The lead-up to Easter

The week(s) prior to Easter are never easy for a church musician.  You expect that, plan for it, try to work ahead and get all your ducks in a row early.

But.

Some things you simply can't plan for(1).  Sometimes you do stupid things by accident(2).  Sometimes you do crazy and yet marvelous things on purpose(4).  And sometimes the timing is crazy and hard but still fits so perfectly you wonder if maybe God had a hand in smoothing your way for you(9).

1) On Wednesday, 10 days before Easter, Timothy learned how to scoot himself off the bed.  Head first.  He knocked himself right out and we spent the rest of the day in the emergency room.  Verdict: concussion, but his cat scan was clear and he's just fine.



2) Thursday I had inexplicably scheduled dentist appointments for all three boys.  And then they had room to take me, too, so we spent the entire afternoon at the dentist.  I love our dental office staff, but still.  You can imagine how much fun that was.

3) Friday I attempted to cut off part of my thumb while cutting onions.  I succeeded much too well.  Ouch.

4) Saturday Timothy and I flew to Sacramento, attended a bridal shower for one of my best friends from high school, and then flew home.  All in one day.  Totally crazy, but I'm so glad I was able to do it. :)



5) Sunday was Palm Sunday.  Last choir rehearsal before all the Holy Week services.  Two anthems during mass.

6) Monday I came up for air and realized that not a single dish was clean.  I wish I were exaggerating.  It took me six (interrupted) hours to get through it all.

7) Tuesday brought the reality of no more clean clothing.  Laundry ensued.  Also, last minute church music work for the coming services on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

8) Wednesday...you'll forgive me if I can't even remember, right?

9) One of my clients, not due until April 23rd, went into labor in the wee hours of Thursday morning, and I didn't get home until mid-afternoon.  At which point I napped for an hour, and then raced around getting everyone ready for the Maundy Thursday service that evening.  Realized that I had to leave for church before Gabe got back from work.  Went running over to beg our neighbor for 20 minutes of babysitting. (He said yes.) :)

10) Friday: spent the morning making Last Supper crafts with the boys.



Got everyone into somber colored clothing and made it to church for the noon mass. Was grateful for Aunt Libby and Uncle Jonathan, who helped keep the boys quiet and focused, and even more grateful that the boys are old enough to actually sit quietly and focus.  Spent much of the service in the back with the exploring, noisy baby.

 11) Saturday we had a family gathering at the park (yay for Aunts and Uncles and Grandma and Grandpa!) and then I went to church to spend 30 slightly panicked minutes trying to polish (err, finish learning?) that evening's anthem.  Since it was the 5th anthem in six days, I'm counting minor panic on only the last one as a decided win.  (Besides, they sang it so well in the end; God really does take our small offerings and multiply them!)



12) And so to Easter, wherein I woke up at 6am with the baby and then went back to bed with the baby at 8am for the first nap of the day.  The boys went to their friends' baptism.  We dyed eggs.  Ate a simple but tasty mid-afternoon "dinner".  Hid and searched for eggs in the back yard.  Gave up on finding the last one (Granddad, I told the boys that I've learned from the best; a good egg hunt is one where you can't find all of them!)  It has been a blessed day of rest and play.