Easter

In a strange way, this year was Tennyson’s first real Easter. He just missed Easter 2010 because he had decided he wasn’t going to come out of mom’s belly. And we spent Easter 2011 in an airport, not really what I’d consider a celebration.
So it was kind of fun this year doing a first Easter with a 2 year old. I don’t think many people get to do that. It was fun learning what Mike’s traditions were, and teaching him some of mine.
This year Tennyson was old enough to color his own eggs. A tradition in my family. I didn’t know until this year that Mike apparently has no recollection of ever coloring on Easter eggs. I also didn’t know until Mike told me this that not everyone colors on Easter eggs… I just thought that’s what everyone did. The things you learn.

very focused on the task at hand.

tennyson's finished products.

the fun mike and i had.

 
On Easter Eve, before putting Tennyson to bed, Mike introduced one of his family traditions. It’s a book called “The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes” and it’s all about a bunny who becomes one of the best Easter bunnies. It’s gloriously dated, since it was written in the 1940s and it teaches kids all about how “only a country rabbit would go and have all those babies” and also that rich kids and poor kids are delivered different eggs. But it also teaches values like being wise and kind, so I guess those can be overlooked.

On Easter morning, we had to wake Tennyson up since he was so excited for the Easter bunny to come that he decided to get up and play from about 11-1 the night before.
Then we did the worst thing ever imaginable. We disrupted his morning routine. Instead of giving him a vitamin and waffles, we gave him an Easter basket.

Clearly not okay. Until he learned there was a waffle cooking in the toaster and that there was chocolate in the eggs. Life was okay again.

Then we got dressed up for church. He looked so dapper. I looked the same as I do every week because I only actually have one maternity skirt and only one shirt that both matches the skirt and still fits around my belly. Mike wore a fabulously vintage-y awful tie. He calls it his Easter tie, and I let it slide for one day of the year.

how could you not love this face?

After church, Tennyson went down for a long nap. We used the peace and quiet to enjoy our Easter meal, since we knew Tennyson would much prefer mac and cheese over anything we could make. Mike made us a great meal of ham, green beans, and funeral potatoes. Then we ate some of Tennyson’s Easter candy, because he’d never know it didn’t make it into his basket.
When Tennyson woke up, it was time for the official Easter egg hunt. We’ve been doing them every day for a while now… but this one was “official.” He found and then re-found and then re-found the eggs for the entire afternoon.
We learned pretty quickly that Tennyson has an aversion to orange eggs. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with them. He would tantrum if we even tried to sneak one back into his basket. Weird kid.

It was a fantastic day. I love that Tennyson is at an age now that we can do holidays and celebrations and he is able to participate in them. It is magical to see a holiday through a child’s eyes. And this Easter was pretty magical.