Easter Fiasco.

Have a cup of coffee and stay awhile...Let me just tell you how the kids are making out like bandits this year. I started Easter basket shopping like a month ago- maybe more to spread out the expenses because in May we take a HUGE hit with birthdays and Mother's Day. And it's not like we go all out on the Easter basket gifts- I just don't like giving an entire basketful of candy. So... I assembled their baskets awhile ago to make sure they were 'even' between the kids. I hid them in the upstairs spare bathroom behind the shower curtain- we NEVER go in there, the door is always shut. For whatever reason after work on Tuesday I decided to clean this bathroom and was scrubbing the toilet and noticed it wouldn't flush. I hailed my handman hubby to come fix it. While he was fixing the toilet, Abby decided to go in there and open the shower curtain. EASTER BASKETS. She didn't say one word. That night after they were in bed, I took the baskets and moved them to our new spare room upstairs- which again, they NEVER go in- the door is closed. Wednesday morning comes, I am at the computer working, and here comes Aidan with stuff from his Easter basket, asking me to take the tags off his new tractor. I diverted that whole situation with an obnoxious tantrum . Later that day, I am making dinner and Abby says, "Mom I think you are pretending to be the Easter Bunny." My heart sank.
So Easter is in 3 days and how do I get out of this? I tell her, well the Easter Bunny had to deliver your baskets early. She says "No, you're pretending." So that conversation was dropped and in my head I tell myself to remain calm.
I call my friend Colleen, who mind you, laughed HYSTERICALLY at me and thanks me repeatedly for making her day and proceeds to tell me she had to share my predictament with all of her co-workers and the consensus was that we needed to purchase new items from the Bunny. Rick and I discuss this Wednesday night, and he is trying to come up with all sorts of man-saving tactics but I politely tell him, nope, she's too smart. Really, she's just always been an observant kid. Example- after she was accusing me of pretending to be the Bunny, she says "Does the Easter bunny bring toys and candy? or just candy?" This was later to be a test. Me...how do I answer this considering A)she has seen her basket and B) if we buy them new basket items, I was thinking we don't have a lot of money to spend so it will just be cheap candy so I reply- candy. The bunny brings candy. To this she says, "No he doesn't. He brought me that talking Elmo thing when I was a baby and now I am too big for it." She was ONE and she remembers that. Not to mention a few weeks ago, she says, "Mom, what is the Easter Bunny's name?" Me: Easter Bunny. Abby: No, What is his name? Me: Easter Bunny. First Name: Easter Last Name: Bunny.
Rick goes to work today to discuss with his co-workers. He calls me at 9am and says the consensus is we have to buy new stuff. were you not listening last night? I leave work during lunch and go to Target. I decided against cheap candy and to buy stuff that they "need" vs. throwing away money on candy and needless items that might eventually get lodged in someone's nose. (Raisin's are now banned in this house). Target is PACKED. You can't even get to the Easter section (yes I was going to browse). In my cart I had a ballet leotard for Abby, undies, socks for the kids, jammies for Aidan, new sippy cups.... so I am in the Easter section, and you had to leave your cart in the outside aisle because there were THAT many people. I come back to... no cart. My cart was gone. NOT HAPPY. The poor red shirt Target worker got an EARFUL. I was sweating. I needed to get back to work and I had no Easter items from the EASTER BUNNY. I am wandering around looking for my cart with red shirt kid and I am about to stomp out of the store in the most mature fashion when this ditz woman comes towards me saying, "Are you missing a cart?" She ran off with my cart thinking it was hers. After I got my cart, I rammed her with it I made it to the check out. What makes this whole fiasco even more funny, is Rick stopped at Toys R Us on his way home and bought stuff from the Easter bunny- so now it's like Christmas. I think we actually will save some of it for Christmas or Birthdays. Last night and tonight, Abby says, "Can I see the stuff you bought me in my basket?" So... she knows that what she saw she is getting from us. I think I might have just saved the Easter Bunny (if we can pull this off).
I debated about blogging this story, it does speak materialism, vs. the celebrating of Jesus' Resurrection... yet I want to capture it for the kids for when they are older. I have the best memories as a child, the anxiety of waiting to see MY easter basket- the peeps, the jelly beans, the coveted chocolate bunny and truly believing a big, huge floppy-eared bunny hopped to each house to deliver the goods. I'm keeping her little as long as possible. Long live the Bunny.