A “påskkärring”, a cat, two bunnies, a giraffe and a teenager…

… set out at 17:40, to wish people in our neighbourhood a Happy Easter. Together with Carnival day, in school, and Halloween, this is the day I dread the most, all year. First of all, I have to buy candy, in case some children ring our door bell. Secondly, I have to help my children find Easter things to wear, which is not easy when you have boys. It does not come natural for them to want to dress up as “påskkärringar” i.e. a sort of Easter witch. Last Thursday, “Cookie” talked her dad in to buying her a bunny set to wear today. When she came home with it, it was decided that “Gubby” should be allowed to wear it, for his pre-school Easter party, last Friday. All the others were off school, except “Dollie” but I decided to let him go to pre-school since after all, these special events are fun to go to. And he does love a party. They had to dress up as something Easter-y. But since the head was home with children afflicted with chicken pox, I met a Batman and a pirate, on the parking lot. Noone to turn them down! But “Gubby” arrived as a most adorable little bunny, with white ears, white bow tie, white tail and grey trousers and his grey Church shirt. He actually asked if he was going to church when I brought it out to the ironing board, that morning. They played traditional Easter games, made little Easter ornaments and had a magnificent lunch, which he did not eat hardly anything of.

I started thinking that it would be great if I could buy all three boys bunny ears. What a great outfit and demanding little effort from me. Right! I headed to town today, in search of bunny ears AND chocolate eggs dressed in coloured tin foil. The ears had been bought at Butterick’s, so I located the store, which I did not even know existed in our town, and was told that they were all sold out on bunny ears. Talk about great disappointment. The sales girl talked me in to buying a witch outfit. I contemplated the following scenario: “Cookie” giving up her bunny ears to “Gubby” and her wearing the witch’ dress and head scarf. But what to get for the other two boys? I grabbed a cat set with ears, nose and bow tie, all in black. But what to get for “Kitty”? The sales girl said, that a lot of parents had bought these zoo animal sets. I just did not know what to do. The cat set cost more than I wanted to pay, so I had to settle on a giraffe set for my third son. I know. Not Easter-y at all. But I knew he would love it. When I got home, I was exhausted and having a gigantic migraine and sore feet. I walked to every single shop selling candy down town, before I found the coveted chocolate eggs in tin foil, in the very last shop I visited. Which was on the way to the car, when I had given up. A shop I had forgot existed. Not only did I find those eggs but also pretty candy coated ones looking like robin eggs. And Danish marzipan eggs with candy coating. Think if I had gone there from the beginning? Then I would have saved my feet, head and money on parking.

And in all probability, I would not have done the insane thing of giving in to a wish, which “Gubby” voiced last night, when I sat on eBay, looking at things. He suddenly noticed a “Shaun the sheep” item. I googled the funny sheep and especially crocheted items. He got ecstatic. It’s his and my favourite program and one could download a free pattern for making a crocheted Shaun. So, while I was out walking in town, I popped in to the yarn shop and bought black and white wool to make him for “Gubby” and a size 3,5 needle. Insane I know, since I have never ever crocheted from an English pattern before. How am I going to be able to guess what they mean? What the abbreviations stand for? But how funny it will be if I succeed. Quite a challenge in other words.

I would most certainly, not have bought a scripture case for myself either, when I  went to see if the gigantic toy shop had the eggs. They do sell a lot of pick and weigh candy, so… When I was about to enter the shop, I had to step over a Romanian beggar and I decided not to look at him but at the window. I am completely smitten with owls, and when I saw the little mini rucksack, I just had to take a closer look at it. My questions to a seller on Etsy, who makes scripture cases but do not send to Sweden, have gone un-answered. It is so rude to not even write “no, I will under no circumstances send to Sweden even if you are willing to pay full postage”. To just ignore my e-mails, is so terribly rude. So, now I have given up on buying a scripture case from the US on Etsy. Only two sellers sell scripture cases there, but both of them can make them after your specifications, and that is the problem. My scriptures in Swedish have the most bizarre sizes, so I can not buy  a ready-made one from a shop. BUT this little rucksack worked! Alright, there is a little bit of space above the scriptures and on the sides, so the books can slide around. But at least I do not think they will get more scratched, because they get scratched in the bag that I bring to church every week with my lesson material, colouring things for my class, scissors, tapes, glues, folders, magnets… This was perfect and “Kitty” will get one similar to it on Saturday with his Easter egg, from H&M, with Angry Birds on his. He has been carrying his scriptures in our portable DVD-player’s case. Let’s say, the DVD-player needs to be stored in that bag, not his scriptures and colouring pens!

When I hurried home finally, mission accomplished, I found chaos. The boys had not finished hardly any Easter letters/cards and “Cookie”, who was staying with her friend, them coming here to join the rest of the gang, for the “walk”, had not done any either, at her friend’s house, by that time. Even though they promised to do so, before they left here last night. So, T. had to tell her to make some and “Dollie”, D. and me had to sit down and help the boys. We finally had a good batch and “Cookie” and S. arrived 17:15 with one batch as well. So they headed out in the cold wind, at 17:40. “Cookie” was not in the mood for giving up her bunny ears, since she and her friend had decided to go as bunnies together. But while we were waiting for them to arrive, things sorted themselves for the best I guess. “Gubby” thought the cat ears, bow tie and nose looked so funny, that he was willing to use them instead. And “Boo” thought the witch’ clothes looked so funny that he chose them. So, all’s well that ends well. At 20:00, they arrived home and boy did they receive a lot of candy. Just check this out:

Wow! I told T. that it wouldn’t surprise me if people spoil my children this way, just because they appreciate that at least a couple of children, uphold the tradition? I waited and waited, prepared that children would show up here at my door, but the only ones who rang my door, were my own children+S., at 20:00! How sad! Now “Dollie” is sitting out there dividing the spoils. “Cookie” and S. have left for another sleep-over, but will be back tomorrow, for their loot. And the boys are anxiously awaiting their rewards. “Dollie” is dividing everything in six piles: S., “Cookie”, the three boys and HERSELF.