What, is it Easter already?????

Where in the heck has this year gone? Didn't we just do New Years and my birthday? What happened to all that stuff in between, already it's Easter and my Mum's birthday, that means it's Steve's birthday soon and a week after that it's Sydney's birthday. This year, she informs me, is a special year. She's turning eight and she told me that you only do that once and so it's a big deal. Why such a biggie, I don't know but apparently in her mind this is a milestone, a turning point a pinnacle in her journey to teenage life. I had a stroke of genius and planned her party around a local event so that the girls can all go and pretty much entertain themselves while I just watch and there's no clean up... well very little. More about that later. Unfortunately this being such a big year for her turning 8 and all, she has decided to exclude Ashley from the merriment. What do you do??? Do you force her to include her 4 year old sister in her oh so grown up party or do you let Ashley do her own thing??? Ashley's feellngs are hurt and I hate it but if you were 8 and doing something way cool for your birthday would you want your smarty pants little sissy tagging along??? This is a tricky one, for the moment I am letting them figure it out for themselves and I'll just step in if it comes to blows. We will have a family birthday do so they will have to endure each other then. And I am sure, Ashley being Ashley, that she will have her revenge and not invite Sydney to her birthday party which will be way cool for five year olds. I am so on the fence with this one. My sister and I have our birthdays four years and one week apart, her's being a week before mine. Because she was the oldest her's was always the biggest deal and I was sometimes remembered in the wake of her celebrations. So I can comiserate with Ash but have to admit that she will never be forgotten, oh no, not my Ashley. She's the kind of kid who makes her presence known and if it's her day she WILL BE the center of attention. So maybe it's best they start to have their own deals, enjoy their friends and celebrate with their peers. That way we can have a family day for each of them, when we have to be nice to everyone. Good Lord it all gets so complicated doesn't it? Can't we all just get along?
This year as always we will spend Easter in Tampa with the family, I always look forward to it. The girls and Great Grannie will color eggs together, this is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. A gaggle of little southern girls with their southern grannie just toiling over the eggs and discussing the details of each one. Then the guys will take them out and hide them in Grannies yard with the big Heron looking on. Each kid then grabs an Easter basket and hunts the eggs, apparently this has been a tradition for years in the family. One we all look forward to. It means so much to me to see the girls just love on every one of the family members as they arrive. They beam from ear to ear the whole time. Ahh yes if only we lived closer and could do this more often. This time we're going to get in some beach time and hopefully some fishing.. Syd is quite the pro. I love it!!!!! I am excited and can't wait to report on the goings on as well as post some pics in my next blog. Did I mention there will be plenty of wine??? another plus to Easter weekend with the family!!!!!