Easter and Expectations

(We interrupt this trip report to bring you a current entry...)

So Easter didn't go the way I imagined. Or even the way I planned.  It mostly started when I realized that I left the Easter dresses I found for the girls in Arizona at my Mom's house. I couldn't just let it go (it's become kind of a tradition that we get the kids new Sunday clothes for Easter) so we were looking all over the place Friday and Saturday for something cute that wasn't too expensive. It's always fun if they match, but not necessary. It's kind of hard to find matching things, especially since the girls are in 24m-2T and a 6... (they usually go in sets from 0-24 m, 2T-5T, and 6-14). We finally found some dresses at the Children's Place on clearance, with a coupon. They don't match, but they don't clash. Reilly's shirt was too big, and his tie didn't really match, but he still liked it. None of that was a surprise since the kids were with us as we shopped.
I pictured getting up an hour before everyone else and whipping up some cute pumpkin-with-cream-cheese frosting muffins with little Easter eggs candies on the top, and how excited everyone would be. Instead, as I mixed up the dry ingredients the night before, I mistakenly put the brown sugar in the with flours, etc. and it started drying out into a little rock. I got up when I planned (2 hours before church) but Reilly and Jaina were up too, even though they've been sleeping until 8 since we got back from Arizona. The muffins and frosting took longer than I hoped, and the muffins were more like thick, chunky cookie mounds inside my muffin cups instead of fluffy, uniform, pretty things. I threw that recipe in the trash. I probably shouldn't have, since it tasted fine. I was just mad at it for giving my false expectations.
Since the muffins took so long, we ended up rushing around, not having time to take any pictures before church, and being 5 minutes late. A great start to Easter Sunday, huh?
Saturday night I also started a roast, with potatoes and carrots, but didn't think of any kind of rolls. For the first time ever (in this apartment) I managed to set off the smoke alarm at 10 pm last night while browning the roast. Katy got chocolate on her new dress on the way home. Did I mention I had to teach Relief Society today, and I didn't remember it was my turn until yesterday afternoon?
The lovely little Sunday dinner I envisioned, was, in reality full of Katy throwing a fit (because she was tired, and not that interested in what was on her plate) and the other two whining about not wanting to try to the carrots OR the potatoes. The biggest hit? The piece of store-bought bread with some butter on it. Really?
Web-camming with G&G K was full of more fit-throwing by the smallest cutie pie, plus the older two shoving each other back and forth as they tried to take center stage. One was also prostrate on the floor about 1/3 of the time pouting.
Easter-egg dying (which I kind of life to do a day or two ahead of actual Easter) didn't happen until this afternoon, but it mostly worked out. Katy would have enjoyed it, but it would have been much more chaotic.
When Katy woke up we finally gave the kids their little baskets (we don't really say anything about the Easter Bunny, for whatever reasons) and let them hunt for some eggs containing some chocolate and little toys. We tried to keep the candy content fairly low this year. I had imagined it outside, but inside worked fairly well, and they had fun.
I'm not trying to complaining as much as I'm trying to remind myself to have more realistic expectations in the future, and give myself more time to accomplish the plans I've made for myself... :) I remember Christmas being a little this way, too. (Expectations vs. life with small children) I don't think the kids experienced much of my stress (other than the dash-to-get-to-church, but that could happen some other day just as easily) so hopefully they'll have a few fond memories anyways, and hopefully next year we can get a little more of the "real" Easter in, other than some books the night before and a few reminders here and there...

The girls' dresses are a little big, but I guess that
just means they'll fit all summer and maybe even
next Spring, right?