Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Easter traditions???



Do you have them?

What are they?

I am starting to panic. I usually have Easter figured out by now, and usually it is all purchased or at least outlined (yes, I do plan and outline...I am just really not organized which sounds contradictory, but it's true.)

So, usually we dye our eggs the night before, the bunny hides them on Sunday morning and they find their baskets. Last year the bunny shook things up and sent them on a chase through our house...maybe if I dig out of our mess it will happen again this year. The boys LOVED figuring out the clues :)

In the past the boys have found dress shirts, spring tshirts, fip flops and sun glasses in their baskets...something to celebrate the reawakening of the Earth and something we can tie the reason for the season. However, my favorite for finding coordinating items, old Navy, is letting me down. I don't like the way they rearranged things and now have an even smaller boys selection. but I digress...

I am thinking that it would be fun to get items for our garden (like those mini hot houses) that they can be responsible for and transplant into our garden spot this year. However, I also want to be frugal and not go overboard (just as an aside, Jeff comes from a family that didn't do much more than little chocolate mini eggs, so this whole gifts for Easter is foreign to him.)
Any ideas? Anything you care to share?
And, in case you are wondering I am feeling so much better! It is amazing what prayer and sleep will do :) Not 100%, but completely functional.

6 comments:

The Freed Family said...

Mitch's family sounds like Jeff's. He doesn't understand why we don't just give TONS of candy because that is all he got---put I personally don't want to spend a lot of money on candy and I don't want my kids to have tons of candy. Therefore, I like what my mom did for us for easter. She got us things we were going to need for spring/summer anyway---the same kinds of things you are talking about. Sandals and a new summer outfit. Small outside toys, such as jumpropes, hula-hoops, bubbles, chalk, etc. Then there was always the church clothes. I know I didn't give you any new ideas. It sounds like we pretty much have the same kind of Easter. This year we are getting Garrett an outside toy that is by Nerf. There are 2 different verions--Cosmic Catch or Cosmic Keep Away. I think your boys would LOVE it--and it would be a good thing they could share because you need several players. We gave Brock one for his birthday and Joy says that they love it. Ever since Garrett has been wanting one for himself. Basically, you have a ball and then colored bands you wear and then the ball yells out commands and tells you which color to throw to or to keep away from. There is 3 different games to play with either choice. Hopefully some of this helps.

Amberly said...

We do a lot of the same things you talked about. Easter dresses are my favorite!! This year they are all matchy matchy! I like to get them something for their baskets that is not candy.

As for Old Navy, I am mad at them. They used to be the best place to buy clothes and now they are the worst. The new store layout is terrible. I have been shopping at Gap.

JulieJ said...

Growing up all we did was dye eggs, and then look for those and candy in the morning. Occasionaly we would get a family gift like a game or something. I'm still kind of low key. I buy little sale or clearance items after Christmas and they get that. I have wanted to do less candy and more useful things. Who needs more candy in their lives? At the end of the Ensign a lady bought little posters and DVDS from the church distrubition center to keep more Christ in Easter. I thought that was a cute idea.

stoner said...

I don't do a lot of candy either--my girls aren't big fans. For years I tried giving them chocolate bunnies, because I always wanted one as a kid, and they would take one bite and say, "Yuck!"

Like Julie, I have been picking up stuff on clearance. I already gave them their clothes a couple weeks ago. They are so picky, that they have to help in the clothes selection process.

Good luck! I am sure they will love whatever you do.

Side note: My sister-in-law totally forgot Easter last year and didn't tell her sons until they had ransacked the house for eggs and gifts. She told them they were going to concentrate more on the spirit of the holiday. I don't think this is a bad idea, except she probably should have told them sooner.

We saw them later that day at Grandma's looking really sad....I think this year they are getting stuff again. :D

Maggie B said...

I have been thinking along the same lines. So this year, I am hiding change in the eggs. Then when they come to me with their total, they get an equal amount of money and we will all go and get a surprise, for a needy family in our ward. I am thinking a game. And deposit it on their doorstep after dark.
What do you think? They are getting the junk at their dads, so I was trying to think of something different. Do you think it would be a let down?

Tina said...

Bernadine,
I think that's a great idea. It really helps the kids learn about the giving nature of Christ. This is something I struggle with in that I want the kids to enjoy and look forward to these holidays, but I don't want it to be an expected gift day. This year I decided to go really simple and ended up getting a certain cup color for each of them (hoping to cut down on the cup washing in my world) and a matching yoyo. They have all wanted yoyos and those are kind of timeless, so I figure it was a good idea...plus, it was less than $5 for each of them :) We also got on of the Liken movies.