Easter Fun

One thing I look forward to as my kids grow older is being able to involve them in fun projects and start family traditions with them. One of my very favorite traditions for the holidays is the Easter Basket treasure hunt. My parents started this with Dana and me when we were little kids and I begged my dad to keep it going for me all the way through COLLEGE! {In fact, one year I brought my college boyfriend home for Easter and my dad even let him join in.} My dad is a great writer and has a very clever mind, so the night before Easter each year, he'd sit at the kitchen counter in the half-dark and write out complex clues for us to follow in order to find our Easter baskets in the morning. When we woke up, there was always a folded Post-It Note by our bed marked CLUE #1. We had to solve the clue/riddle, which directed us to another spot in the house {or even outside, on occasion} and the next clue. We had a lot of clues and I remember one year, probably in middle school, when the clue was so hard that I was on the verge of tears because dang it, I couldn't figure it out and I just wanted that stinkin' Easter basket already! But mostly I just remember all the fun. I decided Maddie was old enough to start this year, so I created her clues and glued them onto egg-shaped scrapbook paper and hid them around the house.

Her first clue {on her bedroom door} said: "What do you love to have very first thing in the morning? {hot cocoa} What do we pour it into? {sippy cup} Look there for your next clue!"

She got all 6 clues right and found her Easter basket hiding in her play kitchen.

We just started a chore chart with her, so we've been talking about getting her a piggy bank to store her pennies she earns doing chores. She loves Mickey Mouse, so when I saw this bank I knew it'd be perfect! She was thrilled! {Note: It's the most random product combination...piggy bank on one side, bottle of bubble bath on the other. Naturally!}

Check out that craaaazy bedhead! :-)


Nana got Maddie this Easter dress with the matching doll dress. So cute! The best part is that when Dana and I were growing up in Saudi Arabia, we went on vacation to London and got matching dresses just like this one at the Laura Ashley store! Like mother, like daughter.

We packed up our car and trekked over to Nana and Papa's house around 9:00am. My dad and Maddie and I went to church while my mom and Keith stayed home with James {they'd gone to the Good Friday service instead}. Baby James looked so adorable for Easter! Mr. Preppy.




This is my mom's exercise ball...flat on one half. Maddie thinks it's the greatest thing ever and could bounce on it for hours.



I was so excited to see James all dressed up in REAL clothes, like a normal boy! This only happens on holidays because with the catheter and ostomy bag {which hit right at the waistband} and the need for button-down clothing to accommodate the tubes, it's all just too much hassle during the day. He's usually stuck in his button-down pajamas. :-)

How stinkin' cute are those shoes?! His whole outfit was from friends. Tiffany Tom gave him the pants and sweater vest, Alli gave him the hat and Christine let us borrow the shoes. Love that!

This one is getting the 8x10 treatment! :-)


Happy Easter from our home to yours! :-)