Easter

Easter is around the corner and along with it comes yet another dilemma. To Easter bunny or to not Easter bunny? Do we remove the magic and mystery from childhood? Do we shower the kids with gifts and candy leaving out the true reason for the holiday which is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ?

Right now I am choosing not to choose. This Saturday we will head out to the base and eat a free breakfast where the Easter bunny may or may not show up to amuse the kids (last year he was MIA). We will then collect lame eggs stuffed full of pretzels (some of the parents complained last year that too much candy was given out, never mind that the instant the pretzel hits the mouth saliva turns the simple carbs into sugars) which Evan can't eat due to his sodium restricted diet. After all the fun we are planning on crashing the better planed easter celebration of the local town (where we actually do not live so technically we are crashing the party but our town is not having any sort of celebration that I know of) so that the kids can get their faces painted (and you all know how much they love body art) and play kid themed games.


On Easter Sunday we will attend church. We will celebrate the true meaning of the holiday leaving out all the pagan symbolism. No easter baskets or toys will be given on this day. We will consume a traditional ham dinner (which as a Jew, Jesus, would have been forbidden to eat. Lamb is hard to find in this area so we go with what we can get). The kids will be wearing cute new duds. I think that by separating the differing elements of the holiday we will manage to have the best of both worlds.


Here is a picture from Evan's first Easter. Obviously he was still in the hospital but was soon to be released. I was holding him and talking with my dad (who had come out during his spring break to keep me company in the hospital and meet his first grand child) and my husband. I was not facing the door so I did not see the giant creepy rabbit sneaking up behind me. I see a flash of white out of the corner of my eye and am quite startled. Luckily I did not drop Evan or anything due to my fright. I quickly calmed down when I saw that it was just the friendly neighborhood Easter bunny dressed in a very gaudy vest and bow tie ensemble. How he got into the hospital with out wearing pants I will never know.

When I was a child he "forgot" to come to our house once so, he had to come back to it after we had arrived home from church. The real reason was that my parents had not wanted to get up early to hide the eggs. I remember my father telling me not to peek outside but I still did. I was quite disappointed that I did not see the Easter bunny. Lucky for my parents I did not see them hiding eggs either, they would have been busted big time. I do remember not being all that shocked when my dad told me the truth about Santa, the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy so I must have suspected something.