The house has been "decorated" for a few weeks now, and we've been reading all of our happy little Easter board books. We have even been discussing the possibility of getting a real live bunny. But I'll save that topic for another post...
For our family though, the celebration of Easter goes far beyond chocolate bunnies and egg hunts.
We've been watching the "Bible" TV series with Payton the past few weeks. His reaction has been amazing. He really "gets" what is going on. He recognizes the sacrifices Jesus made for us and I think it has really given him a new perspective on Christianity.
This Sunday is the culmination of the show and in the previews it shows both the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Payton said, "I don't know if I can watch the part where Jesus dies. It's going to make me cry." So we reassured him that while it will be sad to watch the depiction of Jesus dying, we have so much to celebrate because he rose from the dead and now lives in heaven with God! That put a smile on his face.
We've also been doing our Resurrection Eggs every morning at breakfast, which again is driving home the biblical meaning behind the Easter celebration.
I'd like to think we've found a fairly good balance in our home of teaching our children both the true meaning of Easter, and incorporating the fun and Spring-y Hallmark version of the holiday as well. After all, as the children's song says, "Jesus loves the little children." He wants kids to be happy and enjoy these special holidays. So I say, "bring on the chocolate bunnies and egg hunts!"
And on that note, let's talk Easter baskets for a minute, shall we?
Let me start by saying that both of my kids are sweet-a-holics. No lie. They are addicted to sweets.
I have to really limit the sugar in the house because they won't stop at one or two jelly beans... they would like to eat the whole bag.
So, Easter baskets are a bit tricky because if I fill them up with candy, I'll be battling them for the coming weeks about how much candy they can have, and when. I already deal with these arguments during Halloween, Valentines, and Christmas, so I try to avoid it at Easter if at all possible.
I'm not saying I don't put any candy in their baskets, but I do try to come up with other fun things that don't necessarily cause tummy aches and sugar crashes.
So if you're looking for some ideas outside of candy, here's what will be in my boys' baskets this year.
First off... they're both getting a super, super soft, stuffed bunny.
They're matching bunnies, so no fighting over who gets which one.
Then, Parker will be getting things like a Water Wow! book, Play Doh, sunglasses & an Elmo book.
(These Melissa & Doug Water Wow! books are my favorite. They last forever & don't create a mess.)
Payton will be getting things like new sidewalk chalk, some flavored Chap Stick & a prayer book.
Now, on to the fun stuff...
Both boys will get exactly the same items this year.
Here's a close-up:
So don't fear... they will each get their fair share of sugar on Easter.
I am already looking forward to dying eggs with the boys this weekend. Something tells me it's gonna be messy this year! But watching them create memories and carry on traditions is definitely worth a little mess.
I hope you are looking forward to a special Easter or Passover with your family this week as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment