How we celebrated Easter 2012 on Planet Baby

Some furry friends atop our mantel

Ooh, so Easter's done and dusted for another year. Hands up if you're full as a goog with hot cross buns, Easter eggs and other yumminess? Hmm, lots of hands waving, I can see! Well, here's how we rolled on Planet Baby.

The morning started at an *uncharitably* early hour which Mr PB handled for a while so allow me some more shut-eye. Then Sammy summonsed me from bed with his eyes agog at what surrounded us. Anyone remember last year's little paw prints left by the Easter Bunny? 

Well, they made a repeat entry here, hippity-hop, all over the tiles... 

and floorboards (thankfully the Easter Bunny wiped his paws before treading on the carpet).

He had even hopped onto the just-waiting-for-a-topcoat new mantelpiece!

Not only had he been and demolished the carrot, apples and glass of milk left waiting for his refreshment, he'd also generously left some goodies behind. Huge smiles all round! 

And A Certain Mother had spent a few hours the night before decorating some papier mâché eggs with washi tape and rickrack so there was something festive to greet the pixies.

As well as some important little details!

But that was only the prelude.

Then at 7.30 am, we slipped up another gear and set to, whirling around the house, dressing pixies, cleaning up and cooking breakfast for some friends. When I say 'some', I mean (let me count) 10 adults and 12 children under 8! I agree - we should have had our heads read before concocting such a zany plan. And when I say 'zany', that's because we also planned to attend church with my Mum and my sister and her family at 10 am. And the guests were arriving at 8.15 am...

Somehow, it all came together in one amazing and joyous melange of friends, food and fun. Let's bring on the photos!

We feasted on more hot cross buns, scrambled eggs with Atlantic salmon and dill, crispy bacon, roasted tomatoes, croissants, raspberry jam, sour-dough bread, ham, cheese and Easter eggs. 

There were plenty of juices on offer.

The weather was kind to us so we threw open our kitchen bi-fold windows and moved the couch out onto the deck to luxuriate in the morning sun whilst the children darted to and fro.

Our friends were a delightful mixture of family, old neighbours, parents of the pixies' classmates and Mr PB's new work colleague (being Hobart, both PB and I had gone to school with him anyway!). 

And everyone got on such a treat with each other. The parents even managed (gasp!) to have proper (ie uninterrupted by littlies) conversations - it felt very grown-up. I think our new friends with 5 children relished their chance to eat breakfast prepared by others!

Supping over, then the main event took place - the Great Easter Egg Hunt of 2012! Here are some of the action shots. 

It was really a heart-warming sight to see all the children darting hither and thither around our garden, finding eggs in the oddest of spots - the Easter Bunny had been quite tricky! 

Here are the pixies.

Joshie

India

Sammy

Eggs collected, the results were then 'tallied' (ie fictitious numbers were awarded) with my little nephew triumphing, to his utter delight.

And then, in 5 minutes flat, our guests departed, right on cue, and we hurtled to the car to arrive at St David's Cathedral, miraculously 5 minutes early! 

We took up our seats in the pew with my Mum and my sister and her family. Mum was beaming and so proud to have 4 of her 6 grandchildren with her. It was a long service but thankfully the pixies were able to join the other children outside for another egg hunt for some of the time.

I had intense flashbacks to Easter Day last year when Dad's life was so precariously balanced. A few sly tears slipped down my cheeks. 

But unlike last year, when I couldn't feel the hope of the Easter story, I felt calmer. Stiller, even. Something deep inside me had shifted. 

Maybe some peace is finally trickling into that gaping hole left by Dad's death. It reminded me of the gorgeous print sweet Anna made for me with the touching Emily Dickinson poem.

Here it is, hanging on my wall

The service over, we stepped out into the bright light, rounded up the pixies and headed home. 

So, another 'first' over as we go through this first year without my Dad.

I like to think he enjoyed watching us, entertaining in our beautiful family home with our precious pixies and cherishing friendships, both old and new.

So, enough about me! What did you all get up to? Do share - it's fun to find out the different ways you all celebrate, don't you think?