More Holy Week activities

**Updated**

Tuesday -- this is in no way original, but we colored eggs.  I debated back and forth about this activity, but am really glad I chose to do it.  Coloring eggs usually sort of falls in line with celebrating the "American" version of Easter, and not actually anything very holy, but I decided it's time we redeem this this activity!  And since we love to eat boiled eggs (Susie starting asking for a taste from the time I pulled them out of the fridge), I thought it would be a yummy healthy thing for us to eat all week.

In future years, I plan to talk about the colors having meaning and so forth, but for Susie being so small, I left it at asking her who made the eggies (she answered correctly -- God did), and talking about how the yellow was like the sun all big and bright (which is from her Baby-Hug-a-Bible) and just keeping her from sucking on the colored eggs and spilling it all over the kitchen.  I also intended on getting some stickers to decorate the eggs, and I may still do this later this week.  One big craft project in an evening is plenty for a toddler who is not yet two!

Wednesday -- tonight I was going to make our Easter mountain and take Susie swimming, but all our plans got derailed.  Josh made plans with a friend, I ended up babysitting, and the pool was closed.  SO, we did not have any big projects or fun outings, but I did turn on an Easter song for Susie and her friend Charis to dance to: "Christ Has Risen" by the Gettys (from their CD "Songs Jesus Said").  I had planned to teach them  "Easter Friday" from Emu music, which I had great expressions and motions for, but when I opened the CD case, the CD was gone!  Talk about things not going according to plan. :)  The girls enjoyed the Getty's song, though, and we danced to it over and over.  For dinner I cut out cross shapes into our garlic bread, and let Charis and Susie snack on the cut outs while they waited for supper. Before bed, I read Susie this book, which is a good simple story of the passion week (from the triumphal entry all the way to Christ meeting his disciples in the upper room after his resurrection).

Thursday -- I made an "Easter Mountain" out of a simple recipe for homemade playdough this morning and Susie and I decorated it this afternoon.  The idea for this comes from Noel Piper's book Treasuring God in Our Traditions.  You can use the setting all week to act out what Jesus does during the Passion week, but I thought it was most important to have it done by Thursday.  We left Jesus out in the garden to pray (I made the garden out of free Easter grass from CVS and rocks and flowers we found outside).  On Friday, we will put Jesus on the cross, and then in the tomb in the mountain.  On Saturday, we check and see that he is still there and then on Sunday, we put him on top of the mountain, victorious over death!

Adding grass around the mountain (it bakes for 4 hours first)

Coloring the picture of Jesus I copied from her book

Our Easter mountain centerpiece

I am really simplifying the explanation and description of these events for Susie, but am encouraged to see as a whole her vocabulary pick up terms we've been talking about all week.  She recognizes a cross, and of course, Jesus.  She has picked up on how Jesus' friends were "sad" when he died -- though she of course does not understand that. I think if I were home with her more than I am, we'd be able to retell and refresh the lessons and books over and over, but I know there are still many years to come!