By Paulyne L. Fermin
Easter in New York City The author’s family in Rockefeller Center
Easter egg hunting has always been an activity my children look forward to. Finding those hidden colored eggs is as much a thrill for them as it is for us parents who try not to spoil the fun by pointing to where it’s hidden (if we see them first), or getting the orbs ourselves to help the kids with the day’s loot. Now that my son is 14 years old, he is the one helping his little sister in the search.
There is one particular egg hunt that I will never forget. The family received an invitation to participate in the Easter event of a mall. I dressed up my then three-year-old girl in a ruffled skirt and light-up purple boots. She was excited to put her white and pink bunny ears on and to complete the look I gave her a pink basket. We arrived early at the venue and immediately saw the eggs hidden in shrubs, flower pots, and many a nook and cranny. “I see the eggs, Mommy!” “You have to wait until they say it’s ok to get them, sweetie.” To our dismay, the event started two hours later with so much pandemonium. Organizers had us line up so they can hand out ID’s and maps. In the meantime, the more “enterprising” people started to collect the eggs without having paid the fee or getting the ID’s and maps. To cut a long story short, by the time we went to the X spots in the map, every single egg was already taken. Tears rolled down my daughter’s face.
Easter Egg Hunt One bunny’s loot for the day.
The Three Bunnies
Instead of focusing on the angry mob that had gathered around us, my immediate thought was to find a way to save the day. I told my husband to pretend to continue the search while I dashed to the nearest toy store to get plastic eggs. By some divine providence, there was one last batch of eggs left. We then went to different stores, secretly told the merchants that we will hide the egss for our daughter to find. My son then led his sister to the spots and let her discover the eggs on her own. “I found four already, Mommy!” “Keep on looking,” Daddy said. And so, in the end, she found all 14 eggs. Her pink basket was full, and so were our hearts.
Although that first hunt could have been a disaster for my daughter, it turned out to be a bonding experience for us. Life is really what you make of it. Our family chose to keep our youngest’s wonder intact. The following year, we did the same in a mall near our home in the south. We are professionals at hiding eggs by now. Last summer, we spent Easter in New York and my daughter squealed at the sight of the giant spinning bunny in Rockefeller Center.
It’s one day before Easter, I thinks it’s time to get the colored eggs out of the attic. It’s time for Dad, Mom and Kuya to hide the eggs again.
Follow me on Twitter, IG and Facebook. Visit http://thebusyqueenp.com/ for more interesting reads!