On Easter

Also the very important Easter wrestling tradition.

I really love Easter. The faith connotations are significant and I'm not overlooking that, but it's not the focus of my love. I love Easter dresses. And baskets and bunnies and egg hunts and coloring eggs and SPRING!

When I was a kid, I appreciated all of these things, but as a mom I find that I appreciate it so much more (as with many things). I love watching my kids enjoy Easter. They are kind of ridiculous about it in fact. On Friday, I meant to share Five Easter Traditions, but since I took an accidental blogcation and didn't even turn on the computer on Friday, I thought I'd do a late Five Things, but more informally, too. I'm not sure what would make the Five Things less formal - perhaps a fez.

So - go! Five Things on Monday - Easter Traditions and What They Looked Like This Year

The lady at the store asked the Easter Bunny if he was
buying for a boy and a girl. 

1. Easter Baskets, Or Not Really - The Easter Bunny didn't bring me baskets. He brought flower pots and popcorn bowls and once, an upturned umbrella. That was a good one. In any case, there was grass and candy and goodies, but never in a basket. Now he does the same for my kids. This year, he brought tote bags. Cute ones that are just the right size for the kids and are much more useful than another badly colored mess of reed.

2. Not What You Want - You know how kids ask Santa for what they want and then Santa stresses and worries and tries to pull it together because that's just who he is? The Easter Bunny does not do that. The Easter Bunny brings you what he brings you and you like it. You don't complain or wonder why he couldn't bring what you realllllly want. You don't write letters or sit on his lap. (I know some people sit on his lap and if you ever, EVER tell my kids this is even possible, I'll kill you myself.) I love the freedom of the Easter Bunny. The irony is that the Easter Bunny usually does a pretty darn good job. And gets very little credit. I bet he's a parent. Last year, Brynna's basket was all cooking supplies. This year, her theme kinda fell apart. She got a DS game and a fashion design notebook and a couple of little toys, including jacks. I love jacks. Maren got a movie and a couple of toys and a coloring books. All Maren wanted was the eggs, though. She was so freakin' eggcited over the eggs.

Ah, messy chocolate smile.

3. Candy - It seems that in my family, the Easter Bunny brings you the candy your mommy likes best. I always got Hershey's kisses and my kids get Reese's Eggs. And no one complains, because their mouth is stuffed with chocolate. But also because it's better than freakin' candy canes.

4. Dresses - My grandmother doesn't believe in going to church on Easter. Because that's when everyone goes, duh. She's not a nonconformist, she just hates people. I can't remember if I went without her when I was little or if I just got an Easter dress and then wore it the week after. In any case, I always had the whole nine yards: hat, dress, lacey socks, white shoes, gloves. I loved that outfit more than anything else in my wardrobe most years. This year, we fell down a bit on the accessories. But only because the dresses were divine. Maren (who hates fluffy things because they get in her way) spent the whole day telling everyone how beautiful she looked - and was totally right. Even Brynna let me fix her hair, with a pony tail holder and everything. I relish this, because I figure I've only got so much longer left of it. Soon and very soon she will be too cool for Cinderella dresses and ivory mary janes. It'll probably be sooner for Maren in all fairness. She is only going to tolerate this for so long.

5. Dinner - We don't actually have an Easter dinner tradition. Well, we have a Sunday dinner at Mi Casita, our local authentic Mexican heaven tradition. We are there literally every Sunday. Including Easter. They close like twice a year and it's pretty much traumatic for everyone. Even the guys who claim to not like it.

We also color eggs (an outside only event) and haven't been able to do it yet this year because of the torrential, unending crazypants rain we've been having. I'll regret complaining about this when our annual July drought hits. We go to a hunt or two and we eat lots of candy. If anyone is getting a Bible, they tend to get it on Easter (Brynna got one this year) and The Husband and I don't wear jeans to church. Like we usually do. What are your Easter traditions? Do you go all out? Do you wear a hat? (I envy anyone in a hat.) Do you have a big ham dinner? Or rabbit stew? Do you eat your weight in Peeps?