Easter Traditions | Writing My Life

Yesterday I wrote about the Easter egg and welfare bunnie party I held for my local grandchildren, and this morning I realized I didn’t include the culminating activity, the raison d’etre – THE EASTER EGG HUNT! Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of this event – although I tried. My little point and shoot CoolPix Nikon couldn’t point or shoot fast enough to keep up with the mayhem. So here is a recap and 3 pictures that I cut, pasted, or cropped from the first post.

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GRANDKIDS GONE WILD!

After transforming store-bought eggs into works of art and paper sacks into interesting BunnieBags, the BIG cousins – Taylor and Spencer – hid candy-filled plastic eggs and dollar-store toys throughout the basement family room. I helped the LITTLE cousins – Connor and Mia – hide similar items around the upstairs rooms while TINY cousin Evie oversaw the entire operation. (Utah’s typical stormy spring weather forced the hunt inside.)

When all was well-hidden, cousins switched floors and the HUNT WAS ON! Big and little ones excitedly searched for and swapped the treasures. (Spencer to Taylor – “This princess egg HAS to be yours! I’ll keep this SpongeBob egg.”) And they willingly shared their bounty with those who didn’t find as many goodies – without being asked! They made sure tiny cousins, the sleeping Carter and the hovering Evie, got their share as well. SO CUTE!

When all was safely gathered in, the hunter/gatherers sampled their finds; disemboweled eggs and candy wrappers littered the everywheres! The dollar toys hung together, but little ones lost the little white balls that came with the cone-shaped ejectors (not sure of the technical name.) CHAOS REIGNED. Eventually, the action waned, and so this tuckered gramma and my helpful daughter-in-law Kara started cleaning up, but grandchildren can always find a way to keep a party going. While dividing up the beautiful boiled eggs, they decided they wanted to eat some!

I love deviled eggs, but I’m not a great fan of fresh-from-the-shell, boiled eggs. I was sure the kidlets would take a bite or two and then dump the rest in the trash. NOT SO! After cracking, peeling, and scattering eggshells throughout the landscape like so many flakes of dandruff, they gobbled up those blah eggs! EXCEPT for Connor Bear. He really got into the peeling part until he realized there was just white, kinda slimy stuff inside – WHAT? NO CHOCOLATE!!! With a disgusted and disappointed look on his face, he handed over the offending food. Yechhhhhh!

I have to add here that Connor and Mia were not happy with just DYING their eggs. Those two miniature Picassos meticulously PAINTED theirs.

Mia's EGG.stravagant Egg!

Connor's EGG.citing Creation

Mia chose to add a layer of teal paint over her blue-dyed egg. Connor wanted a white canvas on which to create a swirling purple design.

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The SpringFling was a BLAST!!! and lucky GrammaNae gets to head WEST in a couple of weeks to enjoy FUN and GAMES with the SanJoseSalisburys!!!!

Today I introduced several of my grandchildren to WELFARE BUNNIES. Back in the day when their daddies were younger and lived under my roof, I started a mini-tradition that still shows up on occasion.

(I suggest you double-click on the above photo to capture an “up-close and personal” peek at these critters!)

Because my 4 sons were outgrowing Easter baskets, the BUNNY brought them either clothes or games or movies, all arranged neatly throughout the livingroom. Those items cost a bit more than chocolate rabbits, Peeps, and Buns, so I put Easter Bunny (E.B.) on notice: “Do NOT bring lots ‘o chocolate and charge it to my credit card!”

To ensure that Mr. LongEars stayed under budget, I created little bunny bags made out of paper sacks, thus limiting the amount of malted eggs, jelly beans, and those Peeps and Buns.

As years passed by, non-edible gifts were often eliminated because of the high cost of high school or little league baseball, college tuition, missions, etc. Nevertheless, the bag bunnies still showed up on Easter morning.

Somewhere along the bunny trail, our third son Joe referred to the paper-sack creations as “welfare bunnies” because their appearance coincided with tough economic times for our family. I cracked up because that was NOT the reason for their creation. I just thought the boys were too old for those green, blue, and yellow woven Easter baskets.

Through the years, I continued to make paper-sack bunnies for my sons – even sent them to the mission field, designed with Mormon missionary nametags – and my daughters-in-law received one or two as well. A few times, I designed some for the grandchildren, but TODAY I decided to teach Taylor, Spencer, Mia, and Connor how to MAKE the infamous WelFareBunnies.

But first we had to DYE the EGGs!

Four – or was it 5? – CRRRacked eggs later ~ The FINISHED products!

Another fine photo by Miss Taylor!

The WelFareBunnies AND their Creators!!!

Evie, Spencer, Mia, Connor, & Taylor

Wondering why there are 6 bunnies and 5 kidlets? Carter was counting sheep while his brothers, sister, and cousins partied! Thanks, Spencer for making a bunny for him; and thank you, Taylor for creating one for Evie! We missed you, little man!

ONTO THE HUNT!