Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Easter, Spring Break, and No-Grasshopper-Days

Do you want to know what really chaps my hide?
It's finally spring break.
The weather is sunny and warm.
I have a four page list of chores and projects to accomplish with the boys.
And...

I have a nasty cold.

So, insert a ridiculous amount of whining about how truly unfair that is,
and we'll just move along, alrighty?

Fortunately, it didn't really "hit" until Sunday night, meaning Easter was wonderful :D

With a bare minimum of protest, the Grasshopper Boys were up and ready to go before 7am, to make it to Sunrise Service.  We may not look traditionally "Eastery"...


... but there's a good reason for that:


And the temp actually dropped as we drove to our friends' farm for the service.
Yah.


But such a gorgeous morning!


We walked through the frosty meadow up to the top of the hill before the sun came up.


Everyone is bundled up - Gunnar even has two pairs of pants on!


Our friend Katlyn was able to get a (Skype? FaceTime?) connection with our friends serving in Myanmar, so they could be part of the service!


They could see the sun coming up, behind the fir trees...


... the crowd of over a hundred gathering for the service...


... and the nearby fields and mountains...


... but they didn't get any of the cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate!



One of our gracious hosts - Emily - on the left.


From the farm, we went on to "regular" church, in view of these Canadian mountains.


And our own Mt. Baker, with a cloud cap.


As is traditional, we headed up to my parents' for family lunch and celebration,
which included an Easter egg hunt for Naomi :D


The big kids were careful not to hide them too well :D




Grandma had carefully filled each one with a little bit of chocolate.


Which led to...


... a fun day for everyone.

Our Spring Blitz, however, is moving forward at a bit more lethargic pace than last year,
thanks to me.  Blah.

Also, I'm running a shuttle service for family members who get to go on cruises, and vacations to warm places (not us) and have been both to the airport and up to Vancouver BC already this week.



But at home, the boys and I have accomplished a FEW things...

AROUND THE HOUSE
* got all the recycling out (picked up this morning)
* got rid of all the shredding that needed to be done
* emptied garbages (will need to do again, after all the cleaning!)
* disinfected all switches and doorknobs around the house
* wiped down the walls around the switches (gross)
* dusted picture frames all around the house - they're so easily forgotten at other times!
* sorted/cleaned coffee table "cubbies"

BOYS' BEDROOM
* tidied the boys' desk drawers
* sorted their "save boxes"
* cleaned off dressers
* went through dressers/closet - what fits!
* strip beds
* wash sheets 
* dust/mop under beds and all floor

UPSTAIRS HALL
* vacuumed the stairs and landings
* cleaned out the vacuum
* emptied two hall closets
* wiped down shelves
* sorted/reloaded closet items
* dust mop the floor

BATHROOM BY KITCHEN
* cleaned out "closet" with hot water heater
* cleaned out under bathroom sink (that bathroom has a lot stored in it)
* cleaned out the medicine cabinet
* dusted/cleaned all flat surfaces
* cleaned toilet
* cleaned sink and counter

FAMILY ROOM
* picked up/tidied (ACK!!!)
* organized the closet
* hung the winter coats (not using right now)
* put away some lego creations
* took down (and disposed of) old curtains
* dusted all bookshelves
* organized the DVDs
* wiped down the baseboard heater
* dusted everything else
* vacuumed all the way to the edges (with little attachment)

We're making good progress, but there is a lot left to do!  The bed sheets are drying on the line, so all the beds need to be remade.  Also, I have materials to make new curtains for the family room, but don't have my sewing machine out yet.  Need to finish some lesson planning for Sunday school first.

As far as all the sorting, we got rid of a ton of stuff last year, so this year the sorting is going much more quickly.  Gunnar, of course, has grown out of nearly everything, so he and I will be doing some shopping later this week, but at least we weeded out everything that doesn't fit.  It filled a LARGE (garbage size) bag.

And for dinner tonight?  Leftovers... again.

7 comments:

Wilma said...

I am so sorry that you are sick. I will pray for a quick recovery. You have some wonderful boys who seem to be moving ahead anyway.

Herding Grasshoppers said...

They ARE good workers, Wilma :D Sometimes my lists look longer than they really are because with boys I have to spell out each detail. I can't just say "clean your room" - I have to list each item separately. Hope they're learning good habits. They're sure a help to me!

melanie said...

And you are a good coach to spell out your expectations so well in those detailed lists :-)

Sending you a pot of (virtual) chicken soup with prayers for speedy recovery from the crud!

Unknown said...

I am always so amazed at how much you get done and how well your boys work. Hope you are feeling much much better soon!

Monica said...

What an awesome Resurrection Sunday! I'm sorry you aren't feeling well. I know you always have big plans for spring break. But you have a lot accomplished! I wish I could take a week off work to get my spring cleaning done. Hope you are well soon.

Choate Family said...

What a lovely way to celebrate Easter morning!

Rebecca D said...

Looks like an amazing day!