And Thank God for that, because my Easter morning on the home front did not start out so beautiful. LOL! Having children that have large age gaps between them seems to be more and more of a challenge the last couple of years. #1 Son is 14 years old, Daughter is 12 years old, #2 Son is 8 years old, and #3 Son is 5 years old. I truly like the age spread, but I think once #1 Son and Daughter started hitting puberty, the part of their brain that had memory dating back to when they were 8 and 5 or younger - seems to be gone! "I NEVER said that when I was their age!" and "I NEVER did that when I was their age" comes out of the two older kids mouths almost DAILY. They act as if I birthed them each at 10 years old. (Wouldn't that have been great! No awake nursings during the night, no diapers, no potty training, no temper tantrums, and so much more. All the things I could have missed! LOL!!!) Maybe its the aliens that are taking my two older children's brains during the night. Who knows, but whatever it is, I'd like to have back the younger model for these two older kids.
The Easter Bunny still lives in our home...even when the two older ones no longer believe in him (or I should say HER, since I am the one that stays up until 1:30 a.m. filling the eggs and making the baskets look all pretty.) Well, this Easter Bunny was REALLY tired last night after attending the Easter Vigil (which I LOVED, but I got home around 11:00 p.m.!) It actually happened...I messed up the Easter Bunny act! After 14 years of playing this part, I just knew it was eventually going to happen. I filled the eggs, as I always do. But rather then going outside (with a flashlight) and hiding the eggs for the big Easter Egg Hunt the kids do in the morning when the weather is nice (or if it's not, I hide them around the house), I just put them in the baskets! What was I thinking at 1;30 in the morning???? Honestly, I was thinking about "am I almost done with these eggs, so I can go to sleep - for 5 hours, if that!
Well, after the kids were done ooohhhing and aaahhhing their wooden religious crosses with a bible verse - child specific, religious books, markers, pens, notepads, Peeps Marshmallow treats, and christian music CD's - the two little boys went to the window to look out back. I did it! I CRUSHED their spirit - "WHERE ARE THE EGGS, MOM?" "WHY DIDN'T THE EASTER BUNNY HIDE EGGS FOR US?" Forget about the cool stuff in the baskets, it was all about there being NO EASTER EGG HUNT!!!! Then the really fun part started...the older two putting in their two cents about why there wasn't going to be an Easter Egg Hunt for them. And how not every year they should expect one. (What the hell??? The two older ones have had one every year since they were toddlers and were still participating in it last Easter!!! Again, I ask, WHO TOOK MY TWO OLDER KIDS BRAINS!!!)
As the two younger boys are CRYING and YELLING at the two older kids, this was my cue to call my parents!!! "We need your help! Please help me save the Easter Bunny's image for the two younger boys! If we bring over some eggs with stuff for you to put in them, will you hide them in your backyard? Since we are coming over later today, I will tell the kids, that perhaps the Easter Bunny knew that and decided to hide his eggs there. Sound good? Can you help me, PLEASE!!!!!"
God love the innocence STILL of my two younger boys, because I told them "the story" and they believed it and said, "Mom, we hope Pop doesn't find them, and he eats them before we get there, since he REALLY likes candy!"
So I guess, I will still remain playing the role of the Easter Bunny for another season. And I really hope for several more. After all, the youngest is still only 5! He deserves to have an Easter Bunny, and a Santa Claus and a Tooth Fairy and whatever else he believes in now, for as LONG as he wants!
As for the two older kids, I continue to remind them, "If you act like you don't believe, then you won't receive." Perhaps, I need to actually enforce that statement next year. Oh, wait. I can't do that, because then I will have to explain why Santa and the Easter Bunny only give presents, gifts and eggs to children under 10. And wouldn't that just be a FASCINATING conversation with the two younger boys...NOT!!!!
Happy Easter! :-)
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