Easter Confessions

1. I didn't make my daughter's Easter dress. In fact, although I can sew some, I have never made her a single outfit. In contrast, my beloved (but domestically over-achieving) late grandmother would make matching dresses for herself and her four girls (and often shirts for grandma and my uncle) and press-and-dress them all for church.

2. I didn't make my son tuck in his shirt. He is opposed to "collared shirts" tolerating them only on Sundays. Cut ties, vests, and other things that I used to dress him in as a toddler are long gone. I made him wear a long-sleeved "dress" shirt today which he thought would be too "handsome" (his words) and so he insisted on wearing it untucked. We gave in.

3. My son asked me a few days ago if there was really an Easter bunny. I answered "What do you think?" He smiled sheepishly and replied, "I think I like chocolate." Good answer. We never know how big a deal to make about Santa or the Easter Bunny. Now, he is a cynic and he is not even in kindergarten yet! He told his grandpa today that he thought the tooth fairy probably wasn't real. The kid still has all his baby teeth. I may have unwittingly ruined his childhood.

4. I didn't take an Easter picture of the kids together. There are only two of them, but I can't get them in the same picture frame. And if they are in the view finder together, they are not looking at the camera. Both may believe they grew up as only children (and that they didn't have a mother, as I am behind the camera most of the time).

5. We didn't get up for homemade waffles or scrambled eggs on Easter morning. In fact, we were running late. The kids ate cut-up breakfast bars (ie, the soft granola style bars dipped in nutritious chocolate) out of Ziplock bags once we got to church for Praise Team practice. Tony was even later still as he made a Starbucks run so that we could nurse our sore throats all morning.

6. We have never dyed Easter Eggs as a family. Our kids think all "Easter Eggs" are plastic (or chocolate and wrapped in foil). I don't have any good excuse. After all, I grew up in a family of artists and we really got into egg decorating rituals. My favorite is when my extremely artistic sister would dye an egg green. Then she'd apply hot glue in the shape of the continents. After it cooled, she'd dye the egg blue. Then, she'd peel off the glue to reveal green continents. A little egg-shaped globe. We had eggs with cow or leopard prints and all sorts of water-colored effects caused by layered dipping. I was seriously tempted to find an illustrative photo via Google Images to accompany this poast, but figured that would just make it worse (to swipe someone else's photo of their dyed Easter Eggs instead of having something of our own to photograph).

7. We did a dramatic reading at church today. I played the part of a daughter who just lost her father. With the memorial services attended recently (and I was wearing my grandmother's suit to church), the still vidid memories of the loss of my uncle (at 60 years old, just like the play), and my own Dad's health issues, it hit pretty close to home. Couldn't read it without tearing up. Could hardly hold the microphone with my trembling hand. Probably added to the realism of my performance. People probably thought I was overwhelmed with the "reason for the season," but the truth is, I was just overwhelmed. It is a blessing to be at church with people I love and those who love me. They may believe I was a good actress (conjuring up emotion), when in fact I was a horrible one (unable to control my emotions).

8. I have some immediate and extended family in town that I did not call or reach out to on Easter. We didn't try to get together with them. It didn't occur to us in time to do anything to try to wish them a happy day, invite them to church, share a meal, or anything. All of them have never seen our new house and probably haven't seen the kids for several months (at best). We did have a nice Easter and we are blessed by grandparents who are loving hosts (and a fantastic cook!). Maybe we will do something for another upcoming holiday. I guess it is too late to plan an April Fool's Day party. Maybe we'll start a new Earth Day tradition. E.A.R.T.H. standing for "Eviting All Relatives To the House."

There. I said it. I hope you can handle the truth (and love us anyway).