Hip-Hop Bunny in the House

Bud started Easter day a little earlier than we expected, waking up at 6 a.m..  Luckily, we managed to convince him to stay in bed until closer to 7.  Lucky, mainly because he and Sis, who was drowsy but awake, didn't seem to immediately remember that it was Bunny Day.  After lolling in bed a bit more ourselves, we finally got the kiddos, who then were fully in the Easter moment and ready to find eggs.  They barely waited upstairs as we brushed our teeth, slowly inching down so that they could spot plastic eggs in various hiding places.

"The Easter Bunny really came!"

Yep, she sure did (our Easter Bunny is a girl, a la The Country Bunny and the Golden Shoes.).   

In addition to the plastic eggs in the house, they peeked onto the porch and noticed that the baskets were filled!  We  all donned coats--it was probably just right above freezing and very blustery--and went to the enclosed porch, where the bunny had eaten some of the carrots we'd  left and taken our dyed eggs.  And of course, filled the baskets with goodies.

Bud immediately gathered up all the edibles--chocolate bunny, peeps, and marshmallows (I know, who needs peeps and marshmallows?  But now, here on Monday morning, I'm here to say they are all gone!!!!).  Sis on the other hand put her fingertips of both hands to her little mouth and squealed, "oh my!"  She liked the Pet Shop animals that Gommie had sent "via the Easter Bunny."  Bud was too busy fighting the tape on his marshmallow egg to notice the drumsticks Gommie had sent; he played with them later in the day . . . when the cany was all gone.  

It was only then that the kiddos noticed that there were plastic eggs all over the porch, some of them in the shapes of various dinosaurs.  Sis particularly liked finding the dino eggs while Bud realized the other eggs held little toys, mainly plastic dinosaurs and other animals.

 

We all got cold and so moved back inside where more dino and toy-filled eggs beckoned.  However, halfway through their search, which had been zealous at first, the kiddos merely stopped to play with what they had found.  I think perhaps our bunny had been overzealous herself in the number of eggs needed.  Interest resumed, later.  And soon their were plastic dinos, little bunnies, and egg halves all over the floor.

Breakfast was some oatmeal and a lot of candy, followed by getting dressed for the outside "real" egg hunt, with the dyed eggs we'd left the bunny.  It was blustery and bitter outside, which rushed along the hunt while diminishing some enthusiasm.  Sis would only pick up the "real" hard-boiled, dyed eggs, so Bud picked up all the plastic eggs she wouldn't and the real ones he found.  It's not that they didn't have fun, just that it was less comfortable than ideal.  Neighbors got a kick out of it, with at least one stopping in her car to say that kids were the best part of Easter.  True.  Followed closely by chocolate bunnies.

There was more candy at church, in eggs hidden all over the grounds.  However, the egg hunt was after service, which Sis and Bud sat (mostly) patiently through.  See, they had new-to-them  stuffed dinos.  Our church is preparing for a tag sale and Mama had spotted a stuffed dino in the mix.  I popped my head in and asked the woman in charge if I could put our name on it.  She offered it to me flat out, saying there were three altogether.  Five dollars later, we have new Triceratops, Braciosaurus, and T-Rex critters (I only botched the distribution, handing them all to Bud because Sis had moved on.  Sis came back and wanted the Triceratops, her favorite dino.  We're still have ownership issues).  Bud helped the dinos dance to the various hymns and they both dragged their new booty up to the front for the message for all ages (during which Bud shouted out "candy" when asked what he thought of when he thought of Easter; Sis said bunnies.  Of course.).

The egg hunt followed, with bunny-decorated egg cartons so each child knew to find only 12 eggs (so there were enough for all).  And despite there being eggs everywhere, the kids were fastidious in their choice of colors--Sis was trying to gather all the pinks ones.  Soon we had our fill and retired to fellowship to check out the loot.  Sis developed a technique of cracking the egg over her paper bag so as not to spill any, quite an economy of motion.  Bud broke them out over the floor and ate them almost as soon as he opened them.  They played with that candy--Skittles, M&Ms, Twix, SweetTarts, Smarties, Milky Ways--the rest of the day, using Gommie's spring-like paper plates and napkins to make candy shops.  We shared cupcakes, pimiento cheese sandwiches, and carrot cake with everyone.  And then soon went home for more leftovers.

The rest of the day found us playing with our Playdoh Easter set and more tinker toys (which Bud made into a mic stand so his trio/duo of dinos could sing a song), taking a rest (while I read The Joy Luck Club, our Hungry Book Club April selection) and surprisingly not recreating any egg hunts with all the plastic eggs.  

I guess they were just done with eggs.  Which is why they were asleep by 6:30 . . . and then slept in today!!

A pretty good Easter, altogether!