Following the Bunny Trail

In my family, we have a tradition of holding a massive outdoor egg hunt every Easter. We have geographical boundaries but no limits on the age of participants or the amount of candy they can claim. This year, since we just gathered Up North a few weeks ago, we decided not to bring everyone together for the event.

Not wanting Carter to miss out on the thrill of the hunt, I (er, the Easter Bunny that is) created a scavenger hunt for him. The Bunny was worried the clues might be too obscure, but Carter being logical-minded creative-thinker Carter figured them out.

What he first thought was his basket was easy to find. It was sitting on the ledge of our new bay window in the living room. There was some Easter grass, gum and a note inside that read:

That was too easy!
We've just begun!
Put your thinking cap on.
Here's clue no. 1:

You gave me up
But Lent is done.
Turn me on
To start this fun.

Since Carter had given up video games for Lent, he knew right away he should go down into the TV room in the basement where his gaming systems are. There he found a new Nintendo DS game -- and Clue #2:

This is where
we draw the line:
Usually green
either Celtic or pine.

I mentioned recently Carter likes draw (in chalk) an outline of a Boston Celtics basketball court by the hoop outside. Last week, he ran out of sidewalk chalk so next to the hoop was a new box of chalk and Clue #3:

You've stored clothes in here
since before you were 6.
Take a peek again
just for kicks.

Right away he said, "I bet it's cleats in my closet!" Well, he was partially right. He had a new soccer ball in his closet since he's using a No. 5 ball this year and needed one. He already has cleats that fit so I don't know why he thought he was getting new ones. He was plenty happy with the ball and Clue #4:

Call us your peeps.
Call us your fan.
Put us in here
And watch us expand.

Yup, we're the weird type of people who microwave marshmallow Peeps to watch them expand to the point of prairie chicken size -- but not quite exploding. So that was an easy clue. Carter found some Peeps (the very last package at Wal-Mart I might add) in the microwave (not turned on) and his final clue:

Our hunt is coming
down to the wire.
If you want your basket,
you gotta look higher.

Well he certainly took his hunt to all places high in the house. For awhile I thought he'd go outside because he thought the word "wire" was part of the clue. (The Bunny didn't plan it that way.) Eventually he found his basket on his top bunk -- hidden under posters that had fallen off the wall, landing in a new home in the unused part of the bed.

His basket had a card in it from Mommy and Daddy and he questioned that right away. "How did that get in there? Did you see the Easter Bunny when he was hiding my basket?" Quick on my feet (as most lying parents are) I said I put the card in there last night so the Easter Bunny would know which basket was Carter's.

The more I thought about it, though, I am puzzled that Carter still believes in the Easter Bunny but questions the existence of Santa. Whatever. I'm just glad it worked out and he had fun with it.

The rest of the day was uneventful: church, shopping, watching (Masters), walking (sunny and 50s again!), baking ("Easter cookies" with pastel M&M's for the big boys) and eating dinner at Jim's parents' house. Now it's time to brush all the sugar off my teeth and tuck in my little bunny.

Blessed Easter to you all!