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So the Easter Bunny (in other words, me) suddenly realized that my tween won’t officially turn into a teen until after Easter. This raises an Easter basket dilemma.
You see, although he no longer believes in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, or the Easter Bunny, his nine-year
photo credit: Kimberliah.com
old sister does. And so, we have still go through the charade with him, until she finally figures it all out as well.
A while ago she had asked me, in front of him, at what age Santa stops bringing gifts. He immediately, quite cleverly announced that you are considered a kid until you officially become a teen, that is, thirteen years old. Then he grinned at me as if challenging me to correct him. The little brat had me there. He obviously didn’t mind getting extra presents in exchange for not telling his sister there was no Santa!
Filling his stocking last time was quite a challenge too, since the kid does not like candy. (Although, it has crossed my mind that this too may be a clever ploy to get extra gifts.) After a couple of hours of wandering through the store trying to find something age-appropriate that would fit in the stocking, I finally caved in and bought an iTunes card. Yes, that’s right. Fifteen dollars to fill his stocking! It actually crossed my mind to see if they had any leftover briquettes in the store, that I could pass off an lumps of coal!
Since his birthday is after Easter, I realized that I had to go through this expensive charade one last time. At our covert pre-holiday
Photo credit: kittywumpus.net
meeting, where I tried to convince him how much he loved Skittles, he gleefully suggested that there was one remaining set of Bakugan toys that he had never collected and that given that he still wasn’t a teen yet, it wasn’t too late. Once again, he knows he’s got me.
At the store, I quickly filled my shopping cart with nice, cheap girlie things: stickers, bracelets, stamping sets, lip gloss. Then I trudged to the back of the store and spent 20 minutes scouring the toy section until I had located the right set of Bakugan’s – twenty four dollars worth, I might add!
I swear, on his birthday he’s going to get two cards: one birthday will be a birthday card from the family. The other is going to be a large, musical good-bye card from the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and Santa, thanking him for being such a loyal customer!
armed with their plastic grocery store bags (I am gonna have to really dig in my storage bins to find their actual baskets.)
The sun was shining, everyone was thrilled to be outside without a jacket, and there were activities galore. At 2:00pm, the eggs were laid out and ready for little hands to do the grabbing.
I walked with my six and four-year-olds (soon to each be one year older) to the perimeter of the hunt, letting them know I’d be watching and would be there waiting at the end of the hunt. (My nine-year-old was at the hunt for “big kids” and knew we’d meet up afterwards.
Whispering in my six-year-old son’s ear, “Please don’t take too many eggs, and be careful not to be too rough around the little kids,” I smiled feeling that he was armed with the moral high-ground knowledge any young egg-hunter needs in his tool belt.
When the ribbon was removed and the word “GO!” was heard, I noticed an interesting site: even though these kids were ages four to six, many of the parents were hunting right along with them, feverishly ensuring that their child received their just-due of goody-filled pastel-plastic eggs.
This surprised me, because although I had also held their hands and walked alongside them as toddlers, this year I just didn’t feel the need to, especially after reading a story like the one on NPR.org where Colorado parents jumped the rope at their Easter egg hunt, ultimately cancelling this annual event.
Call it “helicopter,” “millenial” or just plain “annoying,” these parents are doing their children a disservice. After all, we won’t be there for every competition, and that’s essentially what an Easter egg “hunt” is.
Can we ask them to share with other children, should their basket be overflowing while others have little? Absolutely, and we hope that our advice comes to fruition.
The truth is, other kids will get more than they do sometimes, and sometimes they will be the ones holding the prize. As adults, we see others with bigger homes, nicer cars, and more money in the bank. It doesn’t mean that their lives are any better than ours. It’s a fact that we all live with. No matter how fortunate we are (and I believe I’m among the very fortunate) there are tons of people I know that have more than I do, if we’re strictly counting possessions.
This is what we call life, and as my parents always taught me, life isn’t fair.
Enjoy Easter with family and friends.
Easter is that fun, colorful time of year when everyone celebrates the rebirth of nature, the coming of Spring, and getting closer to summer vacation! Most schools are on Spring break the week before or after Easter, and that makes it an especially busy time for Richmondmoms and Grandmoms.
What does Easter really mean to you?
