Shifts

My kids were on Spring Break a couple of wees ago. As I mentioned before, we had no solid plans. I stressed about it for weeks beforehand. I bugged my husband about it practically daily. Then he finally told me he had to travel for work that week. Super.

But like most things that I obsess over, it all worked out fine. I took the kids on a mini road trip and briefly had them locked up at Alcatraz.

We read books, stayed up past our bedtime and watched movies. We had late, leisurely breakfasts. I must have done something really wonderful in the eyes of the Spring Break Gods because they played together. The played together a lot and without killing each other.

The night before they were due to go back to school, I was dreading it. I really enjoyed the break from packing lunches, rushing through breakfast, driving all over the San Francisco peninsula for soccer, Tae Kwon Do, t-ball, chorus, etc. I didn't have to search the house for someone's missing shin guard or make sure the white baseball pants were clean. There were no projects requiring two to three hours of my time, three trips to the craft store and a tri-fold poster board. I didn't burn dinner once because I was giving someone a practice spelling test at the same time.

Sometime over the past couple of years the dynamic of school vacations has shifted for me. Having them all home for a week no longer means I need to open a bottle of wine at 4pm (OK, 3pm, whatever).

It's the daily grind of breakfast, lunch, dinner, homework, eat a snack, change into your uniform, where's your water bottle, is your homework done, when is that due, will you be home for dinner, your favorite jeans are in the laundry, if I have to ask you to get your uniform on one more time (!!!), unloading the dishwasher in order to load it up again, read 20 minutes, flashcards 20 minutes, bath, brush teeth, get to bed before 8pm, lather, rinse, repeat. The managing of everyone and everyone's stuff is what drives me to drink.

Speaking of Spring Break...

I am hosting Easter brunch at my house. During a phone conversation with my sister we were discussing the logistics: what time should she bring her family over, what should we serve, what can we have mom bring that she won't screw up too badly (my 76 year old mother has somehow lost her ability to cook, but that is a post for another day), will my in-laws be coming, are we dressing up or can I wear jeans. None of these issues were as critical as the details of The Easter Egg Hunt logistics.

My yard is perfect for a spring egg hunt and watching the kids climb trees and sweep the lawn for eggs is my favorite part of Easter. When our kids were all toddlers, before I knew any better, I filled the eggs with candy. My carpets were covered in melted chocolate and I was finding errant jelly beans in the couch cushions until Labor Day. My sister offered to fill the eggs for the hunt the next year. The kids were thrilled with their mini, Hobbit sized crayons, 1,293,193 bunny rabbit stickers, parachute guys that break after one use and plastic flower rings that pinch the skin.

We've gone the mini-toy route for a couple of years now, with the idea that they get enough candy in their Easter baskets. But I recently cleaned out several drawers around my house and here's a few pictures of what I found.

OMFG, I am so over the little trinkets that have taken over my house. I have stepped on two of those little bat rings and if they come home from a birthday party with one more super bouncy ball I think I might scream. Please make it stop.

This year I have shifted from anti-candy filled eggs to yes! yes! load them up with sugar! Just please, please don't do not give them stickers, mini erasers, silly putty, bracelets or another f*#@ing super bouncy ball.

After doing a Google search for alternatives to candy in Easter eggs, my sister and I decided to fill the eggs with jelly beans and coins. Each child will also have a special egg with their name on it with a $5 bill.

Times, they are a changin'