Everyone familiar belongs to Janet. The mistakes are solely mine. Thanks again, ShellSueD, for the holiday mood-boost.

"Well, looky what you've got here, Olive Girl," Edna was saying to her great-granddaughter. "I ain't never seen nothin' like this before."

"When in Rome, quarantine as the Romans do," Steph told her. "GodTank asked Louis to dig out our Christmas tree for us so we could turn it into an Easter one. I'm proud to say, it's been a three-day project so far. It's hard to keep us both occupied, but this has been doing it. Thanks for agreeing to help us with it."

"It's kept you so busy mainly because you've had to redo what you and Olivia have just done every time Gunny and Mo come by, Babe."

"Yeah, I really didn't plan this all the way through. They didn't dismember our Christmas tree, so I thought they'd be okay with this one," she said, adjusting a rabbit's holder so it would be wrapped tighter around the branch.

Christmas ornaments are usually hard objects shaped like toys the dogs already have. I can truthfully say the ornaments my girls have made are completely unique and are definitely unlike anything the dogs or I have seen before. Even the ones Julie made in Miami for our tree that she was sure to ship up here in time for Easter, lean more towards interesting than recognizably-traditional.

That afternoon Edna, Stephanie, and Olivia, had mixed together what Edna promised would come out as salt dough that ornaments could be cut or shaped out of. And to our surprise, Frank helped Olive use cookie cutters that Ella had sent up to cut out shapes he'd promised he'd help her color once they were baked and cooled. Although this has been a stressful time to say the very least, basically having Grandma Mazur and Frank 'stuck with us' as Steph says, has brought Steph's side of the family closer into ours. I can imagine how this forced stay-away is affecting my mother-in-law, but the rest of our families have been faring remarkably well.

My father's been reading a lot and studying for when his classes resume. My mother has been trying her hand at painting. A sample of her work was shipped here from Newark and now resides in our entrance hall because she and I know how much Stephanie loves a beach view. Valerie has been trying to stay sane amidst daily home-schooling sessions and her own twist to the girls' curriculum with written essays on any and everything ... from spring flowers to takeout options. Last time Steph called, the Kloughns were busy making thank you cards for those who continue to work around the clock to keep us healthy, fed, and sane, despite the danger their jobs continue to put them in. My men were almost in tears when they received a round of those cards themselves.

Our household has tried to remain positive by embracing Spring and the idea of an abbreviated celebration. Having a toddler and two adolescent-aged beasts, stuck inside an apartment, means quiet time is limited and something always needs to be going on to burn up their respective energies. Thankfully, my wife gets as restless as they do, so she's been hitting the Easter projects and candy hard.

She told me that she can just concentrate on the parts that interest her the most, because my parents have the religious aspect of the holiday well in hand. They shipped Olive and Julie separate baskets that include a dove within a cross charm to add to Olivia's bracelet and a delicate rosary and cross bracelet for Julie. Although we're more spiritual than religious, neither Steph or I objected.

We pride ourselves on letting our kids experience as many things as they can, so when they're old enough ... they can make informed decisions on how they feel and choose to live accordingly. Steph, however, just kept the candy and the fun aspects of the holiday covered. She mistakenly combined the two one time and thought a dried-out Peep candy from the lot she'd ordered when this all began, fearing Olive would miss out on a monumental candy/play day, would make a great tree ornament.

Mo agreed and quickly snatched it off the branch as soon as Stephanie's back was turned, almost taking the tree completely down in the process. She'd cut her eyes to me after the fact.

"Do Not say 'I told you so'," she'd ordered me.

"Wasn't even thinking it," I'd replied, and immediately began securing the tree to the wall so it couldn't happen again.

"You were definitely thinking it, but thanks for not saying it."

She'd kissed me and went back to the ornament-drawing board. When the tree was decorated enough to suit her, she moved onto 'gifts'. For the Uncles and relatives that miss seeing our daughter everyday, last night - conveniently right before bathtime - Steph helped Olivia make thumb-print Easter bunny pictures that will be given or mailed out to our loved ones. I had to agree with her that it is a sweet momento to have to offset a really fucked-up time.

