Spring Break, Birthday, First Lost Teeth, and Easter

We had some cleverly worded title relating to Easter, spring break, Landon’s teeth or maybe all three for this week’s entry, but because Mike didn’t write it down, it got forgotten. Moving on. Mike and the kids’ spring breaks coincided for once, which meant not a whole lot for Mike’s work but did mean that we had some extra time with the kids. We’re saving up for a couple of fun trips later on in the year, so we partook of local area activities leading into Easter Sunday celebrations with family.

On Monday, we celebrated Granny O.’s birthday at Red’s BBQ and then played some at the park. For reasons known only to themselves, the kids decided they needed to dress up. So, Rapunzel Eliza and Ninja Landon joined us at the restaurant. 

Landon had a gymnastics class while Mike worked. Hallie’s most recent new-to-her phone won’t keep a charge, so she’ll be getting a replacement. Mike thinks she’s done something to give herself bad tech karma and he hopes it doesn’t rub off on him any time soon. One of Mike’s appointments canceled, so he got done early, but because Hallie’s phone died in the late afternoon, he had to cool his heels for a while reading European history.

We packed a lot into our Tuesday. In the morning, we went to the dentist in LA (and for a visit with Mike’s sister), stopping off first at Krispy Kreme on Crenshaw to get some Easter-themed donuts.

Mike had to get his appliance adjusted, and Landon had to get his shark teeth extracted.

He spent the rest of the day repeating, “I can’t believe I lost two teeth!”

From the dentist’s, we drove up through Hollywood to the Griffith Observatory.

(Hoolywood sign in the background there.)

Sharing a contemplative moment with Al

The mural Landon is viewing is what the length and width of Einstein's (or anyone's) index finger's worth of night sky looks like under magnification. All those stars and galaxies! 

We watched a science show and demonstration about comets. The presenter is showing off a comet made at the show.

After learning about celestial objects, we came back down to earth with a trip to World Empanadas in Burbank. We had seen the store on our way home from the zoo last Saturday, and we figured that, since we were in the area, we should take advantage this time. Well worth the trip. The little meat pies were a taste straight out of Argentina. 

While Mike went out with the missionaries, Hallie and the kids had a slumber party. Before then, though, bikes and skateboards needed riding. 

On Wednesday April Fool’s Day, the Tooth Fairy brought Landon some money for his teeth. He finally got to use that Danforth Pewter box we got for him on our Christmas 2011 road trip to Nova Scotia. Shocking that so much time has passed! Landon made some art to share. 

Eliza dressed like Cinderella.

Landon and Mike played little April Fool’s gags on each other all morning. Mike got the ball rolling by telling Landon that the LEGO Group had recalled all their little plastic bricks, so we needed to get a big box and ship them off. The poor boy’s face slowly melted into a frown, and the tears began to flow. Mike gave him a comforting hug and let him know it was a prank, and then the boy proceeded to beat up on him. Fair enough. Landon spent the rest of the morning mentioning how this or that thing was broken or lost. Good sport.

Hallie and the kids dropped Mike off at work and then went up to the Reagan Presidential Library. They saw the Ultimate Car Exhibit and Air Force One.

We spent Thursday morning doing some tidying up before Mike went off to work. The vacation was just slipping by!

Enjoyed a lazy Friday morning sleeping in, then Hallie and Landon ran some errands.

After they got home, we started planting our garden. Hallie had bought some pots and starter pods, and we’re going to go very simple this year. We are trying one innovation, though: diaper padding.

Later on, Hillary, Grandma B., and Samson came over, and we colored hard boiled eggs. We kept to a dozen for the adults’ sanity’s sake.

In the evening, Mike took the kids to a Primary activity at church based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Members of the ward taught the children about different aspects of the Atonement.

Describing the Last Supper

Little sins over time weigh us down.

Describing the crucifixion

Mary Magdalene tells of seeing the resurrected Jesus

Empty tomb roll

The full moon rose bright Friday night.

After putting Eliza to bed, Mike caught this view of it through one of the upstairs windows.

Some Easter symbolism for you

Meanwhile at home, Hallie and Grandma B. made artisanal marshmallows. They used flour bases and eggs as molds.

Glorious!

Saturday morning started early with the morning session of General Conference. Grandma and Grandpa O. and Alie came over, and we went to the Community Center Park for the Easter celebrations there, which included a bounce house and an egg hunt.

Afterwards, we went to Las Posas Plaza to see the Easter Bunny (much shorter line) and get the kids’ faces painted.

Peter Cottontail

One Cool Chick

We came home to have yummy sub sandwiches for lunch out on the patio. Ah, sunshine and 70s!

After Grandma, Grandpa, and Alie went back home, we continued watching Conference, or rather, the grown-ups watched while the kids busied themselves quietly.

Landon accompanied Mike to the Priesthood Session, something he has done for years now. To be honest, he basically goes for the pizza beforehand and to play on Mike’s iPad during the session.

Easter Sunday dawned bright and sunny. We went over to Grandma and Grandpa B.’s, and the kids collected the hard boiled eggs we had colored earlier in the week and some other small gifts before we all sat down to a delicious breakfast.  

Eliza practiced painting her own nails during the afternoon session.

Later in the day, Grandma and Grandpa M. and Carly, Shad, Cru, and Sawyer all came over, and we hunted for eggs and had a tasty dinner.

The eggs included confetti-filled cascarones.

Some eggs were harder to find than others.

Recovering from getting beaned with one too many cascarones. 

Diamond spent Easter weekend down in Salt Lake City, where she was able to watch sessions of General Conference in person. What a great blessing!