The Easter Bunny Came Early...and She Brought Sqwinkies!

L was ahead of the pack...he spied on the Easter Bunny as she hid the eggs...in the foreground you'll note a raised garden bed...all 3 of my children tried to walk or dig in it...K's plants survived, but I'm not sure we'll get another invite unless I demonstrate that I've instilled some garden/plant etiquette/respect...

On the hunt...representing the Green Mountain Boys, as always...

Happy as a clam...

M really got into it...

See my eggs, Mama???

Eureka!

C and L survey their loot...all their candy was confiscated...

They dyed these eggs!  You never saw a more nervous bunch of women than the ones in K's backyard, dyeing the eggs with plastic containers filled with various colors around 10 young children...and glitter...and glue...and stickers...

This was too good to skip posting...in the first 20 seconds, my children found the 2 games with Buzz Lightyear's image (and very small pieces), upended an undersea adventure puzzle, and the 2 Jessie the Cowgirl hats...as well as this awesome rocket that Mikey literally fought everyone for...

Sqwinkies!  Do you see how serious this Sqwinkie thing is???  Mikey lines up all the collective Marston sqwinkies...

They are tiny plastic animals that I have no hope of keeping track of...maybe I will start a log that records how much time I spend during each day trying to find whichever darling adorable plastic choking hazard is most popular with whichever Marston child demanding help locating it...

Fabulous time today!  Thanks to three wonderful friends, I was able to crash an awesome Easter egg hunt/egg dyeing party with the kiddos.  I did bring like 12 plastic eggs filled with Annie's bunny snacks and stickers, but I drastically underestimated how well-prepared the other ladies would be and how many children would be there.  I am really grateful that we were included, it was super fun!  And not something I would have attempted to do with my kids alone (the thought of using dye or paint of any kind makes me break into an anxious sweat)...however, these ladies were organized pros and all the kids had a blast.  No tears, no tantrums...and plenty of Sqwinkies which were a total hit!  Oh for the days when collecting small plastic, cheaply made animals set my blood on fire...to be young again...sigh...
Anyhoo...my children were the ones climbing (and collapsing) the roof on the play hut,  the ones digging in the garden (threatening the welfare of the young sprouting plants), and the ones dumping out puzzles/games/etc on the floor.  I did follow behind, trying as much as possible to mitigate the damage and get them acting in the way they know how (this was our first time at K's house...I think they might forever associate their house with egg hunts/lots of kids/getting awesome snacks/toys/stickers, etc), but in all the excitement, it was kind of a lost cause.  Sometimes I feel bad because although 3 kids doesn't look like that much on paper, when you are seeing us in the flesh, in our natural wild state, we are a horde.  Thanks to all of our awesome friends for their kindness, generosity, and sense of humor...
And I promise next time I'll at least bring a bottle of wine for the Mommies!