Easter Monday

This year, the grandkids couldn't be here on Easter Sunday, so we had Easter Monday instead. As it turns out, that was not necessarily bad.

For one thing, it meant that I could storm the doors of Walgreens early Monday morning and get Easter goodies for all the kids and grandkids at half price. As you probably know by now, there is nothing Googie likes better than (1) chocolate and (2) a good deal.

Also, with the serious responsibilities of the holiday past, we used our annual Easter ham as the centerpiece for a Monday night family dinner celebrating the April birthdays of both my daughter and my daughter-in-law.

With no particular planning (which generally doesn't work anyway), the three oldest kids and I broke out a leftover egg coloring kit and dyed a dozen (er, make that eleven--accidents happen) hard-boiled eggs, It was the first time Sooby, Pooh, and Bootsie had ever colored eggs, and the mild weather enabled us to use the indoor deck for this most colorful of science experiments (and our spirited discussion on the difference between the words die and dye). Here is our result--and you owe us, Menards, for the free advertising:

You will be glad to know that, during the ensuing week, these eggs found good homes in, from left to right, chef's salads, tuna salad, and breakfast options.

With little Heero (who turned 17 months old on the day before Easter) joining in on the fun, we had for the first time a total of six grandkids scouring the back yard during our annual egg hunt. This year, because Zoomie is allergic to milk products, I filled the plastic eggs with gummy fruit snacks, Teddy Grahams, mini-Oreos, and other snacks without dairy ingredients. Does this crew look ready to hit the hunt, or what?

 
Left to right, you see Pooh, 6;  Heero, 17 months;  Bootsie, 4 1/2;  Beenie, 3;  Sooby, 7 1/2;  and Zoomie, 2 1/2. It is pure coincidence that Sooby chose the only basket made of fabric, that it happened to fit her head perfectly, and that the colors matched her dress. You can't plan things like this.

Everyone was gone by Tuesday afternoon, so this was one of our whirlwind celebrations. But it was perfect in every other way and, while it lasted, as sweet as any half-price chocolate bunny could ever aspire to be. We hope you also enjoyed a blessed Easter and look forward, as we do, to the promises of spring and summer.

The Chocolate Bunny

I’ve tied the final ribbon ‘round

the baskets bound with cheer.

Tomorrow will be Easter, and

the grandkids will be here.

The baskets shine with cellophane;.

the kids will think they’re great.

They’ll all be so excited—

even I can hardly wait!

As I admire my labor,

I am thinking, “Wonder if

I might untie a ribbon and

inhale one little whiff?”

Those chocolate bunnies smell so sweet,

and surely I could pick

just one of them and have myself

a tiny little lick.

Well, that awoke my taste buds,

and now it’s only right

to go ahead just this one time

and take a little bite.

I don’t know what got into me—

I meant to only nibble,

but now one basket’s all awry

with bunny left a cripple!

It seems as though I've now regressed—

I’m in my childhood years,

when I could not resist the taste

of  hollow bunny ears,

and here’s a candy flower in

the bunny’s little hand.

Oops, where’d it go? I think I know,

and, oh, it tasted grand!

I need to find a perfect spot

where evidence can hide.

I’ll rearrange the basket, get

it straightened and retied,

and hope the littlest kid won’t miss 

the bunny this one lacks

(for now I have to think of how

to cover up my tracks).

I'm feeling some remorse, it's true--
there's not much left of bunny.
I hope the kid will not suspect 
or think that something's funny
when all the others "ooh" and "aah" 
with smiles all wide and bright
because their chocolate bunny's whole--
while he gets just one bite.

I’ll claim that it’s a chocolate kiss

old Mr. Hershey cooks

for any special kids that aren’t

obsessed by how it looks.

From that time on, I’ll try my best

to curb my chocolate habits,

especially when temptations taunt

me shaped like Easter rabbits!