Easter 2012

It seems as though we've started a family tradition of coloring Easter Eggs the night before Easter. And while the actual egg coloring doesn't last or take long  – I think daddy finds this event a bit stressful. Eggs are being tossed into dye cups, dropped/cracked, little hands are dipping into dye cups… you name it - it's happening. I sort of find it entertaining watching Dan get a little frazzled amidst all the chaos, especially since I am typically the more anal parent and he tends to be more carefree.
It’s even funnier to think that the actual egg coloring probably takes 15 minutes to complete. I swear... it takes me longer to boil and prep the eggs.

The kids love coloring the eggs for Easter. Gabby has always done a really great job. She listens to direction so well and is patient and gentle enough to let the eggs soak up the color and not break them when putting them in or getting them out. Rocco had his best year yet. He dropped his eggs into the dye very gently and had a lot more patience compared to previous years. I think he only started experimenting with his fingers and dying other items towards the end. Giuliana was our wild card this year... grabbing eggs whenever she could, tossing them into dye cups making the dye splash out, she'd reach in and grab eggs out of the dye with her bare hands. Dan hovered over her the entire time.

Earlier that night while we were eating dinner, we spotted 4-6 bunnies in the yard. The timing could not have been more perfect! We went on to explain that the Easter bunny had sent his scouts to look for good egg-hiding places. The kids got SO excited and were jumping and screaming, which obviously scared off the bunnies. But, soon they came hopping back within view . The best part about the bunnies showing up on Easter Eve was this was only the second time we've spotted bunnies in the yard so far in 2012. And, if I remember correctly from last year… by mid-May, our forest will become infested with bunnies and baby bunnies. The kids thought it was a bunny bonanza!
On Easter morning, the kids woke up to finding their Easter baskets sitting in their bedroom doorways. Rocco came running in our room, yelling “The Easter bunny was here! The Easter bunny was here! And, he brought me better toys than the Gree.n Lantern superhero!” Dan and I literally woke up to that and it was hilarious. 

The Easter bunny left candy-filled eggs throughout the house and the kids had a lot of fun searching for them. Giuliana really got into it… and even more so into eating the candy! She must have had a pile of chocolates before breakfast.

 We invited friends over for a big egg hunt in the yard and Easter dinner. The kids all had a great time hunting for eggs throughout the yard. Giuliana had so much fun with it and quickly developed a talent for finding and yelling “EGG!” each time she spotted another. Rocco got bummed out at one point, before he knew there were more to search for in the backyard. He seemed to follow Gabby around and eventually realized he might do better if he ventured in his own direction to hunt for eggs. Gabby of course had no trouble finding eggs and definitely led the race on foot and collected a lot of loot.

The weather could not have been more perfect. It may have hit 70 degrees. The sun was shining bright all day with not a cloud in the sky. It made for a beautiful day and a nice way to reflect on Easter, new life and renewal.