Easter Time!

We started working on Easter around the first of April. Depending on when Easter falls each year, we have to watch the calendar so we don't run out of time due to the local Songkran holiday. It's a big one, and our students are usually traveling. So this year we started on the Easter story before Songkran and finished up with our party when the students returned. The kids knew at the beginning of the month when Easter Sunday was, and they wanted to come back to class on a Wednesday because they knew what to expect.

This year was a bit more difficult to teach because Nua's family wasn't with us. Even though they surprised us one night with a visit, it just wasn't the same without her. She was our all things holiday lover! She still remembered the story and seemed very sad she wasn't going to get to come back for Easter. I think she also knew that with school starting soon they weren't going to be traveling very much. Plus they sold their house. :(

We started with Easter story cards, and we usually finish up with a big Easter Jeopardy game. This year we tried an easier version which was still too difficult, but they'll do better next year. The parents understood the story; I'm thankful that they stay and are involved with the class. This group of parents is unlike any other parents we've ever had. They want to help and be involved.

 

The parents fixed us up with some duck eggs. They're great for dyeing! We've used regular brown eggs before, but Adam found us a good deal on duck eggs a few years ago. We've been using them ever since. It's not so bad to pay a little more since there's no waste with hard boiled eggs.

On Thursday it was time to get ready for the party. Whew! This was the first time we've done a party without extra hands to help. I've started a list on how to improve for the next one; I think we can do better!

I'm not the master egg hider. The kids had no idea what to expect. They were pretty easy! I think we found about four later, but we'll probably have to wait a year to get an official final report. Hiding things in the dry season is harder since our yard doesn't look like a jungle!

We got the outside table decorated. I broke my new from America via China Easter tabletop decoration as I was coming out the door; the kids found the broken pieces outside and wanted to count those as "found" eggs. Not happening! One year a students took all of the eggs from the washcloth bunnies, and we didn't even notice. :) Pretty sneaky!

We learned about lamb cakes and butter lambs this year, and I really like the symbolism! Mine doesn't look like a traditional one, but the kids knew it was a lamb! I finished it off with the red ribbon symbolizing Jesus's blood and the Alleluia flag meaning Praise the Lord/Peace on Earth. He also has the black eyes signifying the light of the world.

We also had resurrection rolls which we had to rename to Thursday night in the grave rolls. The store was out of my usual cheap marshmallows, and this new brand didn't disappear! They tasted good, but the picture wasn't completely correct. :) Well it was after we changed it...a body wrapped in spices.

It was almost dark by the time the kids got to hunt eggs. We were waiting for some students who were studying art somewhere else. 

I think they found all of the resurrection eggs as well. So Rusty got to go through the story one last time with the kids figuring out what each item represented. My homemade version is a mix of lots of different suggestions from the internet.

As we were finishing up and the kids were enjoying playing, a transformer blew just down the road from us. Some parents were wondering if they should leave, and I suggested playing. I was thinking the kids would enjoy a good hide and seek in the dark game, but everyone started leaving soon after that. Rusty and I spent some time in the air-conditioned truck; I got caught up on some reading, and Rusty may or may not have snored a bit. It took just over 2.5 hours for them to get it fixed, and it was hot outside! I guess we're getting the early rains which make the electricity very unpredictable. For the past seven days, we've had blackouts or flickering every day.