I'm writing this from the hammock in our back yard--with wireless access!--and am feeling pretty decadent. Greg has fallen asleep on the bench on the patio, a book open and face down on his chest. Louie is keeping watch from under the bench. The kids are doing homework for tomorrow at the table inside the open door, the long weekend suddenly screeching to a halt as the realities of deadlines and assignments suddenly appear.  (School's not out until June 21st for us. Sigh.) We've made a pact to stay out here for as long as we can because once we go inside, the weekend's officially over.  Someone will want dinner or clean clothes or to talk about the 5872 things we have on the calendar this week as school slowly winds down with one recognition assembly/concert/game/event after another.

Yesterday afternoon, after church and naps, we decided on the spot to take a Sunday drive to Wingaersheek beach in Gloucester. We read out loud in the car up and back, flew a kite in the breeze and watched the sun set. I was so happy with our spontaneity.  And with the lovely, glowing light--the gloaming. Sometimes I look at these faces and am just smitten with motherlove.

And then sometimes, like today, we have silly + emotional showdowns in public at Subway over who owns a certain pair of earrings (+in the process the earrings end up on the floor and no one will pick them up) and the smitten-ness is tempered with a sprinkling of irritation and eye-rolling. It's a fickle pendulum, this mothering thing.  Just when you think you've got it right, you don't.

But still.  I'm dazzled. By who they are + are becoming, by my wide gaps in competence and my abundant weaknesses and occasional bursts of doing it alright, by the delicious aching laboratory these years are. Most of the time we are both kites and kiteflyers: we soar and swoop, rise and fall and we hold on to each other, hoping we all stay both aloft and anchored.  No wonder it's a tangle sometimes.

I love it when Easter weekend and Conference weekend coincide. It means there's a lot of this:

[Watching conference + napping. Inspiration by osmosis]

It's hyggli + inspiring. The kids used to call it "pajama church" and it's almost the sole reason we have DirectTV satellite--so we can watch conference here in the comfort of home rather than go to the church. In between sessions we go on walks and make lemon meringue pie and sit in the sun.  It's the great gateway weekend to spring.

In keeping with tradition, the Easter Bunny hid the baskets: Sam's was in the dryer, Maddy's in the bathroom closet invisible behind the bandaids and hair products, and Lauren's tied up in the shower. (Note: in our house one Easter Bunny gets the basket treasures and lovingly fills the baskets, a different Easter Bunny hides the baskets, the harder to find the better. Let's call them Beneficent Easter Bunny and Trickster Easter Bunny, shall we?)

Sam just reminded us that we haven't dyed Easter eggs yet.  We get later and later in the holiday with Easter eggs and pumpkin carving.  Before long we'll do Flag Day Easter eggs and Nativity jack-o-lanterns.  Or so I fear. Sam, faithfully upholding the role of the youngest, keeps us honest in our sticking with traditions.  We're lucky we have him around...life is a lot more fun if you do things Sam's way.

More weekend photos:

Every year we look forward to seeing The Washington Post's annual peep contest published on Easter.  This year (its 4th) did not disappoint. We especially liked the Eep! (UP!), Where the Wild Peeps Are, and Peepeline entries.

Here's a link to all of the fantastic entries. Enjoy!

When we were brainstorming what we would do for a peep theme,  Sam said "Masterpeeps Theater," Maddy said "Hidden Valley Peeps" (her favorite salad dressing), I thought Gladys and the Peeps would be great (I think someone has already done this at some point).   What about you--what would you do?

Some of us are seeing the new year in with a bang

or at least a fancy party/ball...

^loving & sisterly after some get-ready friction about borrowing things and who's taller

Warm soup and a rousing game of monopoly by the fire for the rest of  us.

(Sam: "Mom, do we have to go in to Boston tonight?  I'd rather just stay here with you and dad.")

Sold!

The anticipation is building...

Chris and Nancy arrive from NYC this evening

The kids get out of school for vacation this afternoon 

Let the holiday begin,

Ready or not.

(I'm a little bit not: we still haven't decorated the tree, just sent out cards yesterday (will post here later) and we've kept everything verrrry simple this year but I'm embracing the hygge and emphasizing the togetherness. Or trying to, anyway.)

May your days be merry and bright!

(I'm off to grocery shop.)