Easter 2011

We had a long weekend for Easter.  Tillman's daycare was closed Good Friday, so we hung around the house and packed for our trip to Lexington.  We drove to Lexington (my home town) early Saturday morning, so that Tillman could attend the St. Peter's Easter Egg Hunt!  I went to this hunt as a child every year.  At the time (back in my day), it was hosted by the senior group.  I can remember getting a bag of candy, getting to choose which dyed egg I wanted to take home, and of course, hunting eggs on the church grounds!

Now-a-days it is hosted by the young adult group.  They had everything from coloring to the Easter Bunny visiting the kids.  I got to see everyone I used to go to church with and their children (we used to be "the children"). We had a lot of fun, and it certainly brought back a lot of memories from my childhood (I sure do miss Lexington!).  Although Tillman didn't get to meet the Easter Bunny (sorry kid, the line was too long!), he was pretty "tuckered out" regardless.  We spent the rest of Saturday relaxing and lounging at my parents' house.

Sunday, Easter, we headed to the Sunrise Service.  It started at 6:30 AM!  It was a rush to get there, but we made it!  The service started outside and then we processed in.  Tillman did real well!  After service, we ate breakfast at church, and then headed back to my parents house for another egg hunt.
Tillman's first Easter went pretty well! 

Hunt Reflections:
Next year, I hope he will be more "in to" the egg hunting.  I might have to set up a few egg hunts at the house for practice rounds, so he can learn the ropes!  When carrying him out to his hunt location, my heart was pounding (my competitiveness was coming out).  In my head I was strategizing.  At the same time, I'm thinking to myself  "Meredith, he's a baby...he's not going to hunt." 

As Nick and I discussed, my competitiveness comes out because I want to see him/Tillman succeed and do well.  Yes, it is only an egg hunt, but you should see the parents out there...its RUTHLESS!  There is one thing that we are going to TRY to do different from those ruthless parents, we're going to teach Tillman how to hunt on his own (with a little guidance of course).  Tillman will be far more successful if he learns to do it on his own.  If he get 5 eggs and the other child who has 3 adults helping gets 30, then I know and will be proud that he did it HIMSELF!  I'll slip him a 5 (dollar bill) when we get to the car (the usual prize for the most eggs)!  In this situation it is JUST an egg hunt, but I think that parents get so competitive and want their child to "win," but sometimes can loose sight of the child being independent and learning to succeed on their own.  Is it worth getting excited for your child if you wrote their A+ paper or hunted all the eggs yourself?
Funny the philosophical parenting topics that come out of a simple egg hunt!