Happy Easter

Happy Easter!  OK, so it is a week late, but since we were in Boston last Sunday, we planned to celebrate Easter with my parents today.  We "left a note" for the Easter Bunny before we left to let him know that he would have to hide the eggs last night.  He was very agreeable and today we woke up to find 48 eggs hidden  around the house.  It was a first for the Heinisch family this year as Cal and Brett did not help us dye the eggs  for our hunt.  Brett decided that since he had turned eighteen he no longer would be participating in this family tradition, and once Cal found out Brett had bailed on us, he agreed that fourteen was too old as well.

Nevertheless, Meg, Cam and I had fun preparing for the event.  We watched "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" before our trip to put us in the mood.  Peppermint Pattie's quote, "Marcie, you made egg soup!" was said several times while we were getting our PAAS cups ready.  The music was turned off, so we could listen to the colored tablets fizz as they mixed with the vinegar.  Even though the boys did not help, we still colored four dozen eggs and had a great time doing it.  Rubber bands were wrapped around several eggs in intricate design to make an interesting pattern.  We tried the glitter egg packets this year as well as the regular.  None of us were impressed, so we will try something else next year.  One egg had "Cam is awesome" written on it, and one was adorned with the phrase "Cam's a chump."  

At first Cal had said he didn't want to hunt for eggs on "Easter" morning, but once he saw us dying them, the overly competitive Heinisch was all in.  He even let us know that he had helped us out earlier by dying all of the eggs white and writing on them with white crayon for us.  Thus, Sunday morning all four Heinisch children were up and ready for the hunt.  (Brett would have passed on the tradition, but the other three insisted.)  As the race began, we wondered if this was the year that Cal would lose his egg hunting title, but alas for the fourteenth year in a row, he was the first to find all twelves of his eggs first.  

My parents joined us for Easter dinner.  Doug is a great cook and we all enjoyed his potatoes, ham and  scrambled eggs.  Mom added desserts and several other side dishes, and all left the table happy and full.  The last lone egg was found several hours after the morning hunt began and the dinner dishes were put away.  As is a Heinisch family tradition, all forty-eight eggs were tossed into our wooded lot out back for the raccoon and opossum to enjoy.  All in all, it was a great Easter celebration, even if was delayed.

An Off Night

Did you ever have a night that was just off?  Nothing seems to go right, and after awhile it actually becomes funny.  That was Meg's and my experience tonight at 5 p.m. mass.  To begin with, the altar server did not show up.  We would have offered for Meg to fill in, but we didn't realize it until a man in his 50's got up to serve.  As most of our altar servers are between 10 and 16 and it was a little different, but very nice of him to pitch in.

Mass continued, and Meg and I noticed that the organ music was different than the song we were singing.  After that we heard chime music playing while Father was reading a prayer.  At first we thought it was the organ, but when it happened a second time we realized that someone had not listened to the pre-mass announcements asking us to please turn off all cell phones.

We did our best to remain focused on the homily and the preparation for communion.  However, a baby kept screaming, and its Grandmother followed up every cry with a loud "Shhhh!"  At that point I started looking around for the Candid Camera crew making sure to never look at Meg or I know we both would have laughed.  We walked to the van after mass and Meg said to me, "I am glad we came to 5 p.m. mass.  It was the funniest and strangest mass I have ever attended!"

"Don't Look, Mom!"

We were resting in our hotel room last Sunday night before dinner, taking a break from our whirlwind tour of New England.  Brett was enjoying a book, Cam and Meg were in the middle of a hot game of Go Fish, and Doug and Cal were watching the men's NCAA elite eight basketball game between Duke and Louisville.  I started out watching the game, but became lost in my blog writing when I heard Cal say, "Don't look, Mom!"   I was smart enough to heed his warning and kept my eyes on my iPad.  He quickly filled me in on the details of Kevin Ware's block that had gone wrong and ended with the player flat on his back, screaming in pain, with a portion of his shin bone sticking out of his leg.  After a long delay in action with a lot of crying from fans, players and coaches, paramedics were able to move Ware onto a stretcher and into an ambulance.  The sports announcers made a casual comment about his girlfriend riding with him to the hospital.  It was then that it dawned on me that his mother was not at the game.  If all of us were in shock watching him, what was she feeling?

I thought about Kevin Ware a lot this week.  He has been interviewed several times since Sunday and is even with the team in Atlanta for the final four, crutches, cast and all.  Yesterday I picked up the mail and there was his picture on the cover of Sports Illustrated surrounded by his teammates, with the quote, "Calm down, Mom.  I'm O.K."  I had to laugh when I read that.

Young men have a special bond with their mothers.  It is the first person they run to as a small child when they are hurt, and it is the last person they want to hurt when they grow up.  These young men act so tough and push us away, but deep down they do really care what we think and how we feel.  Most young men do not express their feelings very well.  I don't know if it is a societal issue or genetics or maybe both.  I have learned to read their language, however, and I know that whether they say, "Calm down, Mom.  I'm O.K." or "Don't look, Mom!" they are really saying, "I love you, Mom!"

A Beautiful Day

Finally, Spring has sprung and we all enjoyed the beautiful day.  Although the high was only in the mid 50's, after this long winter, it felt as great as any sunny, summer day.  Meg and Cam returned to their Baseball Hall of Fame personalities this morning as they practiced their pitching and catching in the backyard.  It was nice to hear the sound of the basketball on the driveway again before Cal and my Dad headed to the golf course.