Lots of families enjoy spending time coloring eggs and placing them gently into white wicker Easter baskets filled with green, yellow and pink grass. Simple, elaborate, colorful and sparkling eggs adorn baskets, bowls, and tables. Many of these multi-colored treasures are found hanging on trees or intertwined in welcoming door wreaths. Speckled eggs adorn purses, earrings, shoes, and hats.
And some decorative eggs are actually heavenly, chocolatey treasures filled with ooey gooey sweetness and decorative icing.
But for many people, Easter is more than colored eggs, decorated trees, wicker baskets, marshmallow bunnies, chocolate treats, and new shoes.
I asked my 8-year old granddaughter why we have Easter, and she responded, “It’s when Jesus fixed it so we can live forever and see everybody in heaven.”
For many people, Easter is an extremely religious holiday that reminds Christians around the world about the crucifixion and the beginning of eternal life for believers. It’s a time when people celebrate life and remember that every day is a gift and life is precious.
As you approach Easter weekend, think about what it means to you and your family, and remember the real meaning of the Easter holiday.
Focus on what is important in your life and consider spending your holiday weekend with family in a way that creates life-long memories and teaches children the significance of Easter celebrations. Spend some time on your Easter Sunday giving thanks for all that you have, and asking for help for all of those who need it most. Remember our friends in Japan, the victims still recovering in Haiti, and those suffering in war-torn countries. Give thanks for your freedom, children, and the beauty of nature.
Then, enjoy spending time with children in a way that takes advantage of being outdoors, active and having fun.
Make this Easter weekend a time of remembrance and celebration.
For me this year, Easter Sunday is just one week before our youngest daughter’s wedding and we give special thanks for her and her new family. There is lots of excitement in our house as we approach this special event. We will definitely create new memories and celebrate much with our daughter and her fiance, our older daughter and son-in-law, and our grandchildren as we enjoy family time together
What better way to celebrate Spring, rebirth and new life than by preparing for a special union of two people in love!
Let us know what Easter means to you by leaving a comment below. And enjoy all that the season has to offer.
Let's get real - the Easter bunny?
Even though there are more colder days of weather in store for us in the coming weeks, we can’t help but anticipate spring and summer. This past week’s warmer days have given us a taste of what’s to come and we can’t wait!
Before we know it, Easter will be here and we’ll all enjoy the true beginnings of Spring.
As I thought about Easter and what it’s all about today, I remembered so many of the holiday traditions that surround us. Coloring and hiding eggs, filling baskets with plastic grass and chocolate candy, and gathering with family to feast on way too much food. And then the idea of the “Easter bunny” caught my attention.
Now, let’s get real.
The Easter bunny scares me.
How can anyone believe that there is a bunny who hops around with baskets filled with lots of chocolates for children around the world. Santa is one thing — but the Easter bunny? How in the world did such a tradition catch hold in our society?
Easter is a religious remembrance no matter how you look at it. Yet, we have bunnies frolicking through the grass and entertaining children. We even take our kids and grandkids to visit the Easter bunny at the mall — a giant rabbit — how frightening!
We introduce our children to this tradition at a young age and we all enjoy the fun that comes with preparing for Easter and yes — that often means visiting the Easter bunny. I shared stories of the giant bunny with my children and I still do it with my grandchildren.
But the absurdity of an enormous rabbit hopping around the globe filling Easter baskets with candy is about as far-fetched as it gets. And yet, we promote it.
Life is full of absurdities that help us enjoy life. Whether they’re traditions celebrated by the world, or ones we create within our own families, traditions are a way to keep ideas and activities alive across the generations. Many are real and others are make-believe. I love them all too — even the Easter bunny.
But I also remember that the Easter holiday is a time to reflect on more than colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, and marshmallow peeps. It’s a time to reflect on life, living and the beauty that surrounds us. It’s a time to remember that we are all here for a purpose and that purpose is to love and do good for others in some way — every day. It’s a time to celebrate life and to be thankful for all we have.
I will definitely take time to celebrate life and new beginnings this Easter as we prepare for my youngest daughter’s wedding on April 30. I will reflect on all the blessings of my life and remember that new beginnings are a gift.
And I’ll also gather the grandchildren to color the eggs as I carefully place the pink and yellow plastic grass in their Easter baskets — as we anticipate a visit from the Easter bunny.