Easter

Saturday I woke up pretty grumpy. I'm generally happy with this unconventional lifestyle, but the holidays are tough. No cousins, no laughing with my sisters until my sides ache for days, no grandparents, no good quality dark chocolate.  We took the three youngest to the DCM's (Deputy Chief of Mission to you non-Foreign Service-types) house for an Easter Bunny breakfast. The kids were also missing the traditional egg hunt with their cousins (especially finding eggs with g-strings and cigars in them, thanks to their oldest male cousins). They perked up pretty quickly, though. Our wonderful CLO (community liason office) set up a cupcake decorating station, face painting, and had a fabulous egg hunt.

Sombody really needs to comb that kid's hair.

That kid in the tree?  The one with the real Easter-y Tobasco Sauce t-shirt?  Way too cool to partake in the hunt.

Mitch was only able to stay for a bit and then was off to play in the last embassy softball game of the season (he came home with bruised ribs since I wasn't there to shout "DON'T BE A HERO!" every time the ball came towards him or he was at bat). I found a decent way to console myself as soon as I spotted an unattended baby sleeping in her carseat:

I felt a little better the next morning. The kids loved their Brazilian Easter baskets, especially since they contained items banned in the US, where apparently if you put toys INSIDE the chocolate eggs, kids are too dumb to not eat them.

 A Barbie inside the egg, yo.

We had some friends over for an Easter BBQ. I made some deviled chick eggs I saw on Pinterest. They look like they're drunk, but maybe that's how they get through the holidays. It can't be easy to be a chick on Easter.

I also tried to make Bunny Bread.

 It didn't turn out too bad, although it was a tad doughy in the middle of the belly. Everyone just ate the ears, head, and limbs.

Jack and his teenaged friend filled and hid tons of eggs with American easter candy I'd been hoarding in the freezer and the kids had another pretty good hunt.

I felt much better by the end of the day. I need to remember that staying home, alone and feeling sorry for myself is never helpful, and drinking wine with friends and eating tenderloin always is.