Dear Fellow Toddlers,
Easter is right around the corner. This is an expression, in case you’re at this very moment looking around an actual corner, perhaps of a wall, for Easter. You will not find it. What I meant is that Easter is happening soon. (Why didn’t I just say that the first time?)
I know that this is a really weird year (I say this based on hardly any life experience, but judging from the look on my parents’ faces it does NOT seem like things are going great)!
But even if the world is broken, it’s still Easter. And Easter brings many things: religious enthusiasm, grown men dressed as gigantic bunnies, the resurgence of Peeps. It’s an amazing holiday and the centerpiece of this amazing-ness is the Easter Egg Hunt. Today we are going to focus on the egg hunt, because ain’t nobody stepping into a church this year.
So, I’ve prepared a list of handy Easter Egg Hunting tips for you, my fellow toddlers, in the event that you find yourselves engaged in hand to hand combat for chocolates on a day that is supposed to be reserved for celebrating the Lord.
Ahem.
Tip #1 Wear a bonnet.
Fact: Since before the days of Jesus people have enjoyed toddlers in bonnets. You want to be enjoyed come egg hunt day because the more people focus on how adorable you are, the less likely they’ll be to trip you when you’re lunging at Cadburys. Your bonnet will also serve double duty as a way to keep your actions covert, like tinted windows but for your face.
Tip #2 Do not sleep for three days leading up to the annual egg hunt.
Ask yourself this: does sleeping speed you up or speed you down? (Hint: Have you ever seen a sleeping person win a road race? Me neither). Play it safe and do not sleep for 72 hours before the big day. Listen to the Beastie Boys’ classic No Sleep Till Bunnnnnies and drink some Gatorade, you’ll be fine.
Tip #3 Don’t let your family know how athletic and smart you are.
Egg hunts heavily favor those with athletic prowess and intellectual savvy. Do you have both? Good (and of course you do). Ideally your family will underestimate you. Mine has always underestimated me, which is how last night I was able to remove all of the toilet paper from the house before they could catch me. Quick feet, sharp mind. To ensure underestimation you may need to delay achieving certain developmental milestones for a few additional months. Extreme? I don’t think so.
Tip #4 Play possum (briefly!) in the middle of egg territory.
The goal is this: startle the competition just enough that they lose focus. As soon as they come to check on you, spring up from the ground in a reenactment of the resurrection. This will allow you to celebrate the spirit of the holiday and also potentially claim 1-2 additional eggs for yourself.
Tip #5 Scout out the playing field in advance.
Where is your field of play? You need to know in advance so that you can get a comprehensive overview of the terrain. Make sure that you’ve walked the grounds a minimum of seven times before the big day. Don’t be lazy.
Tip #6 (For the parents). Slow your roll.
That’s right, you heard me. It’s an egg hunt. For children. Your egg-hunting prime ended when you were nine. Play Springsteen’s Glory Days if you’re that hard up for nostalgia, and hum it to yourself if you feel the urge to trample a toddler over bunny shaped chocolates.
Now go get ’em toddlers! This is your time to shine. And trust me, your parents don’t have anywhere else to be right now, so they have a lot riding on this egg hunt.
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Mer
With this much dedication and ability to inspire, Nolan is destined to become the next Coach Taylor. Love it!
Liz
This means so much to Nolan. He has a picture of Coach Taylor above his crib.
Mer
Tell Nolan that I fully expect his first officially spoken words to be: “Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose!” (If you can possibly be sure to catch this on video, that would be best).
Casey F
We heard from our Easter Bunny, who is concerned with the 4+ ft of snow and dog poop that covers our back yard, and asked for a key to get inside. My question to Nolan is: Should we let this rodent into our home while we’re asleep???
Liz
Nolan typically advises against letting rodents into your home in the night. But in special circumstances, this being one of them, he feels that an exception must be made. Just make sure you get the key back before Sunday evening. Bunnies are notorious liars and thieves.
Marie B.
another good one! (what else can you expect from The Best New Blog of 2014.!). Happy Easter To you, dad and the best blog subject of all time…….your very own Nolan! I am going to share his tips with the toddlers next door. They always ask about him! 🙂
Liz
Thanks Marie!!