to all those who are celebrating!  For those of us in the Middle East who straggled into work today….’happier’ Easter!  It’s so tough to go into work knowing that ‘home’ is having a loooonnnngggg weekend, hunting chocolate eggs, enjoying family time and sitting down to a sumptious, delectable, crispy roast dinner….seriously, I can smell it from here….drool!

But back to the real meaning of Easter-the hunt.  The Easter egg hunt, that is.

This year, as we are going on hols over the Easter break, I thought we might ‘postpone’ or ‘re-schedule’ the Easter egg hunt.  I mean, how much chocolate can 3 kids eat in 2 days????  So, given DH and I had to work on today, we thought we might ‘cancel’ the hunt.

Whatever!  It seems I made the wrong decision.

‘Mummy, has the Easter bunny forgotten me?’ came the confused, desperate cry of a 7 year old who loves chocolate.

‘Errrr…honey…you know we are going on hols tomorrow…..the Easter bunny thought you might not be able to eat all the chocolate by then’ I replied, not even believing the sad excuse I was making.

DS1, his angelic blue eyes widening, searched mine for the truth.

I was adamant that the Bunny would not be making an appearance today.   I had too much on my plate: packing, organising, plane food, chargers, swim suits….will we need more sun block than we use here?  Can’t forget the mosquito repellant…..

But DS1 was not going to let this go.  He was so devastated at the thought that the Bunny had forgotten his house, he moped around the front room spreading his doom and gloom.

‘Why did the Easter bunny forget us?’ he whimpered as he buried his curly blond head in his favourite, fleecy blankie.

DD and DS2 looked longingly in my direction for an answer, almost afraid to vocalise their questions out of fear of a ‘negative’ response.

Not even my promise of a roast dinner made DS1 feel any better.  In fact, he ‘poo-poo’ed’ the roast dinner suggestion and requested only fruit.

Oh dear….DS1 off his food???  Something is up!

Thankfully DH returned from the office quite early.  A few furtive whispers between me and him, and he was tootling round the garden finding ‘hide and seek’ places for the plastic eggs.  One plastic egg equals one mini mars bar!

Always makes me laugh.  Our tradition is that we have 2 desert Easter egg hunts: one in the garden; and one in the house.  Due to the spring (?) heat here…today was 33 degrees celsius – we use non-choc eggs for the outdoor hunt and the Lindt choc is reserved for the indoor hunt!  .

The kids were ecstatic. Right little scavengers they were!  They turned the house up-side-down, giggling, squirming as they ferretted for their dairy chocolate rewards from every nook and cranny of the lower ground floor of our house!

DS1 and the Easter Bunny are, once again, best buddies!