Easter

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by SundaeGirl

If he is not willing to put the work in to keep everything identical to what their mother provides then I think he should accept your family's way of doing things.

Not sure if I was clear--the clue-thing is from my husband's mother, not the kids' mother. We have no idea what she does every year (and if we did he'd surely want to avoid it simply for that reason alone anyway.) I know they wouldn't hate the brunch, I just wouldn't want them to be sad if they didn't have some sort of typical egg-hunt.

I was all prepared to say that the "years to come" would be a moot point since it's rare for us to have them on Easter, but I looked up just how the date of Easter is determined and it turns out the last three years have been a bit of a fluke, and we will actually have them more often than not in the years to come. Huh. That sort of motivates me more to do something special with it, if I'll be setting up a tradition my stepkids will enjoy rather than just putting in a placeholder for this year.

[elSicomoro]

We used to have a Christmas-style gathering, complete with ham. I got an Easter basket with yellow grass, lots of Peeps and Cadbury creme eggs and at at least one solid white chocolate bunny. And the Easter Bunny had to have 7-Up left for him...nothing else would do.

These days, April and I go over to her mom's house for a small feast with the immediate family. I don't know what my parents do...I think they bbq.

Clod, I'd have a serious heart-to-heart with the hubby. I would try to do something nice for the kids, but within reason. Or, perhaps you could have the kids 2 weeks in a row down the line, and let them stay with their mom for Easter.

[monster]

Clodfobble, if you send me a list of hiding places, I'd be happy to make up rhyming clues fo them. It's one of my few hidden talents

[piercehawkeye45]

I never really did anything special for East when I was a kid older than six. Before that we did the Easter egg hunt but I stopped wanting to do that pretty early on.

This year I think I'm going to be the only one in the hall not going home so I'm not going to be doing anything.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Clodfobble, give 'em candy for breakfast and they won't give a shit about anything swirling around them. Househunting, packing, grandpa's brunch....nothing.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

My husband's family did this very involved thing where instead of an egg hunt their mother hid little rhyming clues around the house that would each lead to the next clue, ultimately leading to their Easter baskets that had plastics-eggs-with-candy and small toys.

Ha! I was getting ready to type out how we did this very thing. In fact our kids participated in this thing right up till last year when my youngest was 14. They still played along because the gifts got bigger and more expensive every year, esp the cash from granny.

[Cloud]

As a kid, my parents (i.e., my mother) hid candy eggs all over the house and yard. But who needs all that candy?

When my own kids were small I usually got them a "basket" with some candy, some little toys, and some practical things. I moved away from Easter "baskets" per se, because I found they were awkward to keep around, so I usually looked for some practical container. Clothes and shoes were also popular gifts, shoes especially. Can you take the kids all to Payless or something? Kids always need shoes.

I went bunny shopping today for the little girl grandkids. Poor crop this year, though. I think I will cook/take breakfast over to my daughters' house, then we're all going to the zoo.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Cloud

snip~ I went bunny shopping today for the little girl grandkids. Poor crop this year, though. I think I will cook/take breakfast over to my daughters' house, then we're all going to the zoo.

Easter schmeaster, since when does a Grandmother need a holiday to shop for the grandchildren?
Grandpa may need a reason, but grandma only needs an opportunity.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

... But does that make me a bad parent? Mr. Clodfobble says I was denied my childhood because of my lack of Easter egg hunts, among other things.

re: bad parent, is clodfobble? A: No. You are not! (lazy, perhaps. bad? no.)
(jesting about the laziness)

re: Your stolen childhood. I think you are still young enough (you're like 16, as I recall, so the statue of limitations is probably not up. You should sue your parents for damages and with the big reward money you can hire someone to write clues for you.

okay, jesting again.

Seriously though, some idears:

1. Where is your MIL? can you shanghai her into helping with the clues,etc. since she undoubtedly is a Shihan in this sort of thing.
2. Can you do a "lite" version in light of your impending move? Can the boxes be incorporated in the whole hunt?
3. Can you badger mr. Clodfobble into "cowboying up" with references to how your previous boyfriend lifted a volkswagen off a kitten with a broken elbow? Guys love it when their manliness is challenged.
4. Sorry, jesting up there.
5. What about putting mr. Shoulder guy in charge of writing the rhymes, the painkillers should make the creative process a breeze.
6. Fake violently throwing up and come out of the bathroom looking pretty messed up and while clutching your gut, start to speak then puff up your cheeks and run back in for another prolonged flushing, retching bout, come back out and say "As I was starting to say, I'll be happy to uuugggh, work on the uuuughgg egg hunt thing.. Ugghhh can you make me a cup of tea, I'll be right back." Rushg back into the bathroom and lie on the floor pressing your face against the cool tile floor, telling him you like it better down there and you'll be 'right as rain' in a few minutes.
7. Alternitivley, there is always telling the truth.

[Clodfobble]

You're a funny man, foot. Funny indeed.

There definitely have been some general improvements in the last day: Mr. Clod reported much less pain in his shoulder this morning, and we put an offer on a house last night that we feel pretty certain they'll take without hesitation. So since we're not going out looking at houses again today, I have pretty much the whole day to go get some miscellaneous candy and plastic eggs from the grocery store, and I've decided that clue haikus will suffice, at least for this year. (But I may still take you up on your poem-writing skills in subsequent years monster, so you'd better consider yourself a permanent dwellar.)

Oh, and telling the truth is for pansies, foot, everyone knows that!

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

A) You're a funny man, foot. Funny indeed.

B) ...and we put an offer on a house last night that we feel pretty certain they'll take without hesitation. So since we're not going out looking at houses again today...

C) Oh, and telling the truth is for pansies, foot, everyone knows that!

A) Thanks.
B) Holy mackerel. What? You sold your house and have to be out in two weeks and you don't already have a place lined up? day um.
C) A gal after my own heart...

[Cloud]

Clodfobble, I thought you were a guy (because sounds like a guy's name). Damn these new-fangly internet nicknames!

Happy Spring to all, btw!

[elSicomoro]

Originally Posted by Cloud

Clodfobble, I thought you were a guy (because sounds like a guy's name). Damn these new-fangly internet nicknames!

Happy Spring to all, btw!

That's alright...I thought Foot-cubed was a chick until a few days ago.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by sycamore

That's alright...I thought Foot-cubed was a chick until a few days ago.

All that sensitivity training paid off.