Oops, it's almost Easter

Dear Em,
This year Easter kind of snuck up on me. Here I was thinking that we had almost a month to go (I'm not sure why I thought that). Then a friend reminded me this weekend that we only have one more weekend before Easter weekend. Whoops. For most people reading this, having a week & a half until Easter still seems like a good amount of time. But I'm a planner & I've planned NOTHING. I haven't planned your annual sit with the Easter bunny. I hadn't planned what Easter Egg hunts we'll go to. I haven't even taken down the St. Patty's Day decorations. Sigh.

When I did get my head in the game, I quickly went online to see when the Westerly, RI Easter Egg Hunt is. We went last year. It was so sweet, so well organized, & you had a blast. The hunt is held at Wilcox Park & is free. Sadly, we can't go this year. It's this Saturday, March 31st, at 1pm. We'll be at a bridal shower celebrating one of our favorite brides to be.

If you're reading this & live in the RI/CT area, it's definitely something to check out. Last year was a little chilly, but we put your pink coat over your yellow easter dress, grabbed your basket, & met up with one of your best friends & her mommy. We ate lunch at Pizza Place in downtown Westerly (I love the downtown shops & restaurants) & then walked across the street to Wilcox Park for the hunt.

When we got there, we realized we were a little late. The Easter Egg hunt for the 1-2 year olds was already underway. I was a little bummed. There was another hunt for the 3-5 year olds (& also the 6-8 year olds), but I was afraid you would get trampled. There were a lot of kids, & parents have to stay on the sidelines while the 3-5 year olds collect eggs. As we were walking over & deciding what to do, 2 eggs fell out of a little toddler's basket. The toddler & the parent didn't mind the missing eggs & kept walking. That's when you stooped down & picked up your very first Easter Egg. You held it up & really studied it before putting into your basket & then picked up the second egg.

There was a photographer who happened to be standing near us who caught the whole thing. I'm so glad, because these photos are so precious to me.

You were so excited about your two little eggs & you wanted to hunt for more. So, we decided to brave the 3-5 year old Egg Hunt. Your little friend was in that age group & promised to look after you. I planned to keep you close to the side so I could swoop in quickly. You didn't need a lot of eggs. You just wanted the experience.

I prepared for a trampling stampede & was posed to run out & snatch you up when needed. I was ready for a scene from Lord of the Flies. Surprisingly, it wasn't mass chaos at all. There were A LOT of kids, but there were also A LOT of eggs. Even without the parents guiding the kids steps, the kids did great. You had a blast & so did your little friend S.

Once the Easter Egg Hunt was done & your baskets were full, we stopped for some pictures with the Runaway Bunny. I didn't know the story back then, but the book will be in your Easter basket this year. I have a feeling The Runaway Bunny is going to be a family favorite.

You actually both fell off this bunny moments after this picture was taken. You were sliding & little S went down right with you, because she would not let you go. So sweet, but just another example of bad parenting (on my part) for the sake of a cute photograph. It is cute though, right?

So, that's why I'm sad we'll be missing the Westerly Easter Egg Hunt this year. Last year was so precious & special. When a friend called me later to tell me that the cutest little one year old was on the front page of the newspaper, it was just the icing on the cake.

I guess this year we'll have an Easter Egg Hunt in our yard for you & your little friends. Hopefully, we can make it back to Westerly next year.

I love you so,

Mommy