Easter, Part II (baskets and waterslides!)

I read a satirical article on the interweb the other day, about how easter is becoming the new christmas.  

I think maybe that is a little bit true.

Easter Eve found me wrapping gifts, tucking tiny treats into just-right spots, arranging surprises for my loved ones to find in the morning....its my favorite part of Christmas, after all, so why not do it more often?

all ready....

... and, found!

 So we had really good intentions of getting up before the kids, having some peaceful Easter coffee, carefully arranging eggs in the yard in the early morning sunshine...

We woke, instead, to the patter of Ivy's feet on the stairs.... Ivy, of all people, up at 7:30!!  Only on a holiday....

Nat ran interference while I ran out into the yard in my robe, frantically stashing plastic eggs, ostensibly letting the chickens out.

Miraculously, it worked!  The kids headed out into the sunshine after breakfast and had themselves a picture-perfect egg hunt, none the wiser.

There was some drama about the "name eggs," (two for each, with some money inside) when Ivy had found her two and Jack had found none of his yet.  We are so, painfully, all about fairness around here, I tell you.  It all worked out it in the end, though, so all's well.

Jack, duly appreciating my awesome hiding spot.

 Off to Gram's for our second grand meal of the day...

Playing and pictures in the 70 degree sunshine....

... and then, off to Great Wolf Lodge.

We have decided to no try to do a water park visit on Easter again, no matter how much better the prices are.  A busy day of All The Festivity left us with few reserves to handle a mobbed lobby, a long line, an intensely overstimulating water park, and a 2 hour unexpected wait for our room.  in retrospect, it wasn't really that bad, but at the time we nearly thew in the towel and just went home.

Our two little waterslide-lovin' fish were very glad we didn't.

 By the end of day two, we'd all figured out how to be on our vacation, and we all loved the great big tube slides. I'm still not sure that water parks are my cup of tea, but according to these two little magicians, Great Wolf is one of the best places they've ever been.