Chocolate Eggs, Pancakes and Errands

On Saturday I picked Little up earlier than usual to share with her the Lord of the Flies, survival of the fittest experience that is the WCNA’s Easter Egg Hunt on the Wakefield Common.

Four sections on the common, separated by plastic ribbon. Each section labeled for an age group up to seven years old. When she and I arrived, there were only volunteers there, but before long, the crowds began to float in.

I told Little about how some members put extra eggs in their pockets to toss at the feet of little ones who fail to get to the eggs in the chaos. Dad gave L his eggs to spread, and I went with her to the center of the hunting area so I could take photos for the organization’s Facebook page, and she could give out eggs.

“Wow, when we first got here I thought there would only be a few people,” she marveled at the crowds, “but this is a lot of people! I’m kind of scared!” But she wasn’t really.

The Easter Bunny arrived early in one of the local firetrucks and a few three and four-years-olds left the ribbon baracades to adorably run towards the bunny with the crazed look that only magical beings can bring to the eyes of believers. It was kind of hilarious the way they abandoned the egg hunt before it even got started.

Eventually, the Easter Bunny was brought to the center of the hunt area, so the count down could be made and the kids cold go crazy fishing through the hay for the foiled eggs.

The hunt began be we were surrounded by children clawing their way to chocolate collection supremacy. I saw two boys who seemed even older than seven, enter the 4 and 5 yeah old sections, “How old are you?” I questioned them.

They looked up at me guiltily and removed themselves without me having to say a word. Mmhm. Move along, cheaters.

One tiny tike tipped his basket without realizing it and all his eggs dumped out. Another kid swooped in to take them “Nope!” I said, “Those are his eggs. He dropped them.” I guarded the little collection of blue eggs (yes, he’d collected only blue ones!) and tapped their original owner to let him know he’d dropped them. He slowly turned and retrieved each egg, one at a time.

Little had fun dropping a few eggs here and there, but actually I really didn’t see many, if any, kids who got no eggs at all.

At the prize table, where you could claim a stuffed animal or a chocolate bunny if you found an egg that was labeled, quite a few people asked if they cold buy one of the prizes. Some people weren’t so nice about hearing “no” according to Mom.

I also watched while a kid with a mohawk hairstyle wearing a t-shirt which read “Give me the eggs and no one gets hurt” helped himself to a stuffed animal right after being told that they were prizes and sorry, but no, they wouldn’t be given away even if they weren’t claimed. After we asked him to return the duck, he did so, and returned to his mom (I’m assuming) who, in my judgmental opinion, had the air of a mom who told her kid “If you want it just don’t take no for an answer!”

From there we went back to Mom and Dad’s house for some delicious blueberry pancakes. While Dad whipped those up, I gave Little a tour of my childhood home. In the Wrapping Room (yes, it’s a thing in their house), there are shelves of items which could be gifts. On one shelf she spotted two little mice figurines made of felt, standing arm-in-arm. “Oh! This is so cute!” She cooed, “and they look like us!”

She was right and I was so impressed by her observation. Obviously, we sent her home with the mice!

After pancakes, I told Little that I had a return to make at Old Navy. Does she want to come with me, or does she want me to swing her home?

She opted to come with me, and the store at Old Navy turned into a stop at Michael’s Crafts, and then Target, with a detour to PetSmart after she mentioned she’d never been inside one.

We had great fun looking at things, and smelling candles, never finding one that was quite right. She’d laugh at me when I admired something in a store then say out loud “Leave it, Cydney! You don’t need it!”

“I could do this all day!” Little said as we hopped into the car to head to the next place.