Having an empire to run remotely, has let me off the hook for the majority of their overzealous decorating. But my pre-designated job was to make holiday breakfast for the family on Easter morning. The special request was to recreate my father's pancake recipe except make the batter purple and pour it out into egg shapes if possible.

I did one better. I stood at the stove and made a few different Easter designs. I also scrambled eggs and baked some bacon 'ears' to create protein-based Easter bunny faces for the five of us. Apparently it's true, being home 24/7 can cause many levels of psychosis. Though if the result of that makes my wife and daughters smile, I can't complain.

"Good job, Daddy," Steph told me, halfway through our breakfast. "I think Olive taste-tested every bunny, egg, chick, and tulip you made in pancake form. Plus, gnawed off a cheek from her egg bunny."

"It's fortunate that you don't mind sharing, since she only took two bites out of some of her shapes," I noted.

"You know me, I'm all about cleaning up messes."

"You sure 'bout that?" Edna asked her granddaughter. "I remember having to bribe you with a few of my chocolate chip cookies to get you wash dishes."

Steph sighed. "Okay, so I'm only interested in cleaning when it involves food."

Edna moved her dentures around in her mouth for a moment before speaking again. "Those dishes had food on them, that's what got 'em dirty in the first place."

My wife rolled her eyes and they landed on Frank. "Help me out here, Dad."

She meant it as a joke, and as a way to change the subject, but to everyone's astonishment ... he stayed right on topic.

"I remember you were about seven at the time. You ran around collecting Valerie's dirty clothes and hurried to put them in the hamper where your mother required them to be, because your sister was late coming home from school that day and you didn't want her to get yelled at when your mother returned from the store and found out the chore hadn't been done."

Everyone except Olivia went silent. "Bumby," our daughter said, standing a pancake up on her plate using both hands.

That snapped my wife back from wherever she temporarily went. "Good girl, Olive. That is a bunny. Those flash cards are really paying off." She then looked back at her father. "Are you sure I did that? That doesn't sound like me."

"Going out of your way to protect someone sounds exactly like something you'd do, Babe."

"Thank you," she said, with a smile meant only for me.

"It was you," Frank added. "I remember it like it was yesterday. You didn't even correct your mother when she got home fifteen minutes after Valerie, and she thanked your sister for doing what she'd asked. I'm sorry I didn't correct her, either."

His eyes went to his plate, but Steph didn't let them stay there. "I know it's hard to believe, Dad, but I know why you didn't correct her ... likely why you couldn't. We can get into all that when we have someone more skilled than we are at walking through minefields to get us safely to the other side. Until then, let's just relax and enjoy our Easter Sunday."

"It's a different one, that's for sure," Edna said, glancing around the kitchen.

As a decoration, craft project, and lesson in horticulture, weeks back Stephanie had planted grass seed in what looks like a shallow trough to act as a table runner for the middle of the table. And also to be a place to 'hide' plastic Easter eggs that Olivia could find, touch, and play with today.

The cabbage Steph had gutted to use as a vase and filled with the flowers Ella had Louis plant in front of our building when she'd learned Stephanie was pregnant with Olivia, was even more 'unique'. Definitely not something Helen would have allowed on her Easter table. I wouldn't ever wish for a global health crisis, but my mother-in-law being left isolating all alone while my wife gets unlimited quality time with her grandmother and father, hasn't had a down side yet.

"Different are our days now, but through this I've finally learned that different really isn't bad," Steph said. "We may not have spent Easter together if there were other options. Though it would've been great to have Julie, Val, and the girls here too, but we're not gonna dwell on that. We have an Easter egg hunt to get to after someone is ready to change out of her 'Snuggle Bunny' pjs."

Our daughter knew she was being discussed, because she pointed a syrup-sticky finger to the embroidered rabbit on her footed-pajamas, so her grandfather would know exactly what her Mama was talking about.

"Are you really a bunny?" Frank asked Olivia.

She smiled and shook her head dramatically at the question. "Nooos bumpy," she got out before dissolving into laughter because she fully believed he didn't know that she's a little girl, not a rabbit.

"She's you all over again, Stephanie," Edna said.

