To Basket Or Not To Basket

Thanks to a post-ham hangover, I never got around to sharing our Easter shenanigans.  But as I looked back at photos to share with you, I realized that there weren't many shenanigans after all, and I'm more than okay with that.

I think.

It's no secret that Pinterest and Facebook have created an atmosphere of "one upping" for moms, and there are as many blog posts on the subject as there are marshmallow peeps in the sea.  For the past six years, I'd managed to avoid the pressure, but this year social networking made me feel that Easter should be an all or nothing affair.  But which?

 

 After I filled plastic eggs with the nostalgic "retro" candies I bought because they reminded me of the terrible quality chocolates I ate as a child, I begrudgingly headed out into the backyard at 11pm to hide them around the playset, in the grass, and in all of the nooks and crannies I could see with my iPhone's flashlights just so my boys could knock over and stomp on each other run wildly from egg to egg, giggling and munching their way to childhood obesity.

 

It made me think that the parents who downgrade Easter to a gift-free/candy-free holiday and focus instead on the religious intention probably have it right.  IN my own defense, we spent a significant amount of time making sure the boys valued the miracle of Jesus' death and resurrection, but somehow the wires got crossed. 

 

 

"So if Easter is about Jesus, why is there an Easter bunny?"

 

"The Easter bunny is more of a 'spring' thing, Graham.  He is just for fun."

 

"No, Graham, the Easter bunny was Jesus' pet.  Now he gives out candy and stuff because Jesus can't."

 

Don't get Cael started about the tooth fairy.

Just as I was resigned to making Easter 2016 a family and religious experience only, a more reasonable comment from Cael gave me pause.

"Mom, if our baskets were from the Easter bunny, how come my friends "Wealthy" and "Lucky" got a PS4, a Jeep ride-on toy, tickets to a movie, $40 in quarters, a trip to Disney World, a full-ride to the college of their choice and a full sleeve tattoo?  I basically just got a book and a yo-yo.  Wasn't I good enough?"

 

 

 

He was good enough.  But unfortunately for Cael, he was born to a teacher and a stay-at-home mom.  I don't know what Wealthy and Lucky's parents do (don't worry, those aren't their real names) but I'd hazard a guess that they could afford to pay someone to hide their plastic eggs rather than sneaking around in the dark and nearly decapitating a squirrel with a foil-wrapped chocolate.

I don't ever want my kids to feel left out or second-best.  So it was decided--  the answer was to save up money to make Easter nearly as big a production as Christmas.

 

"Mom, next year in my Easter basket, I want a tank with a baby shark in it.  And a big hunting knife!"

 

"Ooh, Mom, me too!  Plus I want all of your money."

 

 

Scratch that.  They get what they get.  It's how Jesus' pet would have wanted it.