WIWS and A Triduum/Easter Octave Review

I'm so appreciative of octaves, they totally enable procrastinators like me to feel not-so-bad about writing a WIWS: Easter Edition post a week after said Sunday. Because hey! It's STILL Easter-week.
 
Our Triduum was comparatively low-key: last year we went to all the liturgies at the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem, which is always incredibly reverent and beautiful, but just far enough away to interfere with all kinds of nap and meal times for the munchkins. I think I've blocked most of the "horrible" (i.e. - spending the entire liturgy holed up somewhere with a fussy 6 mo and/or 2 yo) parts from last year out of my head, mercifully, but I knew that this year it would be best for us to stay closer to home, and maybe even rotate liturgy attendance.

I decided to be mildly insane and try to make our house cleaner and more purged than it's been in months, all over the course of Holy Week, which was both a blessing and a curse. A LOT was accomplished, but I was also really stressed about it at various moments, which isn't really the point...

Wednesday:
Lots of cleaning. Laundry. Eating mini pancake "Judas coins" that my mom made for the kids. Confessions that evening and a walk in the lovely weather.

Thursday:
More cleaning. We all went to the Mass of the Lord's Supper, at our local parish, which went well. No 7-church pilgrimage after, though, which is really only feasible in the city. 

Friday:
More cleaning in the morning, and an impulsive decision to make hot cross buns, which took nearly all day due to the multiple rising times and interruptions for regular meals, naps, liturgies, etc. I like this as a tradition, but future-self, *start the dough the night before*! Mom went to Stations and adoration at noon, while Michael went to the Canons with Rosie's husband at the same time. He returned in time to babysit the end of naps so that mom and I could both attend the Passion reading and Pre-sanctified service locally at 3, which worked out well for everyone. (No wrangling children! I got to sing with the choir! Meditative silences!) That night I put fake eggs in natural dyes to see if anything would happen.

Saturday:
A day I wish I could do over. On many fronts. The kids were ok, but I was stressed about finishing ALL THE THINGS and that transferred to everyone else. Blah. That evening I was thinking, Man, Satan was really on the prowl here today. There was no grace from morning mass that I apparently rely on more than I know. It's the holiest few days of the year. I should've just relaxed and PRAYED more.
*sigh*
Anyway, somehow everything got done and we managed to close the day in peace. Annie was happy for having painted the last 2 eggs I left out of the natural dyes (aren't I generous?), the Easter clothes were cleaned, pressed, and hanging ready for the morning. Mom made us an egg bake so that we could just pop it in the next morning while the adults consumed sugar and the kids enjoyed non-candy Easter basket items.
He is in the tomb.

Sunday:
HE IS RISEN! INDEED, HE IS RISEN!

Stuff, as opposed to candy, in their baskets, because these kids get crAzy on cookies, no less candy.

We've been enjoying Easter in the Garden as we gradually add to our liturgical-season library. Also, I've been wanting Manners in God's House for quite some time, and it's a gem!
Side note: that lamb Beanie Baby was one of my own treasured toys when I went through that phase, and Annie just loves it. We named it "Agnes". ;)

More interested in her Walmart magnadoodle than her St. Anne which I made, c'est la vie.

I decided to try my hand at making one myself, and I'm pretty pleased with the result. Anyone want to commission one? ;)

Non-religious gifts included bubbles (ummm, breath of the Holy Spirit brings new life?), matchbox cars, bunny rabbit jumping toys...

I made her dress with leftovers from two of my own from years ago, and the hat was a lucky find in the Target $3 bin!

The dapper gentleman: all of his accessories were in the Target $3 bin, but hopefully they may even last through next year (if his massive head doesn't have a growth spurt).

Say "He is risen!" . . . With mixed results. Bowties, seersucker, fedoras for the boys; lace, eyelet, and head wear for the girls.

My favorite <3

My other favorite!

We hadn't really celebrated Annie's birthday with candles and cake, etc., waiting until after Lent was over and Gramma was back from her travels. So on Easter Monday some of our family came over for dinner and dessert (butterfly cupcakes), and she got to blow out her 3 candles to the tune of birthday singing.

The week continued with more moments glad, and some....not so much. (haha, this one kind of cracks me up:)

My sainted mother has been doing all these fun themed things for the kids that (a) I don't have time to do and (b) neither did she when we were young, but now she can! Win-win all around! These are "resurrection tombs" from donuts, bananas, and raisins all stuck on graham crackers with peanut butter.

A big hit, all around.

Yea. This kid doesn't need candy.

Posted because I want to remember: he's LOVING their little broom (which we've had for over a year), but suddenly he's OBSESSED with carrying it around like a standard-bearer.

Future cross-bearer when he's an altar boy?

So now, a week later, it's Divine Mercy Sunday, and time for another edition of WIWS!

Hat: Anthropologie; Top: LOFT; Cardi: Ummm...Skirt: GAP, thrifted; Shoes: old, but red for the feast!

Annie originally refused to pose, but look, now she's smiling!

Wow, my hair's getting long...time for the spring haircut!

If you made it this far, bravo! It seems like the usual link-up isn't up (yet?), but I'll link it when it is. For now, have a blessed Feast of Divine Mercy, most especially in this Year of Mercy.