Easter 2026 and Q1 Goals

It’s sunny and temperatures are in the 80s this week!

celebrating

We were at home for the Triduum and Easter Sunday. Fulton got an infusion Tuesday of Holy Week, and had some side effects which meant he and I stayed home from the Holy Thursday Mass while Tony, Teddy and Edie attended. Thankfully, Edie and I got to attend the Good Friday service, and we all got to attend stations that night. Byron joined us late on Good Friday. Since we knew we’d be traveling early Easter Monday, we all attended the Easter vigil service on Saturday, which in the Extraordinary Form is like, 10x longer than even the longest Novus Ordo Easter vigil. Thankfully, our church starts the vigil at 6 p.m. There was a reception afterwards so it was still late by the time we got home, filled the Easter baskets and crawled in bed. I also forgot to take a family picture. Usually we snap a photo outside right after Mass, but since it was dark, and everyone was focused on the treats in the hall, we totally missed the photo opportunity. affiliate links below

It was nice to not rush around preparing Easter food before heading to Mass the next morning, but I honestly prefer the Easter Sunday Mass over the vigil Mass. So, I did miss going, despite the relaxed feel of the day. I consoled myself by putting my Easter playlist on repeat. For breakfast we had Italian Columba cake and bacon and sausage from the local butcher. We ate dinner at 1 p.m. and my friend joined us as she’s done for several years now. Edie’s boyfriend couldn’t make it for dinner, but he did snag some leftovers when he came over that night.

our menu:

• Lamb with brandy gravy – the best lamb and gravy in recent memory!
• Mashed potatoes
• Roasted artichokes
• Homemade ravioli
• Crescent rolls
• Fruit salad
• Cannoli
• Molded cheesecake – Russian Paskha inspired

We knew we’d be traveling, so we tried to not make too much since everything would need to get immediately tossed in the freezer.

It was the first rainy Easter in awhile, but that didn’t deter anyone from participating in the egg hunt. We also decorated eggs. It was a laid back day that still left plenty of time for packing. Addie and her fiancé were not with us this year. They were taking charge of Easter dinner for his family in Cleveland, but I did get to talk to her on Easter Monday.

We did an early Easter celebration with my parents the Saturday before Palm Sunday. And then Easter Monday, we drove to Virginia to spend the week with Tony’s parents. The weather, while sunny, was pretty cold, so not ideal for some of our favorite outdoor activities. But there were lots of card games, movies, and another unsuccessful fishing trip.

All the travels should tip you off that since my last post, we did get our van fixed. Thankfully, it only needed one sensor replaced, and it happened to be one the shop had in stock, which is rare.

reviewing

As we ended Q1, I reviewed my New Year’s resolutions and updated my personal curriculum for Q2. Overall, I was pretty pleased with what I accomplished. The big thing I noticed pretty quickly into the new year, was that I didn’t really need to work on building my focus. I actually don’t have trouble focusing when I have blocks of undisturbed time, but as I tend to forget, I simply don’t get blocks of undisturbed time while I am home all day with Fulton and Teddy (when we’re homeschooling and on break). Last year, when I didn’t have any big projects or plans and just focused on homeschooling and housework, I forgot this, and felt pretty relaxed during the day. But this year, with ambitious goals in place for myself, I was quickly reminded how I simply do not get to sit and do anything for more than a few minutes at a time for most of the day and that makes it very hard for me to focus on reading or writing or studying anything in depth. It’s why I decided to get up extra early before anyone is awake to study German. Tony and I allow a lot more screen time in the evening than we used to because it’s the one thing Fulton and Teddy can do for themselves, whether it’s use a tablet, or play a game on the Xbox or watch a movie. So, I do try to be intentional and spend my evenings working on things when they’re occupied, though I’m usually tired. Early mornings are my peak time which is why it’s when I focus on learning a foreign language. I’m not complaining; it’s just how it is and while the boys are much more independent than they used to be, and we have systems in place that make some aspects of caregiving much easier, they just often need help and its impossible for me to maintain focus on anything while needing to break my train of thought every 10 to 15 minutes to do something for them. This is a phase all mother’s pass through when their children are little and demand lots of time and attention, however it is not a phase for me. It simply is how things are. I do not have the option of “waiting until my kids are older” to pursue my own interests. Admittedly, I do get frustrated more quickly. Sometimes I think it’d be easier to not have big goals (outside homeschooling and housekeeping). But I have accepted that I am a big idea person and need something else as a creative outlet aside from the domestic sphere. So by reviewing my goals I was reminded that I am making steady progress (yay!) and any delays are not due to my problems focusing or time management or whatever; it’s because there’s genuinely a lot on my plate. And I have found Google Classroom a great way to track and make notes on what I’m doing.

reading

• The Hunger Code: Resetting Your Body’s Fat Thermostat in the Age of Ultra-Processed Food
• Hidden Valley Road; Inside the Mind of an American Family

That’s all for now. I know the rest of the school year is going to fly by and Addie’s wedding will be here before I know it! I think i’ve got every weekend between now and then planned. I hope the weather is warming up where you are!