The Hunt

The Easter Bunny obliged our hectic schedule and stopped by during morning naps on Saturday.

Tisket and Tasket

We were a little concerned that the girls would not grasp the concept of a hunt, but there was absolutely no learning curve. Apparently kids are born to seek pastel orbs. Elli saw one, thought it looked cool, and inserted it into her basket, which she had never before seen, either. The action ramped up from there.

The Hunt

The Huntresses (Anni and Elli)

This was their first time having jelly beans... Anni particularly enjoyed them. I didn't get a chance to record her eating the beans from the first egg Papa opened, because she tasted one and then shoved the rest into her mouth at once with much haste.

Jelly Bean Fiends

The Eggs

I have always loved coloring eggs. It was so much fun to be able to share that with my family this year.

Before

Elli was especially interested in it.

Love, intrigue and delight.

Anni was curious, but enjoyed egg deconstruction/ingestion with Daddy the most.

Analyze and operate.

The girls caught on rather quickly.

Elli and Anni

But didn't want the fun to end.

Anni and Elli

After

Easter Overview

Daddy had to be away for a few days, including Easter. As so, we conducted accompanying traditional activities over the 3 days prior. But don't sorry for us. We've been celebrating and getting ready since early in the month:

Donning Traditional Headgear

Getting Giddy

Studying Egg-shaped Things

And when we had to get up early to see Papa off, it was no big deal, because the Easter Bunny had come early, too.

Evidence of the Easter Bunny

Anni 's acquiescence. It's too early!

But never too early when candy and doodling is involved.

Or if you get to have cookies and bananas for breakfast.

HE is Risen! Our thanks to Auntie Steph and Uncle Zack for our sassy bunny ears, and to Grandma and Grandpa A for the finger puppets we were too little for last Easter, which are now just right!

Pythons

So, maybe it's more like gardner snakes. But, I'd run from gardner snakes in fear, also.

You may recall my hope during pregnancy that bearing twins would give me the arm strength I've never had. You might also recall my 2010 Resolution to do my first pull-up ever.

I finally was able to test out that Resolution at the park the other day. I submit to you, below, photographic evidence of my second pull-up ever. (The first one was done when no one was looking just to make sure I could do it.)

Second Pull-Up Ever

Thankfully, the video my MIL attempted to take did not pan out, because it would have captured me, seconds later, whaling "PLEAAAAAAASE TAKE THE PICTURE."

Now, to all of you skeptical nay-sayers out there (ahem, my husband and my brother-in-law), you're just going to have to trust that my feet are not on the ground, and that I did, in fact, go through the full pull-up movement.

I'd like to thank my girls for requiring me to dead-lift them out of various precarious positions tens (if not hundreds) of times daily. They have helped me to accomplish what 12 years of 5-day-a-week workouts and gym fees could not.

I'd also like an Honorary Presidential Physical Fitness Award now. Seriously. Dear Mr. President...

Formal Affair

Being a part of the military community, we attend formal events probably twice a year, on average. To celebrate the return of Luke's Battalion, we attended a Ball last week. The girls had never before seen us in such spiffy threads.

The girls were quite taken with Papa's shiny buttons
and my big earrings, especially Elli.

Side-by-side comparison:
Our most recent formal versus our very first formal (Senior Homecoming 1998).

Yeah, the dress is practically vintage. And, if possible, I was whiter then.

The Playground

Our town has an amazing City Park. We've been visiting it for walks for a very long time. However, we had yet to venture onto the playscape. (Two wandering, stranger-loving toddlers are not manageable for one mama.) Enter grandma and grandpa. They recently visited for a week, and the girls experienced a lot of playground firsts.

Grandpa leads the charge through the playscape.
Grandma fit-tests the slides.

Elli checks out the tunnel and
contemplates the twisty slide from the bottom.

The girls LOVED the giant abacus.


Especially Anni.


Big, big LOVE.
(See that giant grin?)


Anni hops on a tractor and
Elli commandeers a ladybug.


Anni does some toadstool yoga.

But grandpa got the biggest workout, working each of the girls
up to higher and higher starting points on the slide.

I also had a major accomplishment...
more to come!

Giggles

Tickling is a favorite distraction for the Doubleshot girls. A little video sampling...

Elli

Anni