Holy Week 2014

I have big plans for making the season surrounding Easter a bigger deal for our family. Christ's resurrection is a huge deal and I want all of kids to know it's importance and His amazing sacrifice and power.  I want HIs love to take over all of the superficial bunnies, eggs, and baskets that cover up the true meaning of our faith's most important day. 

We've done well in the past, making Holy Week special and each day focusing on what Christ actually did leading up to His death on the cross and Resurrection Sunday. But this year, I failed. I was not feeling up to it. We even cancelled our big Passover Feast. Everyday I would spend lying on the couch and having to take at least a three hour nap. 

Just potty training our Pelly Pie took most of my energy. (Why I decided to potty train her during Holy Week, I have no clue.) She did amazing! She didn't really get it the first couple of days even though she desperately wanted to go pee pee on the potty she couldn't figure it out. But after a couple of days she finally went on the potty chair and after that she was good. Lot's of ice tea and lemonade gave her lots of chances to try throughout the day. Kivi and Eben did wonderful helping me take her potty too. 

So, we did the first couple of days, we built temples on Monday, made up questions we would ask Jesus on Tuesday, washed each other's feet on Thursday and did our Holy Week devotions every day.

The kid's really wanted to have Passover, so I said we could have a mini family celebration if they did most of the work. I already had the grape juice and Peter got some matzah on the way home from work. Kivi made the matzah ball soup, Eben made latkahs and set the table and I made dinner as usual. Peter was a great sport and led the Sedar meal from his Dada chair since the kids made up the table on the floor. He read through the Hagada and did great involving the kids in the questions and readings together, pausing for the times when they all get up the wash their hands over and over and the multiple times we drink the juice. 

The kids' favorite part is hiding the Afikomen and this year Berg found it and was rewarded by Dada with two caramels. We used what we had on hand and pulled it off. The kids were grateful and had a fun time. I'm glad they look forward to Passover now as part of our family traditions.