This last weekend was a wild one. The weather completely threw me off my house-cleaning schedule, and we didn’t make it to the circus like we’d planned. But honestly… things took a much more interesting turn.
On Friday, I stopped at Hardware Hank to grab paint for the girls’ room, something I’ve been meaning to do all winter but kept putting off. While a very nice lady was mixing my paint, I decided to wander the store. And that’s when I heard it… tiny chirps.
I turned the corner and, boom, two metal tubs full of baby chicks and ducklings under warming lamps. Naturally, I got excited. I mean, here they all were, looking for a home… and what a coincidence, I just happened to be there to rescue them. Then I saw the sign: 20% off—last day.
I believe my exact words were, “My husband’s going to kill me.”
So anyway… Muffin and Marshmallow came home with me.
By the time I pulled into the driveway, just as the storm was starting to come down, Violet was already waiting in the garage. The second she heard the little chirps, she started jumping up and down. Chase came out, and before I could even attempt a defense, Violet shouted, “Mommy got baby chickens!!”
Well. That was it. I was done for.
“Just two!” I yelled, hoping the low number of birds might soften the situation.
Chase wasn’t thrilled… until he saw how happy the girls were, and realized I hadn’t brought home the entire flock (which, for the record, took incredible self-control). My official excuse? I forgot to make Easter baskets. Seemed reasonable at the time.
As the storm rolled in, I got started on painting while Chase and the girls supervised the chicks. Painting with two fully energized toddlers running in every five minutes, both aiming for bright pink and purple paint, was… an experience. I felt a little bad not letting them help, but I also wanted to keep the walls painted, not the floors, the dog, and each other.
Once the paint dried, Chase and I switched roles so he could work on the girls’ bunk beds. Honestly, assembling furniture solo felt like a vacation compared to toddler duty. Violet, our little helper, took her job of organizing tools very seriously and did a great job. At some point, I decided Chase deserved uninterrupted time to finish, so us girls headed downstairs to make cupcakes, arguably the messier but more delicious project.
On Easter, we went to my aunt and uncle’s house near Oakes, North Dakota. It was a smaller gathering this year, but I didn’t mind. Arlyne made an amazing meal, as always, and we kept up our family tradition with a toast using Mogen David wine. My grandpa Eli used to bring a giant jug of it to every holiday, and since he passed, we’ve continued the tradition, raising a glass to each family member who once sat at the table, honoring their memory.
After dinner, we played whist… and I still absolutely suck. At one point someone even said, “You know we’re granding, right?” which makes sense when you slough an ace. Oops my bad everybody!
Despite my questionable card skills, everyone had a great time. The girls ran around with their cousins, and Chase somehow ended up leading a full-on Nerf gun war in the living room for hours. When I asked how he was holding up, he just smiled and said, “Great, I get to be twelve years old again.” That alone made my day.
The holidays are still a little hard without Mom, but being surrounded by family helps. It reminds me she would’ve loved seeing all of us together, laughing, reminiscing, and listening to the joyful chaos of kids playing in the background.
Even with all the chaos, unexpected chicks, crazed projects, and questionable card-playing skills, it turned out to be one of those weekends I’ll always remember. Not because everything went as planned, but because it didn’t. Between the laughter, the family traditions, and the little moments that caught me off guard, it felt full in the best way. And if nothing else, I’ve learned two important things: storms make for the best memories… and I should probably avoid walking past baby animals that are on sale.
Happy Easter Everybody!
