Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The Easter Egg Hunt

I don’t know what Easter is like around your house, but at my house, it’s a total disaster. It’s one giant Easter egg hunt for a week leading up to the official day. The kids hold practice hunts in every room, and we end up with little, plastic eggs all over the house.

What’s interesting in how the hunts have evolved over time. When it was just Boy and Girl, egg hunting was really easy. Boy and Girl hid eggs in places they thought were tricky. These places included the middle of the floor, in the corner of the room, or even on their chair. They would tell me to close my eyes, set the egg in the middle of the floor, and ask, “Can you find it?” It was fun.

But, as time past, eggs started going behind curtains, under the couch, and other more interesting places. In fact, by the time Tiny arrived, we were into real egg hiding which meant there was a 50-50 chance the egg was lost forever. Tiny skipped the really easy egg hiding phase, but she hasn’t really figured out how to hide eggs in really tricky places. Or, so I thought.

Tiny’s latest Easter Egg hunt started the other day as soon as I arrived home from work. I opened the front door and was immediately assaulted by, “Wanna hunt for Easter Eggs?”

Honestly, it was the last thing that I wanted to do. But, work has been especially busy lately, so I haven’t been at home as much as I would like. I couldn’t say no.

“Sure,” I said, as we walked into the living room. I set my briefcase down, looked around, and said, “Ok, let’s have an Easter Egg hunt!”

I started in the obvious spot and looked in the middle of the floor. There were no eggs to be seen. “Well, I don’t see any eggs. You must have hidden them really well!”

Tiny, beaming with pride at her ability to hide eggs said, “Do you want a hint, Daddy?”

Honestly, I was slightly offended. I have been a world champion egg hunter for as long as the kids have been around. There wasn’t an egg that I could not find.

“Thank you, but I think I can find them.” I was officially on a mission.

I looked under a pillow. No egg. Again, the little voice asked, “Do you want a hint, Daddy?”

I checked under the couch cushions. No egg. Again, the little voice asked, “Do you want a hint Daddy?”

I checked under the couch. Again, the little voice asked, “Do you want a hint Daddy?” I know she was just asking, but it was getting close to a taunt.

Let’s recap, so far I haven’t found a single egg. This was ridiculous. Add, the constant little voice, “Do you want a hint Daddy?” and I wasn’t having fun anymore.

I checked behind the curtains, in the lamp, under the carpet, and each time rewarded with no eggs and a, “Do you want a hint Daddy?”

“NO, Daddy doesn’t want a hint!” I hissed.

Finally, after 15 minutes, no eggs, and a room that was turned upside down, not to mention several hundred, “Do you want a hint Daddy?” I finally gave up. “Tiny, Daddy is ready for a hint.”

Tiny, full of glee, smiles at me and says, “They’re in the other room.”

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