A fairly “un-enthusiastic Easter” weekend recap

I’ve mentioned every year that I’ve had this blog how I really don’t care for Easter. I won’t blab on about it yet again, but the long and the short of it is: I just don’t really like Easter. Besides enjoying the religious significance of it (for me), I just don’t get whipped up over this holiday, for a variety of reasons that I’ve elaborated on the past.

Every year I inwardly groan a little when Easter is coming, because I always feel like I should want to do “all the stuff”, but I kind of don’t care. But I’m never quite brazen enough to just completely ignore it, either. Just feels…. wrong.

So I kind of go through the motions, every year. Hehe.

Last year I even made a ham. But no one really likes ham here, so that was kind of a bust.

This year I said- Okay, enough. None of us care about all the Easter stuff, so I’m just not gonna worry about it! We’re going to a movie instead and skipping everything.

But then the kids expressed disapproval of no Easter baskets. Okay, fine, we’ll do the Easter baskets, but that’s it. 🙂 (I put forth minimal effort on the baskets, too- I bought everything on Saturday, and limited it to candy only- a single shopping trip. No fun surprises or “gifts” this time, like I used to do when they were little. Whatever. They said they just really want the candy, anyway.)

Here’s my Easter weekend, which turned out perfectly nice, despite the fact that we didn’t dye Easter eggs (gasp!) or eat a ham or all pose for a photo together in matching spring Easter outfits:

Good Friday

• Worked. Kids had off school. They did “whatever” all day, including a bunch of time at the gym.

• Ethan worked Friday 4-7 p.m., and Asher had soccer practice 5:15-6:45.

• I went to Good Friday church by myself at 6:30 because everyone else in my family was busy. Sounds depressing, but actually was kind of pleasant and peaceful…. albeit untraditional. Oh well.

• Kids were “tired” from work/practice so they stayed home alone while Ivan and I went out for nachos (#Friday).

Saturday

• Asher had swim practice at 6:30 a.m. so I was up early and drove him.

• Then I ran home to get Ethan, and drove him to work by 7. I’m a literal taxi.

• Sat at McDonald’s and drank a tea for 45 minutes until it was time to pick up A from nearby pool at 7:50.

• Asher and I went grocery shopping together. He has been lifting weights with his friends lately and is on this whole “eat lots of protein” kick right now… so he wanted to “contribute” to what items I bought at the store. I suddenly was keenly aware that he is a teenager now and not a little boy anymore….

• After loading the groceries in the car, I told Asher to sit in the car and wait for me while I went back into the store to buy all the stuff for the Easter baskets. Ha. Man some things are easier with older kids. No need to “hide the magic”. He was just like, “Oh, you’re gonna buy our basket stuff? Ok, I’ll wait here then. Oh, and make sure to grab a Milky Way for my basket- I love those.” 😂

Random photo insert: Had to use the grocery store bathroom after my large tea…. holy toilet paper rolls. Maybe I should try this at home. Wouldn’t ever have to worry about running out of TP! hahahaha.

• Went home and spent several hours cleaning the house. We hadn’t really cleaned since before Costa Rica, and we do not have a cleaning service that comes. So, after putting all the groceries away, I deep cleaned the kitchen and all the floors. Ivan did the living room and sunroom areas and our bedroom. (The kids deep clean the bathrooms every other weekend, and their bedrooms each week.)

• Oh, before cleaning, I prepped and baked this blueberry crumble. We had plans to go to Ivan’s cousin’s house for his birthday Saturday night and I wanted to bring something along.

• Showered/ got ready, then drove 30 minutes to Ivan’s cousin’s around 5:30 or so. It was nice out, so we had a carne asada (grill out) outside with them and some friends. We ate some good food and my bars + birthday cake. The kids played basketball outside and then video games with their cousin all night. I left my phone inside in my purse all night and took zero photos. (I think after our trip, I may have reached a temporary saturation point for taking pictures!! I know- it’s impossible to believe, coming from me. But it’s true.)

• The boys slept over there, and we stayed WAY TOO LATE for my preference. I think we got home after 2 a.m.??? Mexican parties… I tell ya…. they’re a whole other beast. My last name may be Hispanic, but I’m still your average boring white person. Hahahaha. It was fun, though.

Sunday

• Slept in until after 9!

• Went to 10:30 Easter church with Ivan. Felt a little weird with no kids along, on Easter Sunday, but, oh well. It was my choice to “forgo” most Easter traditions this year, so, I asked for it. I also was the one who allowed them to stay the night at their cousin’s….

• Went back to Ivan’s cousin’s for the afternoon, to pick up the boys + eat leftovers (aka “el recalentado”, as they call it- the “re-heat” or “leftovers” party that always follows the first party).

• Got home by 5:30 p.m or 6. I had hidden 2 Easter baskets for each of the boys. They found them and we took exactly 5 photos. I didn’t even bother to make them put on nice clothes, because, why? I did wear a dress to church and left it on all day, so that felt a little “Easter-y”. We skipped the whole “egg” thing completely this year.

• The hot tub had been leaking last week, and I have a service appt scheduled for Wednesday. I wanted Ivan to look at first though, to see if there was some obvious fix. So he had to take out about 42 screws to remove two different side panels….and of course, it was dry as a bone yesterday. Zero leaking, despite running all the jets on high for over 15 minutes. Hmph. Good, I guess, but…. confused now, because it was definitely leaking on two separate occasions last week. Now, do I pay to have the repair guy come?? Or wait/ watch?? 🤔

• Decided to go IN the hot tub with Ivan, while Asher kicked a soccer ball around in the net in the backyard. YAY for nice weather on Easter, for once. This is part of why I don’t like Easter- our weather is often horrid and cold and awful. But it was actually a nice Easter, for once.

• We all watched the new Netflix movie called Chupa– a family movie that looked promising. About a kid from Mexican heritage that goes to meet his Mexican family in Mexico for a week, and the legend of the Chupacabra monster. Well, it was really dumb. I think Ethan’s exact words were, “This was the dumbest movie I’ve ever seen.” 😆 Maybe a hit for younger kids? But pretty lame from our perspective… and I think we are generally pretty soft movie critics!!

Turned out to be a very nice weekend overall, but short on any solo time for me. I’m starting the week feeling a little behind the 8 ball after the late night Saturday and just not really having ANY time to myself to take care of any personal stuff. OH WELL. Life goes on. It was fun, at least! Good family time.

I can catch up on my own stuff next weekend. Oh wait, no I can’t. Ivan and Ethan and I are going to St. Louis, Missouri next weekend for a soccer tournament all weekend….. 🤪🤪

Daily Gratitude:

I am grateful for some very, very warm weather here this week!! Highs above 70 ALL WEEK!