50% off Easter With a 100% Return

Updating my Facebook status and posting pictures of the same was forbidden by my children.

Like all children, they disobeyed one-half of the "rule of Rules" of our home; Do not grow up and move away. As a result, Art and I found ourselves alone on Easter day.  My daughter called to say she missed coloring and hunting for eggs. "You know you did something right when your 23 & 20 yr old miss those times" Britt says in a text to me later that day.

Little did they know we had a plan. The day after Easter, I went to K-mart and bought three small baskets, a ton of candy, some grass, and a toy for each of them.  This would be the first time our son-in-law would be a part of coloring and hunting for eggs with our family - his new family.

We could hardly wait; it was a long two-weeks before we could spring this on them. It was especially hard for Art not to tear into the candy that was crying out to him daily.

At last, the time arrived and our children were home! We stayed up late Friday night watching movies, so at 2am, I put the baskets together and set them on the table so they would find them Saturday morning.

"Britt, did you see the table?" whispers her husband, Andrew. "No, why?" She whispers back. "Go see!"  While knocking on J's door, Britt whispers, "J, have you seen the table?" "No, why?" he whispers. "Go see!"   Apparently this went on while we were still asleep.  At 10am we came out of the room to three children saying, "It's about time you people woke up!" "We've been waiting to open our toys!"  For the next hour they played with the yo-yo, the cards, and the stamp pads -While eating the candy.

"When can we dye the eggs!" "Soon" I replied. "Now! We want to do it now!"  After setting everything up, the five of us sat around the table sharing stories and competing with one another for the best designed egg. Andrew, whom had already been a member of the family for the previous eight years (As Britt's boyfriend) saw a side of Art that he had never seen before. Frankly, I think he was scared. Art was singing in his Pee-Wee Herman meets Curly kind of voice, while stealing the best stamps and crayons so that no one else could use them. Coloring eggs is serious business with him. Whatever you do, keep your egg out of his cup!

Once we were done, the kids couldn't decide if they wanted to hide the eggs or just eat them. J tried to act the cool and mature one by saying coloring was enough.  "Liar, I see that look on your face, you want us to hide them", I said. You should have seen his grin. He was three all over again.

As soon as Art said it was time, the two boys ran through the kitchen pushing Britt aside so they could be get outside first. We had so much fun watching them run around with their little baskets searching for the eggs. It was quite dangerous actually, we had to remind them it was yoke inside the eggs and not money - still, they didn't care. They were out for blood, laughing all the while of course.

They were so surprised and had such a good time. We were blessed. I talked the three of them into letting me take a picture of them with their baskets. I had to promise not to post the picture on Facebook. This was one of the many new memories we made in their brief four-day visit.  J went back to school; Andrew and Britt went back home to Oregon.

They may have moved away, but thankfully they haven't grown up.

I kept my word - you will never read anything about this event nor see any pictures on Facebook.

Kid's aren't the only ones who find the loop-holes.