Easter 2008

Easter 2008, what a holiday or at least a warm-up to the actual holiday. We've got the classic egg hunts and egg coloring throughout the week, all just out of preparation for the celebration of something entirely different but connected.... Kudos to the crew at Evergreen for hosting the 2 minute scramble event every year, it is certainly becoming a tradition for our small family and there is rumor that this was the last year unless they get more volunteers for next year. It is actually more dependable of a tradition than most family routines, the hunt starts right at 9:00 am and everyone is packing up by 9:05. It takes longer to park the car and walk up to the park than the entire egg hunt requires.
So here we are at the starting gates for the 5-6 yr age bracket, literally having found our place 15 seconds before they raised the checkered flags. Humorously, the announcer went through all the rules--I'm sure due to lessons from years past--with specific emphasis that parents must not cross onto the field or help their children find the eggs, repeat after me.... So as the announcer and crowd counts down, 3-2-1, and the children duck under the rope at 2, well before the sound of the gun, Anna takes off after the pink egg she'd had her eye on. I was proud of her for her determination and soon lost track of her in the crowd, though I could still pick out her distinct voice of selective desperation, "Where's another pink egg, I need to find another pink egg?!?" The entire affair was complete within a matter of seconds, seriously I'd upload the video of the event but you wouldn't get many more frames than shown here. So within seconds I see Anna doggedly make her way back to me noticeably upset that she found only 4 eggs. I could empathize with her for I realize that her small frame of an adult in a child's body has yet to develop the cognitive wherewithal to appreciate the satisfaction with which she unknowingly places her priority of quality over quantity. Truth be told, however, I am not the least bit upset by the hand she's been dealt for I can appreciate (need) any advantage I am given in keeping the sugar highs to a minimum this weekend...and perhaps the lesson learned will add to her competitive nature and instill greater drive for her next year. Maybe if I volunteer to help they will make an exception to my crossing the boundaries and ensuring she finds all the pink eggs her heart desires.
Interestingly, Heidi fared quite well in the 3-4 yr age bracket, nearly doubling the size of Anna's booty. But she's young and has yet to develop any selection criteria of her own. Her competitive drive that permanently rests on the tip of her tongue as an extension of the temper tantrums that she has yet to grow out of likely served her well in beating out the other toddlers. I only wish I could have overheard what choice language she used to express her displeasure. Nothing like a pre-Easter celebration to bring out the best in our children.