Easter Weekend USA-Style

Easter is one of those times I wish I was in England where everyone gets a 4-day weekend, but instead Craig and I took Friday off with the intent of getting a load of gardening done without the kids throwing rocks in the AC unit, digging holes in my flower beds and setting off at full tilt for the road. We were so excited about the day. Kid-free gardening!

Murphy's law however had other plans and our babysitter had a terrible time with a back problem so we had the kids anyway. Craig got stuck into the gardening so I met up with another mum from Jack's elementary school and her two boys and we went to a local science museum instead with the four boys. Every other parent had the same idea and while it was nice to be with our friends I'd rather shove needles in my eyes than experience the same crowded nightmare. It took us an hour to get in and then Danny just will not listen to me and runs off.

The kids had a good time though and we really like this other family so it wasn't a complete flop. I just don't enjoy crowded places. Jack and his school friend also got to see their teacher which was honestly one of my kid's greatest moments. He was over the moon about it.

Friday afternoon we made Easter baskets and just pottered in the garden and at the park.

Saturday morning we took the boys to our local park for an egg hunt. Craig and Jack tootled off to the 5 and older pasture and I took Danny to his little bit of field and we waited for the count-down. He seemed okay and then the loud speaker boomed "Here we go kids! 5-4-3-2-1 - GO!" and Danny burst out crying and yelled I don't want to do it! It was like 2011 all over again. I got hold of his hand and told him it was okay and we walked out slowly to the field together and there was a hundred kids and parents in front of us, like a tide, sweeping up brightly coloured plastic eggs and putting them in their baskets. By the time we got to the end of the field, Danny had zero eggs and was fed-up.

We met up with Craig and Jack, who shared a couple of eggs with Danny, then a little boy of about 3 with a basket full of eggs came up and gave Danny an egg too. It was such a sweet thing for him to do that I got a bit choked-up and thanked his mum with a squeaky voice. What a nice kid.
Craig told me that the over-5's field was crazy, with parents also in the scrummage, racing along grabbing eggs. Parents should be banned from doing crap like that shouldn't they.

Saturday afternoon we painted eggs for the first time in my 43 year life. That fact has stunned many an American friend this weekend who have said things like "well what do you do at Easter in England then?" Well, we eat big chocolate eggs filled with sweets and we have fun with the family and we have 4 days off work and it is probably as much of a treat for the adults as it is for the kids. Some people go to church too of course, as they do here, but seeing as I'm not a church-goer that is never on my radar. So anyway, we dyed and decorated hard-boiled eggs but we didn't eat them. We peeled them, cut them in half, hid them around the garden and did an egg hunt for the dogs. It was great!.

Cody won the egg hunt by a mile. Ben got a bit freaked out by all the cheering.

This morning we did an egg hunt around the house and the eggs contained clues for presents that were also hidden. It sounds a bit complicated but the kids had a great time. Jack was so excited he was shaking trying to open his eggs and when Danny found his Dora the Explorer toothbrush he jumped up and down screeching "Dora!" and clapping his hands. It was great to see them both so happy and so convinced the Easter Bunny came by the house last night with the presents.

The other big hit was the Squinkies we got them. They are little plastic figurines that worst case scenario will choke Danny and best case scenario will get lost. But the kids have played with them all day long. Danny also got Play Doh and by this afternoon he had mixed all the colours together, filled it with rocks, bugs and dirt and tried to squish it into the AC unit.

This afternoon we did a few hours of hard-core gardening then took the boys (dogs included) for ice cream and then on a ramble down a local creek with the dogs. They got soaking wet as usual but loved it. Now Craig and I are absolutely knackered out and we are back to work tomorrow (no Bank Holiday - booo!). My body is aching from the gardening and my poor fingers are cracked and nearly bleeding. A friend bought me some of those gloves you wear in bed so that you can re-hydrate your hands but last time I tried them I felt like a magician and well, gloves just don't feel right in bed do they.