"Uh-oh ... that means we're really in for it."

I nodded. "We are. Our journey is going to be interesting, but one we'll never forget or regret."

She toasted me with her almost-empty mug of coffee and then Mo and Gunny were allowed to handle what they clearly believed were meager leftovers while I got my daughter dressed. And then we reinvented our earlier treasure hunt, using more plastic Easter eggs and homemade cards with various colored eggs on them.

This time, Olivia wanted her Mama's help locating the appropriate color egg, not letting Steph's hand go in case that caused them to miss one. Julie joined in partway through, via phone, and offered suggestions on where in the apartment to look next. This is an unexpected Easter, but Stephanie has made it a special one regardless.

The outdoor portion of her plans showed that even more, not only thinking about not short-changing Olivia, but wanting to include the men who live and work only floors away but can't fully participate in her life like they were able to only weeks ago.

"Are you ready to go outside and see what your Uncles have planned for you?"

"Go Ank and Unga Obby dere?"

"I'm sure GodTank and Uncle Bobby will be front and center," I promised her, already being briefed on what would be happening downstairs.

"And you know what?" Stephanie asked our baby.

"Butt?"

"That's close to the right word, Olive-Pie. Your Uncles are going to help redecorate your room in their own unique way. Wanna see how?"

She nodded so forcefully, the tip of her nose almost came into contact with the Easter Bunny on her sweater.

"A sweet Ella-bird told me that it's all set up. Dad, Grandma, you can come downstairs with us if you'd like to get a little fresh air."

They were less excited about taking the elevator straight down to the garage and out to the small backyard behind the building, than Gunny and Mo are. But no one, except maybe Olivia can top their excitement regarding anything. Thanks to Ella's direction and Louis and the mens' setting-up abilities, there is a line of easel-style stands each holding 12x12 sized canvases.

Olivia took that in and then she squealed and ecstatically crouched down under the weight of her happiness at seeing an uncle or two in every window that faces the backyard. She even cupped her cheeks in her hands as if trying to keep her smile from hurting her face with the force it appeared.

"You want to blow them kisses with me, Olive?" Steph asked, which quickly got our daughter upright again.

I was worried that her palm would be chapped after all the kisses she sent them.

"Let the games begin!" Bobby called out.

And all the windows opened at the same time.

"Assume the position," Tank commanded.

"Come on, Olive," Steph said, quickly scooping her up, "we need to be out of the line of fire. Gunny, Mo, come sit. This is going to be fun to watch, but we don't want to end up being one of the canvases."

"On the count of three," Tank barked out.

"Can you count us to three, Olive-Pit?" Santos called out of his window.

"We can do that. Right, Olive? Just do what Daddy does. Ready?"

My daughter's eyes shot to me. "One," I said, holding up my index finger.

I waited for her to do the same. "Won," she stated, with her finger held high.

"Two," I continued and waited for her "Du" and second finger before moving onto the final "Three".

As soon as she shouted "Fee", about twenty Uncle-arms drew back. Instead of pulling pins and throwing grenades, they kept fingertips over the holes in the emptied eggs that were then filled with paint, and all released them. The eggs crashed against whatever canvas the men had aimed at and the 'shell casings' separated to create bursts of random colors against the once white panels.

Olive clapped her hands and kept glancing at me and then her Mama to make sure we didn't miss what had just happened in front of us.

"That was pretty cool, wasn't it?" Steph asked her.

Another nod.

"Looks like they're equipped to fire another round," I told them.

"Does Rangeman by any chance own a chicken farm?" My wife asked me.

"That's not in our wheelhouse, but if there weren't enough leftover egg shells to accomplish what you'd hoped to do, Ella would have made them herself out of newspaper and glue. This is important to everyone involved."

"That's because Ella's the best, after you. Look, Olive, your Uncles are waiting for you to count to three all over again. Think you and Daddy can do that one more time?"

She did ... and another round of rapid egg-fire was released. In less than ten minutes, the people our daughter loves the most after her mother and I, created an artistic show of the lengths they'll go just to be there to make her smile, for her to have and to hold onto forever if she so chose to.