learning about the passover

This evening (a day late, I know...) we celebrated Passover with our family. (Well, some extended family and an alien among us, if you want to get technical.) It was our first attempt at a full Seder, with much reading and the four cups and all. It was an adventure having Israel and Eden along for our first attempt. I think in future years, we will be able to re-write some to make it more easily-understood by preschoolers. And, even though my paired-down version was still long, the meal was a success, I'd say. If you're interested in learning about it and have about an hour, you can check out http://www.cresourcei.org/haggadah.html for a step-by-step on how to conduct the Christian Seder.

Highlights of our evening included:
- the kids finding the moldy bread I hid around the dining room. (It's supposed to just be "leavened bread," but I figured the gross factor would help the kids understand how we are to obey God and get rid of all things that are displeasing to Him.) Turns out, Eden found it early and someone caught her munching on it before dinner. EW!
- Eden exclaiming her love of her "special drink" (a.k.a. full-strength grape juice): "It's good! I like coffee, Mommy!"
- Israel's first response to eating the parsley dipped in salt water. The shutter missed it, but it was photo-worthy.
- having three generations at the table.
- Grandma Terry reading the story of the first Passover over dinner.
- sending the kids to go look for Elijah and Eden screaming, over and over: "I found him! I found him!" (I guess she anticipated the point that we aren't waiting for him anymore, but that He and the Messiah have both come. Smart girl.)
- Israel preferring the vegetables to the lamb.
- Israel finding the afikomen (the broken bread representing Christ and His redemption that is found at the end of the meal) and proudly holding it up.
- following a tradition that is millenia old, that was originally commanded to be taught to children. I'm not sure what was learned this go-around, but it was a joy to be together and go through this process.

Here are a few pictures we will remember the evening by.

those in our house


Pat's mom reading the story of the first Passover


Israel bravely trying the salt-water parsley a second time


yup. That herb is still bitter!


the lamb that spilled its blood


Israel proudly displaying the afikomen....


...before getting a little crazy while Pat was finishing up the reading.