That was a day and a half.

And I am incredibly happy it is over!
Sweets and chocolate really don't play much of a part in our house, I know I wax lyrical about chocolate and will admit that I find it delicious beyond description, we don't have much of it at all. The boys have pocketmoney on saturday and buy a smattering of gloop and then open it all up and throw it around, they would much rather have olives and cheese strings, I often wonder if they truly sprang from my loins, truth be told. Offer them cake, they'll take a pickle.
Seth ate his first cake ever last week, with a look of disgusted pride he ate a teeny cupcake and then announced that " YEAY! I did it!" and then told us he probably wouldn't ever do it again. Thankyou.
I am often surprised then, that easter is such a big deal to them. I imagine it is just the sight of all that normally not thought of stuff, thrown in a basket and offered with no limits that sends them loopy. I cancelled mum and Leah's visit for lunch, at 8.30 am because we were already SO drowning in smashed up chocolate, squished in peep like hideousnesses and green paper grass that I knew a) I would never get it cleaned up as well as go to church ( and let's face it, skipping church in THIS day is really pushing your spiritual luck isn't it? Sorry Jesus, glad you died for us and all that but do you mind awfully if I skip worshipping you just for today so my ham doesn't overcook and I can clean this front room? No, didn't seem right to me either)
So, I called and asked if maybe a rather fancy meals on wheels deal which meant good food without the noise and mess that comes part and parcel with our home, didn't sound like a little bit of Heaven on earth.......funny, I didn't have to ask twice!
Not only were we facing devastation of a paper grass and smashed food kind, we were also REALLY looking at some serious sugar highs. Eli had excelled himself, Isaac was pretty impressive, Seth, well he loved opening it all and looking at it but he hadn't eaten more than a bite or two.
Hoorah for morning church, a break in chocolate consumption for a while, until they were handed MORE yes MORE chocolate rabbits and nests and a HUGE cadbury's buttons egg.
Eli ate ham and some more ham and some green beans, the others?? NO ROOM!! NO ROOM MUST EAT ALL THIS SUGAR!! ( twice a year, christmas and easter......the only time they get to just go for the rush, actually is that a bit strange that the 2 times a year they get to stuff out are both celebrating Jesus in some way?)
Isaac and Elijah were overdosed, I am sure of it, not a good thing, we won't go there again in a hurry, the remains of the baskets are going away until saturday when they can eat a bit more, I am a bit traumatised by the way these boys went so crazy......there is no doubt in my mind that kids are really affected by what they eat, mine eat such good stuff usually that any unaccustomed overload is spectacular to see.
Sophie. I did something that was really hard to do as a mother. She came home ( around 7pm) and saw the basket that I had decided was going to my lovely friend....she lit up and said
"oooh, who is THAT for?" I told her it was for Jane and that although I really wanted her to have one too, I couldn't in all honesty do one for her. I told her that while she was choosing NOT to be a part of the family, while she was treating me and this home so poorly, that I couldn't reward her with the treats that come with being a part of our family.
I pointed out that both she and Jordan are continuing to waltz in when they feel like it use what they feel like using, refuse to clean up, not only their own rooms but the pans and plates they use ( Jordan is taking it to the point of daring me to MAKE him wash his dishes.... I am biding my time and then he will SEE that he can push me so far. Nearly there.) Neither of them are showing any level of respect. I asked her if she thought it fair that while they are so unwilling to do anything for me, that they should continue to expect me to do anything for them, given that they are adults and all, as we keep hearing from them.
She was very quiet, I gave her a small box of chocolates and said that I hoped next year I would be able to make her a beautiful basket again.
It is much harder being tough than I would like, I tell myself that I can do it and shrug it all off but it actually hurts to stick it out. Not with the little ones though, I seem to get it that with them, this is a good thing and they are so much better for knowing where they stand..... the big ones though, I hate being so hard on them, I think it's because by now, I thought it would be more fun, that they would have learned the important stuff and I could enjoy them so much more. Not yet, it would seem.
So, the sugarbabies are asleep, twitching and humming I shouldn't wonder...the house is peaceful, Sophie says she is coming home and at a reasonable time that's good.
Dan is coming tomorrow ( I hope, if he doesn't the London trip is a no go) there is a bank holiday boot sale tomorrow, whoopie, I hope we find some bargains! Today it was almost summer like, hot and sunny and glorious. I love the sun!