Easter and the Birthday Boy

Eli was born that time of year where his birthday is on or very near either general conference or Easter.  Last year it was the same day as Sunday general conference.  This year it was the day after Easter.  And as always, his birthday is on April Fool's Day.  Fortunately, April Fool's isn't a major holiday (but one of these years we're going to have a really fun birthday party).  However, there are many activities surrounding Easter, and general conference is all day Saturday and Sunday, so planning birthday activities gets a little tricky.  Since this is the first year we've actually lived near family, we decided to invite Josh's family over for Easter dinner and celebrate Eli's birthday as well.  The weather was absolutely beautiful, and we had a great time with everyone.  Eli loved it!

Earlier in the week we did some Easter activities--painting eggs and having an egg hunt.  I have to admit, the whole Easter bunny and eggs thing is really strange to me.  I know that many of our Christian holidays incorporate pagan practices, so the Easter bunny is a symbol of spring and fertility and all that, but how it ever got blended with celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a little strange to me.  I know, Christmas has the same problem, but at least for me it is easier to relate Santa bringing gifts to wise men bringing gifts and celebrating the birth of the Christ child.  Christmas definitely has too much commercialism, but at least there is still the idea of charity and the spirit of giving and being Christ-like.  But bunnies and eggs?  What exactly do I teach my child about the most significant event in history--that of the Savior being resurrected so that we all may live forever--by having him look forward to bunnies and eggs?

That being said, I still let my son enjoy coloring eggs and finding candy (we just try to keep it separate from Easter Sunday) since it's a tradition of the holiday that we celebrate here in America, but Eli doesn't get a basket full of candy on Sunday morning.  He also knows there is no Easter bunny, and we don't even try to pretend that there is one.  The tricky part is getting him to keep it to himself and not anger his friends' or cousins' parents, who may still want their children to believe. :-)

This year I did not want to dye eggs.  I never welcome the mess, but this year I just didn't want to deal with it or the many hard-boiled eggs that neither Eli nor I enjoy eating.  We decided to blow out the egg whites and yolks and paint the eggs instead.  Unfortunately, blowing out egg whites and yolks is not a very fun process either, but I have to say that I much prefer the painting to the dyeing.  At least once the paint dries, it stays on the egg, unlike the dyes that rub off on fingers and clothes and everything else.  Anyway, enough about my rant. :-)  Eli enjoyed coloring eggs here and at his Nana and Bampa Pratt's home.  Then he enjoyed a fun egg hunt with his cousins.

We tried blowing out eight eggs; only half survived.

I love Eli's expression in this picture!

Eli pretty much only ate chocolate on this day.  On the car ride home, he complained of a tummy ache, which was a good opportunity for us to remind him why we encourage healthy eating.

Afterward, Josh took Eli and I and his twin nephews to his Grandpa Earl's grave.  Josh was really close to his Grandpa Earl, and I know he has a good testimony of the resurrection because of his grandpa's death.  Josh was able to talk about the resurrection with Eli and Brennen and Camden (his nephews) while visiting the grave.

On Easter Sunday, we had dinner and celebrated Eli's birthday with cake.  Eli said he wanted both cupcakes and a cake, so I thought that I would make a two layer cake with two different flavors so that I could have leftover cupcakes.  The two flavors were coconut and chocolate.  Well, the chocolate accounted for one layer, but the coconut cake made a TON, so I ended up with a three layer cake (two coconut layers and one chocolate) plus coconut cupcakes.  I also ended up with some scraps and leftover frosting, so there are now undipped cake balls in my freezer along with some frozen birthday cake.  It all tasted really good though. :-)

Since we took Eli to Disneyland for his birthday, the cake was mickey mouse themed.  I carved a mickey mouse face on the oreo cookie creme centers and used mini oreos for the ears.

I should have gone with all cupcakes.  They were much more simple than the cake.

By the way, the coconut cake is Martha Stewart's recipe, so if you ever make it, just know that it makes a LOT!

Yesterday on Eli's actual birthday, Josh had the day off because that's when his work gave him off for the Easter holiday.  We took Eli to see The Croods movie in 3D.  Eli is so funny to watch because he tries to grab the images in front of him.  Then we took him to Baskin Robbins for a free birthday scoop, which he loved.

Eli is now super excited because he's been waiting to turn five so he can go to kindergarten.  I have to keep telling him that it's not for several more months.  He is just so proud to be a big boy, and the truth is, he is definitely growing up fast.  In some ways it doesn't seem that long ago that I was rocking a crying baby and changing diapers, but in other ways it feels like it was forever ago.  Maybe because I haven't changed a diaper for a long time (and truthfully, I don't miss that part).  But there are other things I do miss, which of course is always harder when I realize I might never experience them again.  Being my only child, Eli and his birthdays are always connected with a bunch of emotions, one of which is the extreme gratitude I have for being his mother.  He is a wonderful, big boy, and I certainly love him!