The afternoon before Easter. Our house is upside down. Varied baskets and bobbles litter the floor. There are toys stacked up next to books. Stuffed animals lean over tables of fresh play dough. Boxes lay open on the floor. Wonderful Grandma's have sent us Easter surprises: new books, stuffed bunnies, pancake fixings with all the trimmings and various hopping, jumping, squeaking little bunnies and chicks.
Opening up Easter surprises from grandma's
And oh, the box of Easter clothes! New dresses, crisp shirts, pants, socks and hair ribbons sent with love. A colorful array of Easter goodies, mix in with the explosion of our little apartment. Oh oh oh. Our weekly clean up hasn't really happened yet. We're feeling the effect. The attack of Flotsam and Jetsam.
Ross and I are exhausted. We crawl once again out of our intense teaching jobs to the quiet island of spring break. In our spare time we have also been trying to buy a house. Our little 2- bedroom apartment is crammed full of good memories and alas, waaay to much stuff. (So much for our lives as Buddhists. Dang.) House hunting has taken up every extra moment we can give it. Jonas and Jember come with us, mostly. They love running through empty houses and sizing up back yards. They come so often that I think they think of our real estate agent as their auntie.
In addition, the 2 full time jobs, directing my spring theatre production (Lend Me a Tenor) and the day-to-day rush of 2 working parents, raising 2 busy, energetic 2-year olds, we find ourselves here... exhausted, sitting on the floor the day before Easter.
Some days, in reality, all we can do is collapse together. I confess, I sometimes wonder where we will find the energy to get through even one more day. How do other people do this?
I size up the shopping list waiting patiently on the fridge, the vision of Mt. Clothing looming in the laundry room, and the bills waiting to be paid, stacked by the phone. Energy is required here, I think. June Cleaver would have this place in shape in no time. In heels. And pearls. Hmmm. Ya just can't find a good set of pearls when you need them, it seems.
The 4 of us share a bowl of popcorn instead. Then we create a pretty cool pillow fort. Hiding in pillow forts has become a favorite pastime. Ross moves over to the piano, while the kids and I barricade ourselves in blankets. Before long, his two hands are joined with two more hands, and then two more after that. 30 fingers on a keyboard and few silly songs. Not bad.
From Within the Pillow forts
Piano play
I untangle myself from blankets and watch them play together. Its hard not to smile. Silly giggling and tickles. Jember hugging Jonas, Ross chasing them around the cluttered living room, scooping them up and blowing raspberries on soft, warm tummies.
It isn't always easy, ya know? But I wouldn't trade this life for anything. I remember that we celebrate Spring and rebirth of hopes and dreams. Underneath the coldest earth, life awakens. Even in the darkest places there is the promise of light. The Miracle of Spring Light.
I make my way into the kitchen to boil the eggs for painting. I feel an art project coming on, one that involves bowls of paint, stickers and paint brushes. A project that requires the four of us. I smile with a renewed sense of energy.
June Cleaver did it in heels and pearls. I do it with Rocket dog boots and faded jeans...and the most remarkable family ever. Ah June. She really has nothing on me.
Happy Spring. Happy Easter. Happy family.
Easter baths
Laughing Hysterically over wind-up chicks...oh they are just so funny
A dapper young man
Blessings!!
