Double Dipping

I try not to be the mom who thinks too much on when my boys were smaller... but dyeing eggs is one of those yearly traditions where how they've grown from the years before becomes very visible. This is such a trick of mommy hood. It's always these holiday traditions when the pictures are taken and upon holding them up to each other year after year, you see your babies turn into big boys and then into big brothers. And then one year, they can dye their easter eggs without making a huge mess, without fighting, and without needing you sit closely.

This was that year. Neither of them needed me. Sadness. Tears.  Silent whimpering... oh, forget it. Full out ugly cry.

So... when mom duties are minimized, it's time for pictures. LOTS of pictures.

Charlie, my little scientist, was highly interested in WHY the dye dots dissolved in vinegar...

I am sure there are many parents out there who are super cautious of their three year olds near egg dye... however, Henry "can do it myself". We don't dare help. And it's always surprising how his stubborn assertions of independence are valid. He CAN do things by himself. He's so capable already. It's amazing how always having a big kid to watch helps this teeny tiny toddler figure everything out YEARS before Charlie did.


My favorite part of dyeing the eggs this year was watching Henry. We had 18 eggs and 9 colors of dye. As you can imagine... it did not take long to color all of the eggs. I remember seeing his face when I said "all done!!"... he just couldn't believe it. Dyeing eggs was too much fun to be over that fast. I saw his little face as his brain worked through this and he suddenly stood up, reached across the table, grabbed a colored egg and plopped it back into another cup of dye.

Sure, this mommy's first instinct was "oh no!!! The eggs will be so ugly!", but I stopped myself from passing this thought on to the boys. If plopping all the eggs back into the dye turned them all brown, well, we would have all brown eggs and call them organic. We were pretty sure the Easter bunny held to a strict organic, vegan diet anyway. Happiness and experimentation is far more important than that neurotic voice that comes in your 30s wanting everything to be perfect. Afterall, isn't having your little boys make a crazy mess of their easter eggs as they giggle and decide on "which color next?" just about as close to perfect as it comes?

Charlie has always been my little "creative" and personifies everything. In kindergarten, when he was learning to write his alphabet, letters would get faces and personalities. He'd draw elaborate stories in the margins of his workpapers. It's only in third grade that he has finally been "broken" of doodling as his school brain wonders towards his imagination.

How does that relate to Easter? All of our eggs get faces and names, of course. :)

Henry tried to draw faces too but ultimately got frustrated and just watched his brother while eating a jammy sammy. Gosh, they are so cute.

Here's wishing you all had a wonderful Easter holiday!!! :)

Chuck's Wreck-It-Ralph Easter Basket

Getting Charlie's basket together and photographed proved fairly difficult since he's home for Spring Break this week. I finally told him that he didn't have to clean his room anymore if he went in the basement and watched tv with his brother for at least 30 minutes. Sweet deal all around. I locked myself in the guest room and took some quick photos.

I wasn't going to buy any plastic eggs this year but I found this pack at Target of JUST BOY COLORS!! I was so thrilled that I could buy a pack without any pink or purple eggs that I just HAD to find a purpose for them. I don't mind a little candy in their baskets but I don't like to go over the top so we usually fill the eggs with fruit chews which they think is candy. But I came across a free printable here of egg coupons that I thought would be a lot more fun and a lot less sugary. I feel like the printable is actually web-sized and not suitable for print, hence the hard-to-read and much-too-light font but it's only a few days until Easter so we are going to go with it. She also provides a page of blank coupons for you to write in your own ideas for "special treats".

Charlie loved Wreck-It-Ralph and has been waiting and waiting for the DVD. I think he's asked for it every single time we've gone to Target in the last month and I've had to dodge the pleading since I bought it weeks ago. I found a couple of WIR figurines to tuck in too.

Since we are headed to Disney in a few weeks, I found a book about Walt Disney, plus a few interactive science books from the $1 spot at Target and another book he's been wanting as well.

I think the "big" surprise will be the Lego City set!!

I do sneak a little bit of candy in the basket - just the favorites - peanut butter eggs and mini m&m's. Most of the remaining treats are rice krispie treats, goldfish crackers and any fruit chews that make it into the eggs.

Happy Easter, all!!