Easter 2011

I  LOVE traditions!  When I say LOVE, I mean obsess about, plan, prepare, re-plan and so on.  I even spend time "reflecting" after we celebrate to see what we can do to make the next tradition even better.  So this year, I did all the regular stuff for Easter and added something. We of course know the real reason for Easter and we try to encourage our kids to focus on that by trying to not have too much "bunnyness" going on.  We don't dye eggs (more for the messiness factor, but I am now going to state it is on principle), or get our pictures made with the Easter Bunny (because Andrew would run screaming from the mall as he did during the great Santa Clause Debacle of 2009, but again, I am going to say it is principle).  Our Easter baskets contain the kids favorite healthy snacks instead of candy (for my benefit so I don;t have to peel them off the ceiling on Easter night at bedtime, but you guessed it, I'm calling it principle).  Annabelle has been asking a lot of questions... I swear this kid won't be believing in the tooth fairy by the time she looses her first tooth!  Why does the Easter Bunny come at night?  Why does he bring treats?  How can he be at "Olivia's Mall" and "Our Mall" at the same time?  Is the Easter Bunny a boy or a girl?  Does she (Annabelle chooses to think it's a girl) have sharp teeth?  Does she wear clothes?  Is she real or just a person dressed up as the Easter Bunny?  So instead of just blowing the whole scam, I answered her questions and added one more, "It's not about the Easter Bunny" piece to our Easter celebration.  A letter from Miss E.B. herself!

The kids FREAKED when they saw this!  They obviously forgot Santa leaves  us an eerily similar letter every Christmas!

EB also left a basket full of goodies for Daddy since he tends to steal from his children.  Sad, Really.
We had Nutri-Grain bars, fruit leather, fruit snacks, jelly beans and Swedish Fish Eggs (two exceptions to our "candy free" Easter).  Later at the Easter Egg hunt at Aunt Brenda's, they got Teddy Grahams and Goldfish.

Benjamin's Easter basket had a book, pookie and "my first Easter" outfit.

Andrew's basket also had a few trains

Annabelle got Tangled- which we have been watching non stop since Sunday morning.  Good thing it's a cute movie!

Daddy's Easter basket had some new shorts and Magic Shell...It doesn't take much!

Here are the Robin Egg trails from Annabelle's room, Andrew's room and our room (since Benjamin is still bunking with us)

Andrew lovin his Easter surprises!

"Mom, are you seriously taking a picture of me with Crazy Hair?"  EWWW!!!

Benjamin enjoying Easter too...  Like the Mickey next to him?  Choking hazard I know, but Andrew cannot stand for Benjamin to be alone in his cribs during nap time.   I promptly remove this toy every day when he's not looking!

My two oldest cuties ready for church.  Andrew really is more excited about his hat than he is letting on!

My baby cutie!  Check out his loafers!

Happy Easter!
Love,
Team Sanborn