Day 343

While boarding an airplane on Easter, the flight attendant asked Kelsey, my seven year old what the Easter Bunny brought her.  Kelsey looked up and cheerfully shouted, “soap-on-a-rope”

The flight attendant suddenly developed the twitching torso and plastic smirk of someone who is trying really hard not crack up as she croaked, “Oh, isn’t that nice?” I just gave her the, she’s-not-wrong-shrug and continued down the aisle.

I would like to point out that she and her sister also each got a couple new to them books, a resale stuffed Hello Kitty and a chocolate rabbit.  Although Kelsey did think the chocolate was rabbit shaped shampoo when she first got it because it was made by Dove.

Our Easter Bunny likes good personal hygiene.

Anyway, the bunny visited us while we were in a hotel which just for the record was contradictory to The Simple Year.  Since, it was the EXACT OPPOSITE of simple to have to gather all of the contents of the baskets (which by some miracle I could find from last year) in advance, some of which had to ordered and shipped.  Then, it took up about ½ of the available space in the bunny’s suitcase where it had to remain hidden for a WEEK while we camped, visited and vacationed.

Then because secrecy was important and the hotel room was small, Mr. Bunny had to set his phone alarm for 12:30 AM Easter Morning when both children were deep in REM sleep.  Although, it is worth mentioning that both Mr. and Mrs. Bunny were also in sound slumber and the jarring alarm caused quite a groggy bleary-eyed slapstick routine of basket assembly and egg hiding.

It was a bit of a hassle, but we did manage to buy nothing new except the consumable soap and chocolate. Next year I might relax those standards a bit if we happen to be traveling.

Believe me; I know that those holidays have gotten way too commercial and that the message to buy is really shouted louder than the original meaning.

While I don’t think we necessarily need to heap gifts on the children. I am still not ready to banish magic like a rabbit that inexplicably delivers eggs (the chicken must have called in sick that first year) or a big man who uses slave labor to produce toys.  Although, I suppose I don’t really know that for sure, for all I know there is an elf union.

So, I think for now, we will keep our gifts to a minimum, try to use recycled options when available and keep striving to find new homes for items as soon as they no longer become useful or beautiful  to us.

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