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In an effort to keep our three dogs from slurping up all the bright foil wrapped Easter chocolates and strewing green, pink and yellow plastic Easter grass all up and down our hallway, we put the kids Easter baskets on the fireplace hearth in our bedroom. We would then hide the brightly colored plastic Easter eggs all around the bedroom, sitting area, bathroom and closet. Each of the kids would get a specific color egg, all hidden in age appropriate hiding places. Once all the candy filled eggs were found the kids were given the color of their “money” egg. This egg started out holding jingly change then graduated to dollar bills and by the time the kids were in high school held a prized $20 dollar bill. One way to keep a family tradition going is to make sure that the participants are well paid.
One year during the candy exchange that always followed the opening of the plastic eggs, Matt somehow managed to chuck one of the eggs at Christi’s head. Since this was an Easter morning first, all eyes flashed to the bed where I was happily drinking my morning coffee to see if they would get the Angry Mom face or the Happy Mom face. Unfortunately for me, the sound of the plastic pinking off Christi’s forehead and the arch the brightly colored plastic egg made after impact sent me into a fit of giggles. Once the Allen kids realized they could get away with throwing the empty eggs at each other, it was game on. Suddenly the air was full of hurtling brightly colored plastic eggs. Little pajama clad legs were seen diving behind chairs, under tables and behind the sofa. The Allen Family Annual Easter Egg War was born.
Years later my brother Wayne moved in with us for a while. It was his first Easter morning in the Allen house and he sat drinking his coffee somewhat bemused at the college freshman, high school junior and 9th grader running around our bedroom having a ball looking for their specific colored eggs. We played the hotter/colder game until all the eggs were found. The kids then pulled all the eggs apart and began their annual candy swap-o-rama. Words can never explain the look of shock on Wayne’s face as the room suddenly exploded with flying colored Easter Eggs. Being the newcomer, Wayne became the number one assault target of all three kids. It took him a second to dive for cover as brightly colored plastic Easter eggs bounced off the top of his head but then he came up hurling colored plastic eggs of his own back at his attackers. This may have been one of the best Easter mornings ever.
Long gone are the days of the Great Allen Family Easter Egg Wars. There is no more waking up early on Easter morning to the pattering of young Allen feet on the stairs, the door to my bedroom bursting open followed by only the energy that excited young children can create just before they go on the hunt for brightly colored plastic eggs full of not often had candy. No matter how many years have passed, it still makes me smile when I pass the display of brightly colored plastic Easter eggs at the store.
If you’d like to read more from the Two Loons, check out our book Cookies for Dinner. Available through online retailers and your favorite local bookstore as well as right here at our website.
