Happy Easter

Christmas 2008 was wonderful now that Matthew was part of the family. Michael was very happy to have a baby brother. Over the next few months, Matthew continued to grow and by the end of March, he was holding his head up.

"Look, Mommy! Matthew can hold his head up now!" Michael called one day.

Sam came in. "You're right! He can! His neck is stronger now."

"That's great!" Michael agreed.

Juggling two kids wasn't as hard as Sam and Austin had thought it would be. Michael was always willing to help, which certainly made it easier. He was eager to get a bottle or a diaper or whatever Matthew needed. Since he was almost five now, he thought he was big enough to help take care of Matthew.

April 9, 2009

"Hi, Michael!" Sam called when she picked him up from school. It was the Thursday before Easter, and a half-day at school for Michael.

"Hi, Mommy! Hi, Matthew!" Sam always brought Matthew in when she picked Michael up from school.

"Did anything happen at school today?" Sam asked.

"I told you, we got a bunny on Monday."

"Yes, I remember. Does he have a name?"

"Peter."

"That's cute for a bunny," said Sam. "Like Peter Rabbit."

"Yeah, I guess," said Michael. "The boys wanted him to be named Hoptimus Prime, but the girls said no."

"That's...interesting," said Sam.

"Can I get a real bunny for Easter?" Michael asked.

"No," Sam said immediately.

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because a bunny is very hard to take care of."

"So is Matthew," Michael pointed out, looking at his brother in the car seat.

"It doesn't matter, Michael. You're not getting a real bunny for Easter, and that's final. Okay?"

"Okay," Michael finally relented.

Later that day, after Austin had come home from work, Michael complained to him.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Michael?" asked Austin.

"I asked Mommy if I could get a real bunny for Easter."

"What did she say?"

"She said there's no way I'm getting one."

"Michael, if Mommy said no, then you need to accept that," said Austin.

"What if I ask Grandpa?" Michael suggested.

"Michael, Grandpa would say the same thing," said Austin.

"No, he wouldn't."

"Yes, he would."

"No, he wouldn't."

"Yes, he would."

Sam walked in, carrying Matthew and laughing. "You're very mature, Austin, arguing with a four-year-old!"

"Hey, I'm almost five," Michael declared.

Easter Sunday

"Happy Easter, Michael," Sam said as she walked into his room.

"Happy Easter," said Michael.

"Daddy and Matthew are already downstairs," Sam added. "Let's go see them."

"Okay."

"Let's go see what's in your Easter basket."

"Yes!"

Michael quickly found his Easter basket and found an Easter storybook, a few plastic eggs filled with candy and a stuffed rabbit.

"I know you were disappointed that you couldn't get a real bunny, but look. The Easter Bunny got you a toy one, the next best thing."

I guess you're right," agreed Michael. "I like that. What's in Matthew's Easter basket?"

"A baby T-shirt, a teddy bear and some teething rings for when he gets his teeth. Do you think that's good for him?"

"Yeah. That's enough for him. He's just a baby." Michael opened one of the plastic eggs in his basket.

"Whoa, Michael!" said Austin. "You can't have candy in the morning. You know that."

"I was just going to give a jelly bean to Matthew."

"Matthew can't have candy, either," said Austin. "He doesn't have any teeth to chew it with. Plus, he could choke on it."

"Okay," said Michael.

"Let's eat so we can get dressed and go to church," said Sam.

"Yeah, let's go!" said Michael excitedly.

Soon, they were all dressed and ready to head for church. After that, they would spend the rest of the day at home as a family and have a nice lunch. It was a very happy Easter indeed.