through the Waldorf school in Kelowna. It was a very nice evening of connecting with friends which I really needed! During the day, I worked at the 'old house' so the evening was my reward!

Saturday I just relaxed. I felt really tired and lethargic and I have been going so hard, lately that I just chilled. I read most of the book I am reading for a book club I participate in on-line with other homeschooling moms. 5 Quarters of an Orange by the same author as Chocolat. I am really enjoying it and I am looking forward to discussing it!

Sunday, after lying in bed in the morning sunshine and finishing my book, I got up and made chocolate chip pancakes. Yum. No Easter Egg hunt for us yet as Dean was in Canmore. Then we met one of my friends from Calgary (the one I visited in Feb for her birthday and went to the hockey game with) and her twin sister and a friend of theirs from Calgary at the 'old house'. And we cleaned and cleaned with great ferocity. Loaded up the van twice and brought the stuff to the 'new house'. The bulk of the cleaning is done there. Just a little bit left to do and probably two more loads with the van. We were only there for 2 1/2 hours but boy we got ALOT done. I am SO grateful for their help. It meant so much to me to have their support. Thank you again, Sheila, Barb and Nancy! Kaetlyn, Drew and Rhiannon gladly helped, too, with all the enthusiam going around. (well, Drew DID sneak away to play with his friends at one point...) Rhiannon had great fun helping me clean toilets. She wouldn't put her hand in, of course, but she used the scrubber. Funny thing, I like cleaning bathrooms. Perhaps it is how you can take it from scummy to shiny so easily. I always liked cleaning bathrooms - except I hated pinesol when I was younger and claimed it gave me a stomach ache. And I never use any of those new fangled cleaning products - still the same things I used as a child - pinsol, vinager water and comet... Enough bathroom talk!

Then we went for lunch all together (except Andrew who was playing with a friend) at Wendy's and met up with another of Sheila's friends. After lunch we went to Value Village - always a popular store. Kaetlyn found some track pants which she was in need of and Rhiannon found some flourescent green spandex shorts which she LOVES! Everyone tried to talk me out of buying them but hey! You're only 5 once and so what if you wear flourescent green spandex shorts (probably been there since 1992) and it makes you happy for 99 cents! Soon enough it will take $100 to make her happy with her clothing purchase...Next we hit Super Store where I made them push me in a cart because my legs were tired... I didn't last too long, though as the metal was digging into the backs of my knees... Sheila and Barb (who live in Alberta) shopped for good deals on produce and we decided to have a BBQ for dinner and bought stuff to make veggie kabobs and some mozza smokies.

Back at the homestead, I prepared the veggies while Sheila and co. returned to the 'old house' for the bbq and to fill up the propane tank on the way back. Rhiannon and I started making the skewers. She wanted meat on hers so she cut up a smokie and put it on. umm...yuck. So just as we are starting to BBQ, Dean arrived from Canmore. Perfect timing. I LOVE bbq'ed mushrooms. I think it is the best way to eat mushrooms. It was a delicious dinner and it was nice out but a bit cold. And fun to have our bbq here, now. I love to barbecue!

After dinner, Drew, Rhiannon and I went back with Sheila and co. to the hotel to swim in the pool. It turns out the pool was FREEZING! and the hot tub was only lukewarm. So mostly we played in the 'warm tub'. And soon I left Drew and Rhiannon there playing and went to visit with my friends. We left there shortly after 9pm. Rhiannon dropped into bed. All in all, a pretty good day. We will have our Easter dinner today along with our Easter hunt. We don't go for the traditional turkey or ham but are going to have crepes - Strawberry crepes. (do you remember those crepe feasts I used to make for 'the family' and pretend to be the french maid?) I know they are supposed to be dessert but when the first flats of strawberries go on sale (like now) we have a dinner of just strawberry crepes. I'll get started on the crepe part this morning. That part takes alot of time... We'll have the 'hunt' part of Easter just before dinner. It also has the advantage of allowing me to get easter treats at discounted prices ;-). Dean will be washing windows today and I have the drop-in at the Inner World School and then I am counselling a little boy but THEN, I will be home and preparing our Easter strawberry feast!

Happy Easter, everyone!