Easter Memories

Today one of the assistants said, "Hey, counselor. Come out on the playground with me. I need to talk to you..." Yes, I am now this "kid's" counselor. Which is a complement, I suppose, but some of the things she wants advice on are very personal, and I told her we should not be discussing it within earshot of the kiddos. So, hey, the counseled can be counselor at times.

This is a photo of the Easter Bunny I grew up with, only mine was probably pink. Easter was always a big deal in our home. My mom and I ALWAYS had an Easter outfit, usually homesewn by her. We always went to church. There is nothing like an Easter church service; they are beautiful. Do you know that is the day when churches are the most attended? One year, I think I was 5 or 6. I got the chickenpox, and I felt awful. We skipped church, but my mom got me out of bed and dressed me up in my new Easter outfit, took me outside, stuck an Easter basket in my hand, and told me to smile for the camera. There I was with gross chickenpox on my face, feeling like total shit, and she wants me to pose. I never liked picking up the eggs because the dye always got on my hands. My mom would run around behind me carrying a paper towel (you can see this in every year's photos), so that I would not wipe my hands on my dress.

My kids grew up with a fun Easter tradition provided to me by my friend V. Every year they went on an Easter treasure hunt, which consisted of about ten index cards. Each card was hidden, telling them where the next clue was. The last clue led to a prize, which was usually a book, CD, or DVD that they wanted. When she was pre-reading, I would draw a picture of the washing machine or TV or whatever for my youngest, and she would go there. The older they got, the harder it was. I wrote rhymes and riddles for the clues; they got harder every year. One year I forgot to do it, and had about ten minutes to write and hide about 20 clues (they each got their own) before they woke up. Sometimes they would have to go outside or call their grandparents or aunts out of town for the next clue. If you have kids, you need to do this activity. My kids are older, and this is the first year they will not have a treasure hunt, and even last year they wanted to do one, so I know they will miss it. I thought about writing clues and giving them to my ex, but they have re-arranged the house, and I'm not sure I could do it. I don't know, I might. I never gave candy in our Easter baskets, so this was kind of my way of making up for that. We did have chocolate eggs out on the table, though. I can't live without those small, chocolate eggs. My least favorite Easter candy -- peeps. Ugh, there should be a law against peeps!