Easter Schmeaster

When I was a kid, Easter was all about the praying. It would have started way back on Lent when you were to give up something you loved like cartoons on Saturday mornings. Remember when cartoons were only on Saturday mornings? Then last Sunday we would have gone to church and gotten a palm leaf folded into a cross signifying Jesus' triumphant return to Jerusalem.

Then we would have been in church on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. Whew. Mum would have made huge West Indian style meals like solfish and bakes, curried ham, red beans and rice, black eyed peas or (gag) souse. Oh, and if we were good, we'd get a Cherry Blossom at the end of it all. The Easter bunny didn't come to our place.
Is it any wonder I was at a loss as to what to do with my own kids? We actually skipped it the first few years due to utter lack of desire and interest. That included church. I'm so over church it's not funny. No prizes for guessing why.

Three years ago my first cat brought home a baby rabbit she'd kindly turned inside out for us as a gift on Easter morning. The kids were beside themselves. How's that for an omen? Two years ago Scott and I thought we were being clever and hid plastic Easter eggs full of M&Ms chocolate all over the house but Elliott was even cleverer and found them all while the house was still sleeping and wrecked Easter at the Kayes for the second year running.

Last year actually worked out great. We hid the baskets exceedingly well and took grainy photos of the area where they were lurking. The kids had a ball searching and helping each other, too. There was also very little candy and more outside toys like shovels and bubble stuff so they wouldn't go into diabetic comas by the end of the day. Result! Finally a successful Easter.
I feel sorry for my parents who missed out on seeing the joy on our faces once we'd found our hidden booty. I guess they were looking in our faces to see the reflected joy of knowing Jesus had risen but it's just not the same as a chocolatey smile and a sticky hug is it?

kxx