Happy Easter 2018

 Sunlight filtered through the bedroom window and woke me with a bright beam to my eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out this day but it was no use. With a groan, I rolled over and looked at the clock, 6:34am.

Too early.

I tried to go back to sleep but sleep would not come again. Maybe because there was this steady bumping and thumping coming from the other room. It must be the boys. There was no other excuse for that horrible noise at this time of day. Only those pesky boys would be up to so much at this hour.

I almost yelled at them to knock it off but remembered just in time that today isn't just another normal day. Today is Easter. I climbed from my bed and hurried to get dressed while more and more noises came from the kitchen.

And no wonder. When I stepped into it, everyone was busy bustling around. The big people's table was piled high with big white eggs and what looked to be every cup in the house. I climbed a chair leg and pulled myself up onto the table.

The boys were already up there in the midst of things.



So was Hitty Mama, Bitsy, Isabella, and our newly added sister that still refuses to tell us her name. They were all petticoat deep in eggs and dye.

I leaned over the edge of an oval cup and peered into the peach water inside. The cup was big enough for me to bathe in but that colored water did not look like anything I wanted to soak in.

Bitsy did not share my opinion on it though because she was crying for a "bath" at the top of her lungs and tugging on her dress. Hitty Mama had a firm hold of her pinafore and was busy explaining why the murky water wasn't good for bathing.

"It's nasty, Bitsy." I bumped the edge of the cup closest to her, making the dark green water slosh. "Look at that dirty water. You can't have a bath in it." 

Bitsy didn't appreciate my explanation any more than she did her mother's. She just kept wailing for a 'bath'.

I left Bitsy with her mother and the eggs with the other's. This egg coloring stuff didn't strike my fancy. While they played in colored water, I did a bit of baking.  I was surprised to discover it took the eggs longer to dye than it took my cake to be ready to eat.

Once I had the cake frosted and ready to eat, I carried it outside, yelling for everyone to 'come and get it'. 

They took me at my word, showing up with cups in hand and a stack of plates and silverware.

  My cake was almost too pretty to cut but I could hear the boys stomach's growling from where I sat and Bitsy was whining about 'cake'. I cut into my cake, slicing through the layers of frosting and cake, just as...

Bitsy dove face first into my cake.

Ugh.

I could hear her munching as she giggled and dug at my hard work.

 

Hitty Mama pulled her out of the cake. I couldn't help smiling at the little girls happy grin or her fistfuls of cake.

Just as Bitsy was about to eat a fistful of cake a bee landed on her arm and helped itself to the sweet treat. Bitsy screamed but stood still. 

I think she was as fascinated with the bee as the rest of us because she stayed there, frozen, watching the bee nibble at her cake.

I went back to cutting my cake. Sometimes I sure wished food could be saved to look at because I wouldn't have minded having my cake on a shelf.

Instead, I cut it into thick slices and put it on plates. It smelled so good. All sweet and spicy.

I started to hand Bitsy the first piece but she was still busy feeding the bee.

I cut more cake, serving up slices until I had one for everybody.

Then I passed them out. 

  Hitty Mama kept a close watch on Bitsy while she ate her own cake, warning the little girl to be very careful with the bee.

"I should have brought napkins." Isabella wiped a bit of cake on the bottom hem of her dress. "This cake is good but it sure is messy."

"If you think it's messy, get a look at Hook." Justin crammed another bite into his mouth and pointed at his partner in crime.

Hook had cake smeared on his face and across his lap.

"What?" Hook muttered around a mouthful of food. "It's good."

He swiped the back of his arm across his face wiping most of the cake away.

I might have made the cake but I had to agree with Hook. It was good.

Bitsy must have agreed because she was busy shoveling cake into her mouth with both hands. Her spoon barely had a spot of frosting on it.

Bitsy's big sister was quietly eating, watching the little girl.

"What's your name?" This having family members without names business was awfully hard. I had no idea what to call this newest addition to our family.

Bitsy's sister just smiled, using the cake in her mouth as an excuse to not answer. Again.

"I can't just go around calling you 'Bitsy's sister'. You've got to have a name. What is it?' I finished the last of my cake and set the plate to the side while the boys helped themselves to another slice each.

No answer came from the red headed girl.

"Okay." I brushed the crumbs from my skirt as I secretly wished for one of those napkins Isabella had mentioned. "We have to have a name for you. I'm going to call you...Orange Blossom."

I waited for someone, anyone to object, more than anything I wanted the new girl to object and tell us her real name, but she didn't. She just shrugged her shoulders and went on eating her cake and watching her sister.

Well...Orange Blossom wasn't a horrible name.

I hoped.

Bitsy finished her cake and went around collecting everyone else's, snatching bites of crumbs off each plate, and stacking them with mine.

Isabella offered to do the dishes, carrying them off to what she had claimed was 'her tiny house'.

I was more than happy to let her wash the dishes, it was far from my favorite chore.

Isabella, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy it. She hummed a happy tune, stopping only long enough to call out a Happy Easter to anyone within earshot.

And it had been a Happy Easter.