Easter Egg Hunt

Back in the day when my kids were little boys they loved to hunt Easter Eggs. They liked to hunt them so much that before they were old enough to catch on we would sneak the ones they had found from their baskets and  re-hide them.  The hunt for a dozen eggs could go on for hours. It was the site of watching their eyes light up again and again when they discovered a hiding place that kept us hopping. (Pun intended)

When their maternal grand parents were alive they would usually come to visit during Easter vacation. Grammy Maxine would get into the swing of the massive hunts with the same energy and excitement she had when choreographing a ballet.  She was so creative that most of her projects took so long to prepare the event itself was usually late. This was the case when she stuffed plastic eggs with candy and placed them by the gross around the peach tree in the back yard on Easter morning.  We had to hold the kids off for longer than they thought necessary.

Then there was the ritual of preparing the video camera to record the event which took more time away from the actual excitement. But finally the hunt was underway.

With video cranking and cameras flashing the boys ran to the peach tree covered with brightly colored plastic eggs.  Each boy picked up an egg and opened it to devour the candy they knew was inside, but each of their eggs was empty... no treat inside.  They grabbed another to find that they too were devoid of candy.  Egg after egg came up empty.

They covered their disappointment very well, as they snapped open empty egg after egg hoping the next would hold the chocolate.  By this time the mystery of the missing candy is of concern.  Although it would not be out of character for Maxine to have over-looked that part of the plan in her excitement (she was at times a cliché of the dizzy dancer) all us adults had participated in the candy stuffing so treats should have been inside every egg.  The boys found all the eggs but all were empty.

There was plenty of candy from the sacks used to fill the eggs so they did not go unrewarded, but the empty egg enigma was weighing on us.

Maxine tried to blame it on the squirrels that dominated the peach tree in the spring, but they were ruled out as the perpetrators because of their lack of  opposable thumbs.  We were all baffled.

Later in the day we remembered that the boys were unaccounted for during the time we adults were inside the house preparing the cameras. The boys finally admitted that they had sneaked out to the back yard, raided the eggs, eaten the candy and returned to start the official hunt.

I am still impressed by their acting abilities at such a young age showing such realistic disappointment for the camera. I suppose the apple does not fall far from the tree, or as my Father is want to say: Your kids make you pay for your own raising.

Good hunting to all who crave the chocolate rush this season.

As you were,

Jay