Even I joined in the outdoor activities, as I surprised the younger Heinisch children by offering to take them on a bike ride.  Normally, Doug is the leader for this excursion.  We stopped at my Mom's about a mile away and decided that was not a long enough trip.  So, we headed around the lake by way of the golf course.  I think our enthusiasm for Spring might have gotten the best of us, however.  Once we stopped by hole number 15 to chat with Grandpa and Cal we decided that three miles was enough.  Luckily, Brett was home and more than willing to bring his truck out to get us.  Although, we didn't make it completely around the lake (6 miles) we were happy to have the weather to give it a try.

Doug had Spring fever as well and once he got home from work he was ready to play tennis with Cam and Meg, and take Cal on in their never ending one-on-one basketball challenge.  Cal got the better of him tonight, so I know they will be back out again tomorrow.  Brett has decided that he is ready to break out the shorts and t-shirts, and I dropped off my white, winter coat at the dry cleaners.  Thus, the Heinisch family is officially calling it the end of winter!  Finally, the ground hog can come out of hiding - we are no longer mad!!

Unpacking

Today is my least favorite day of vacation - unpacking.  We had decided to drive straight back last night and arrived well after midnight.  It was a lot of driving, but it was worth it to sleep in our own beds with no alarm clocks.  I never like unpacking, but this time it was a lot better than most.  Doug still had today off and the Heinisch children are all on Spring Break, so I could ask for help whenever I needed it.

Doug and Brett spent an hour cleaning out the van.  I received a lecture from Brett for letting Cameron leave a root beer in the cup holder of the van.  It had leaked and they were left with a small mess.  They also had a bag full of trash to clean out, but overall it went fairly smoothly, and I was appreciative of a clean vehicle once again.  I also tipped Brett well, so the root beer mess wasn't quite so bad!

Meg entertained Cameron for the day.  They pretended to be Hall of Fame Baseball players and spent the afternoon practicing their skills.  Cal was the first one up as usual.  He called his Grandpa immediately to let him know it was a great day to go golfing as it was beautiful outside.  My Dad didn't quite agree with Cal's weather report (it was only 28 degrees when Cal called), but was a willing participant and they enjoyed their round.  Brett had given up video games for Lent, so he spent some time catching up on his XBOX games. The four ended their day with two at the Republican fish fry with Grandpa Cutes and two with Grandma Jane catching up and bringing their guinea pigs home.

With everyone helping or entertaining themselves today, I was able to unpack, sort eight loads of laundry, cut Doug's hair, make a grocery list, and download all of the pictures.  Doug and I agreed that we would quit doing housework at 4 p.m. so we could get the shopping completed and enjoy a quiet dinner together.  All and all I can't complain.  The day was a lot more enjoyable than most "unpacking" days.

A Great End to a Great Trip

We spent a lot of time in the van today.   The boys have been enjoying the 1960's Batman series, betting each other who the next villain will be.  The reward for winning is bragging about it until the next set of episodes begins.  Meg is not as enamored with the Cape Crusaders, but has found a new "dynamic duo" to watch - Cliff and Norm from Cheers.

Our early morning stop at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY was a big hit.  Cal and I helped the younger two with a scavenger hunt through the museum.  Their reward for finding all ten items were baseball cards.  True to form they sat down and immediately started trading them.  Doug and Brett enjoyed the history of the Hall and after two and a half hours we were ready to move on to our next stop.

I have to admit that the highlight of the trip for me happened next.  I thoroughly enjoyed everything we have done, but the look on Cameron's face when we walked out on the observation deck at
Niagara Falls today was priceless.  It was 30 degrees and windy, however, he was all smiles.  Cameron had read a book about the Falls earlier in the year, but when he told all of his friends he was going to visit it, no one believed him.  The Falls are beautiful and awe inspiring - well worth seeing once in a lifetime.  As we walked out of the gift store with his Niagara Falls t-shirt, souvenir book, "Cameron" Niagara Falls mug, and "I survived the observation deck" magnet, Cameron turned to me and said, "Mom, this has been the best vacation ever!"  I have to agree!

Niagara Falls or Bust

We spent day four of our non-Florida vacation finishing all that we wanted to do in Massachusetts before we started back.  Up early we were able to catch the first tour of the season for Buckman Tavern in Lexington.  This is the sight of the "shot heard round the world."  We knew most of the story, but the tour guide was enthusiastic and child friendly which added to the experience.  The highlight of the tour for me was buying "The Art of Teaching" written in the 1840's.

Our next stop was a must for Brett and I - Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott.  The house made the characters of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy come to life, and the history of the Alcott family and the stories of their ties to Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne were fascinating.  The Alcott women were even related to a judge from the Salem Witch Trials, which we all found interesting.

We ended the tour of Massachusetts visiting Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where all of the above mentioned authors are buried, and the North Bridge where the Patriots stopped the British and chased them back to Boston.  We told Cal, the reluctant member of our history tour, that he could pick our lunch stop.  Without hesitation he said, "The Silver Stable" (his nickname for The Golden Corral.).  Much to our surprise the only Golden Corral in the state of Massachusetts was on our drive to New York!

Tonight we rest in a small town close to Copperstown.  After an early morning trip to the National Baseball of Hall of Fame, we will head to Niagara Falls.  Cameron can talk of nothing else.  One of his friends went to the Falls and Cam can't wait to take a picture of himself there as well.  Day four finds us tired, but ready for more adventure!