Easter Preparations

How does the Yummy Mummy Prepare for Easter?

3 months beforehand

1. Start thinking about colors that her son and daughter look well in. Search websites of boutique clothing for children. Finalize color scheme.

2 months beforehand

Make hair and nail appointments and contemplate whether your children should have haircuts a few days or weeks beforehand. After all you don't want a "too studied" look.

Start shopping for your own dress, shoes and accessories.

Start shopping for your husband. Evaluate new fashion trends.

1 month before hand

Schedule photo shoot of your son and daughter with the premier photographer. Evaluate his or her credentials. Sets. Order proofs.

How the mother of eight gets ready for Easter

3 months before hand

Has absolutely no idea that Easter is coming. Still recovering from Christmas.

2 months before hand

Realizes that Lent is immiment. Tries to think how THIS Lent will be one of deepening spirituality, recollection, penance.

Tries to assign some spiritual reading to each child. Hopes he or she will follow through.

1 month beforehand.

It's still Lent isn't it. Perseveres. Starts to attribute every difficulty to the fact that is IS LENT isn't it.

The Night of the Easter vigil

Congratulates herself on the fact that the teenagers want to attend the Holy Thursday Tenebrae, Good Friday Services and Easter Vigil Mass.

Husband says that "they only want to get away from us."

Dismisses this notion immediately.

Does a quick mental inventory of what is actually clean and still fits. If dress pants are too small for teenage son, rails against son for growing. How could he?

Decide that the distinction between black and blue are too subtle for the average, Easter-morning-eye and a blue blazer and black dress pant will be just the thing.

Mends each of three ties for the boys. Congratulate self on the fact that they are still viable. Hope that no one recognizes they wore these same ties for Christmas. And the Easter before that. Feel congratulatory about the fact that they WERE brand name ties and good quality. Resolve to buy brand names again.

Does a white wash in a vain attempt to whiten school uniform shirts that have major ring around the color. Uses bleach in desperation and in spite of husband's cautions that bleach will ruin the septic system. Hopes that only ONE small wash of bleach will have no impact. Resolves not to mention such a worrisome possibility to spare husband any further stress. In dismay realizes that shirts have come out of the said wash in exactly the same condition as they went in.

Septic system status- unknown.

Lament the fact that NO ONE sells lacy little girl tights anymore. Well at least not the day BEFORE Easter.

Realizes there is not yet the time to buy all those spiritual Easter gifts for the Easter baskets- rosaries, missals, new veils for the girls, Saints books and promise that come their birthdays! it will all come out right.

Congratulate self on the fact that the 4 year old asks, "What is that?" when he sees BACON being placed in the refrigerator for Easter Brunch. And realize that, after all you have not indulged the children too much if they do not recognize bacon.

No, it's not negligence. It's spiritual superiority.

Makes the jello salad and thanks God that they have been invited to Grandma's for Easter dinner. The alternative (having to cook) is too dire to contemplate.

Recognize that somewhere, in all this morass of humanity is sanctification and try not to think it has been squandered.