This year, to me, if felt like Easter lasted as long as Christmas does....  It was never-ending.  Between 4 egg hunts, 2 school Easter parties, meeting the Easter bunny, and being the Easter bunny - I was worn completely out!!!!  By the time we got the to the last Egg hunt at the Country Club, Mark said I was "No Help to him"....  (I was taking pictures from a distance and sippin' Sangria).  

The Egg Hunt at our Church was the first time that I have had a true emotional breakdown and the realization that I could not handle all 3 of my kids by myself (and my mom went).  They split the age groups up and Rose was in a different hunt.  She was crying for me to hunt with her.  My mom could not take the twins alone.  Maryn is a SUPA-STAR egg hunter.  Not even kidding.  I was not.  She does not get this from her momma.  Maryn is all about to some egg-hunting and the kid just took off.  Dont you dare mess that basket either!  She knows exactly how it is supposed to hang on her shoulder!  Mills was sick with an ear infection and was not in the mood to people-please.  She is not much on large crowds and everybody ooohhh-and-ahhhhhing over her anyway. Here is a glimpse of my morning:

"Rose stop crying" (insert me putting grass back into someones basket)

"Rose why are you upset - I said I would hunt eggs with you" (insert me holding 3 kicking screaming kids)

"Maryn put those eggs back in his basket, those are not your eggs" (insert me giving another kid back his eggs)

"Rose stop aggravating Millie" (picture two screaming kids fighting over eggs and baskets)

"Mills, holy cow, I have to put you down for 5 minutes" (picture a 2 year old tantrum)

"Somebody help me find Maryn" (picture me running around like a chicken with my head cut off searching for child #3)

"Rose stop hunting, the hunt has not started" (amazed look.... she actually found eggs all by herself)

"Maryn, stop eating candy from other peoples eggs" (OMG)

"Give her the DAMN COOKIE" (picture the twins crying because Rose doesnt want to share her cookie)

.........
Do you get the picture yet?????
HORRIBLE!!!!

So Round Three ensues and now you understand why I was sipping sangria in the sunshine instead of chasing kids!!!!  Mills was still pretty miserable with the ear infection, so we left her at my mom's house watching cartoons and laying on the sofa.  Maryn (the Queen of all hunting) and Rose went to the Country Club.  Mark handled them both like a champion.  There was no fussing, everybody just had a great time (or is that the sangria talking????)  (Mark's version is slightly different)

Not scared one little bit!  She loves the Easter Bunny

"where's an egg???  Come here little egg!!!"

I adore this picture!  I think she is looking more like Mark every single day!

Easter morning Bubble Bath compliments of the Easter Bunny

 Another Easter Disaster.......  I attempted to help Julia get lunch ready and her stove just quit working.  Ann took all the food back to Nana's to cook.  Rose went to Grandma Montagues for Easter.  Mark took the twins and the BOTTOM FELL OUT.  He was soaked.  In every Easter picture I have with him, his hair is wet and stuck down to his forehead.  And clearly, the girls were overjoyed with Easter pictures as well....

I GIVE UP.

THE DEVIL WORKS HARD ON SUNDAYS!

THE DEVIL WORKS EVEN HARDER ON EASTER SUNDAY!  

ROSE'S EASTER EGG HUNT AND CLASS PARTY

This year Rose's class Easter Egg Hunt and party was a total bust.  The weather was AWFUL.  It was pouring down rain.  The kids were all soaked.  The pre-school had a leak.  The moved the hunt to inside the Sanctuary (which was working out OK until somebody tracked muddy shoes upstairs on the carpet).  I snuck out of work for about 30 minutes to grab a few pictures.  Sadly, I missed the twins egg hunt.  I heard they had a blast and Mills and Maryn worked as a team.  Mills collected and Maryn ran behind with the basket.  I will have more pics to come of my hunt with them at our church the following day.  I think Rose had a great time all in all.  Anytime there are cupcakes, no school, and momma comes to class is a great day!

what kind of face is this???

Rose wore Maryn's Easter Dress to school that day....  Yes, Rose is wearing a 2T dress and that is the same size Maryn wears.......  only difference in the two is the length - and that is not by much!

EASTER EGG DYING

Basically I lost my sanity for about an hour!  MESS would be an understatement!  But the girls had a blast and we could check that off of our Easter Season "To-Do List"

GIVE KIDS A SMILE DAY MISSISSIPPI

Rose's class came to my office for a field trip and dental screening during Oral Health Month (February).  They had a great time ... and they had a million questions.....

"Miss Cassey how many times do elephants brush their teeth?"

"Hey, Hey, Hey Rose's Momma, do you pull everybody's teeth?"

"Mrs. Hard'in'sing?  do you tell people they have breath like monsters?"

... and my all time favorite ...

"Rose, what yo' momma does is nasty!"

THE PRINCESS BALL

A FATHER / DAUGHTER "DATE NIGHT"

Oh be still my heart.....  Talk about a gut-wrencher for this momma.  I let Rose curl her hair, wear make up, and she got to pick out her own dress for the extravaganza.  She looked like a teenager to me and my heart literally snapped into pieces inside my chest.  Time please stand still.  I have to say, props to our Church, the "Ball" was totally over-the-top and a complete success.  Flowers galore, amazing decorations, high school girls as waitresses dressed in prom dresses (a.k.a. - real princesses), and chicken strips with mac n' cheese for dinner.  I mean, come on....  why was I not invited???  Mark could totally tell that I was a little on the bummed side at reaching this milestone so here is a glimse into his desperate (yet total failure) of a conversation we had on our ride home:

Mark:  Don't be so sad.  They said that after Easter they are hosting a Mother/Son event so you can get to participate too.

Me:  Did you seriously just say that?

Mark:  Oh S***, Sorry.......

GETTIN' THE LAST HARDIN "BABY-FIX" ... AND IT'S A GIRL ...

It sounds so finite doesn't it???  The LAST ONE.  The caboose.  The End.  The start of a new era???  She may not have been mine but I felt just as much closure as Ramey.  Bittersweet as a mom (or an aunt).  Sad but exciting.  (wait, is this my baby or Ramey's?).  I dunno.  I cant remember my life the last 18 months so I really dont know.  I'm holding fast to the dream of our future:  the beach with no babies, the sleep-overs at Phyl and Grand-daddy's house (like a real sleepover not the ones where they are basically baby-sitting), road trips with no diapers and sippie cups (like the kind where we rent an RV), trading off weeks in the summer for VBS and camp and all that kinda stuff, like Kid-Cousin stuff yal???  The fun stuff. The juice.  The sole-purpose behind having cousins???  Bam, Bam, BAM - I. Cant. Wait.  Our Hardin Crew has just made the last turn and they are on the home-stretch.  

FREEDOM - HERE WE COME!!!!

Meet Miss Hollins

The "BABY" of the Hardin Family