April 5th, Day 5 of the #AtoZChallenge- E is for Easter and for Eggs…

I love Easter!

 I love the bunny, the candy (in moderation of course) and most of all I love the Easter egg hunting! The egg dying is my least favorite part of this holiday. It's fun, but messy. Newspaper, plastic bags and duct tape must be used along with this activity for my family. The newspaper is used to cover just about everything in the vicinity, the plastic bags are to cover my kids with and the duct tape is to cover my mouth, so it will stay shut and not ruin their fun.

Dying the eggs for my six kids (yes that is correct) is a big production. I bet you are already counting in your head how many eggs are used. We use 72 eggs (again, that is correct). A dozen for each kid, hey we only get so many years of this and then their "too old for it". My thirteen year old is swaying on the fence right now. So why not! Have fun! And thank goodness eggs are cheap! (We eat lots of egg salad sandwiches and deviled eggs later)

Being a mommy of six (age 13 down to 3 ½) I have learned to be thrifty in life. Every after Easter sale, I am buying half priced egg dying kits, plastic eggs for the next time around. I have at least six unopened packages of egg dye kits in my storage container right now. This year along with an egg dye spinner I purchased two years ago (yep the works and bought it ½ price) we are doing Dudley's Dazzlin' Glitter egg decorating and Easter egg décor faces (sticker faces for your eggs).We dye our eggs the day before and it takes at least an hour.

Now for the plastic eggs (these are used for the hunt). The real eggs are for the Easter bunny to hide and he hides them inside (so we can eat them still, duh!). We have at least 200 eggs, give or take a few. Have to have plenty for six remember! Each egg is filled with something.

Our fillers this year:

Jellybeans, 4 per egg

Cheapie party/piñate filler (bouncy ball, water balloon, beadie necklace,little compass, rabbit eraser… ) 1

Jolly rancher 1

Salt water taffy 1

We fill  each and every one! Then…there are the ten super deluxe, the big find of the day eggs to add to the pile. Those hold either "coupons" for 1 McDonald's blizzard or a dollar. One egg, the golden one, holds five dollars! My oldest (this is why he still participates) has always gotten the golden egg. His younger sister, soon to take the throne, actually gave him a run for his money last year (she turns 12 on Saturday). All stays fair in this love and war, for the little kids are happy with their dollar (each child magically gets one). Later  the 9 year old (boy) makes trades to aquire the other four dollars he is short on. For the younger ones, candy and maybe a little toy are an even trade. For the older sister, a McDonald's coupon is required and some extra peeps. Then the two boys laugh together in triumph and blow it all a few days later at the dollar store. Pringles and slinkys, go figure!

I love this holiday so much that about four years ago; I made personal baskets for each child (even the 6th who was still cooking then) to collect their eggs in.  The eggs are hidden by Mom and Dad in the morning and there is "No peeking!"

Every year we also participate in our Church's Easter egg hunt (this Saturday!) and twelve filled plastic eggs are brought with each child. My kids love this because its practice for them. If they could they would be at the school track doing laps to "condition" themselves before hand. Well, at least the older ones. My 3 and 4 year old get off easy, smaller area to cover.

So there you have it! E is for Easter and E is for eggs. Thank you for stopping by and reading my share of The Duling Family Easter event!

 

A.D.

Tagged: A to Z Challenge, bunny, E, easter, egg dying, egg hunting, eggs