the boys no longer believe in the easter bunny. i think scout stopped believing at age 7. i think it's near impossible, even for the most dedicated and diligent parents to keep up the magic of the easter bunny. I mean a bunny that hides eggs is a tough sell...even for a child who wants to believe.
regardless, finn and scout still enjoy the traditions that we have created over the years. we dye eggs the day before. finn joined me this year, but with less enthusiasm than last year. scout still fully enjoyed it. the following morning, they waited in their rooms patiently until i called them to come out. this allowed me time to hide any last minute eggs, grab my camera and get that all important cup of coffee. the boys, run to their baskets which are always set on the kitchen counter with nametags on them or something to identify who's is who. like last year, scout's basket was soccer/german themed and finn's was space themed.
this year, scout asked for a 'scavenger hunt' as well as a traditional hunt. auntie jen spoiled him with one a few years ago and he is hooked. i had no energy or the time to come up with a dozen clues off the top of my head, and was thrilled to learn that someone has already done this and shared them on the internet. i happily 'borrowed' them for the boys' eggs.
in the end, the kids got their scavenger hunt AND did a traditional hunt which led them literally ALL over the house, backyard. kitchen, garage, C's car, plants in the front yard, the library, living room, bathroom (working one and the gutted one), and the treehouse. whew! it was exhausting to hide them, but they wanted the eggs hidden "really hard" and i took my job seriously. so seriously, there is still a silver egg missing. yes, it's plastic. i learned NOT to hide real eggs when finn was a toddler...that story is for another time. i assured the boys it will turn up eventually.
we had a wonderful day - hiding and finding eggs, eating lots of candy, skyping with grandma and auntie jen and having a picnic on the beach. finn and scout braved the cold water temps and boogie boarded, while c and i sat in the warm sand catching up with each other. it was a perfect spring day - sunny and 78 degrees and with the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, i had time to relax, reflect and to appreciate. i have so much to be grateful for and though our family doesn't attend church, on the way back from the beach, we talked about easter being a symbol of so much more than eggs and baskets - it's really about hope and renewal. 
