egg coloring

After our annual Easter viewing of "An Easter Carol" by the Veggie Tales crew came the traditional coloring of hard-boiled eggs.  There's lots of opinions on where the tradition comes from (or from how many different sources), but suffice to say that people around the world have been eating and/or coloring & eating eggs in the spring for thousands of years - and so are we!

Paas coloring and vinegar - a long-standing tradition.  The coloring tablets are basically food coloring; the vinegar helps the colors penetrate the shell and be bolder.

Then the color mix is added to water to make the color baths.  We've gathered quite a few of the little plastic egg cups over the years - makes it nice to do multiple batches of lots of colors!

Kayl makes sure each cup gets exactly the right mixture: 1/2 cup cold water, 3 tablespoons white vinegar, and the coloring.

Now it's time for the eggs!!

We like to write messages on the eggs in white wax, which will show since it prevents the dye from penetrating the egg in that spot.  Usually it's just "Happy Easter" or a cross or the year, but the kids like it.

Got to get them all soaking...

Kayl checks the eggs every so often, to make sure they get enough - but not too much - color.

Sean really likes the bolder colors - purple, blue, dark green, etc., but likes to make orange as well.

These ones look good enough to eat!!

We might have gone overboard this year - Mary boiled 4 dozen eggs, and 3 1/2 dozen survived to be colored...

But they do look nice!   Mmmm - can you say boiled eggs and toast for breakfast tomorrow?!?

Easter morning

Easter Morning is here!  How wonderful the kiddos still feel young enough to believe in family traditions and get excited over things as small as Easter Eggs!!

Eggs on the stairs means the Easter Bunny was here!  The kids were moving so fast it was hard to get a picture - video or still.

Where else are the eggs hidden.  Sean nearly bowled me down getting to the living room to find the eggs...

Kayl found a couple hidden amongst the trophies and photo albums.

Sean found some over by the wine and nick-knacks.

They both found some in the puzzles and games!!

Wow!  More eggs in my bucket!

And chocolate bunnies!

Now it's time to count up the finds and see what's in them...

Kayl starts off by 'clumping' hers into groups of 5.  She's such a math whiz!

Sean decides to line his up to count them.

Lots and lots of 'bunny pellets' (jelly beans)!!  There were also some special eggs that had coins in them!

school egg hunt - girls

Kayl and her friend had over an hour to wait from the time we got there until the older kids got to hunt, so her friend's parents took them to the local feed store for a little trip.  Of course, that meant that the hunt would run 20 minutes early, and they missed it. :-(  However, they went out in the fields and found a few eggs that got overlooked...

The girls started out deciding to pick up the egg halves that other, inconsiderate kids left on the field, as well as any litter they could find (you got to love these girls!).

Then they spotted a few eggs that got missed in the 'scramble'.

They found a couple intact, with candy still inside.

There were only a couple, but they canvased the entire field - taking about 20 minutes - just to make sure.

And just as they were about to give up, they found a couple more!

They didn't get many, but maybe just enough.  (Or maybe it was just being together that made it fun...)

Here they are 'hamming' it up for a parent's camera...

Looks like they had a good time after all!

school egg hunt - Sean

For the first time we also went to the egg hunt that a local church puts on at the kids' school.  Since they start with the pre-school kids, there were some games to keep the older kids occupied.  Sean liked the mini golf.

Sean thought the bean toss was pretty easy.  Every game won a prize, though, so he played them all.

As it got close to the time for the 1st graders, Sean surveyed the field.  You got to have a plan...

The time finally came, and they lined up all the kids his age.  Note everyone standing all slack-like, but Sean getting his 'track stance' so he could fly.  The game plan:  run out to the middle of the field where no one would be so he didn't have other hands grabbing nearby.  (Recognize that strategy?  Check out my church egg hunt post from last week...)

GO!!!  (Look at all of the kids grabbing at the edge, and Sean 'blitzing' for the middle...)

And here Sean's strategy pays off - he's all alone, and there are TONS of eggs!

Then, as the wave of kids gets closer, Sean heads for the far corner of the field - again, untouched...

Once again he's out in the lead, and grabbing eggs as fast as he can.

Now, to check the spoils...

Sean took out all of the candy.  Some of the eggs included little slips of paper that got you a prize over at the prize table.  Sean had found 3 with prizes!

He was a little shy, but I got him to step up and claim his prizes (strips of stickers, but hey, a prize is a prize!).  There was also a place to 'recycle' the eggs (for use again next year), and Sean really liked that idea.  With yesterday having been "Earth Day", he was all up for some recycling!

After his age was done, Sean had some time to kill waiting for sister to go with the older kids, so it was off to the playground!

It's kind of hard being one of the 'bigger' kids.  The little ones keep getting in your way... (Not that Sean use to get in the way of the 'bigger' kids - no!)

Then Sean noticed that the really bigger kids had left their playground to go hunt - a whole playground to himself!!

And, of course, after playing hard, one needs to refuel.  Unfortunately, all that was at hand was the chips and candy... ;-)

crossing patrol

Kayl has been a member of the crossing patrol this year, and she has enjoyed the responsibility of it.  The patrol is split into three 'squads', which each do a week of patrol and then have two weeks off.  This was the first nice weather week I could remember Kayl's squad having patrol, so I grabbed the camera and got some pics!

Kayl takes her spot on the patrol very seriously, and is constantly vigilant for walkers and cars.  (She's even been known to complain a little about a few of the other patrollers not taking it as seriously...)  In fact, she won't let me even cross where there is no walk, even when the patrol is not out!

Of course, all of the parents of those kids walking to school should be glad that she does take it so seriously...

This week, Kayl's in zone 6, with three walks and a team of five.  In addition to the patrollers you see here, there are two at the walk behind me.

Here's Kayl, getting ready to cross another student.

Can you see the serious expression on her face?

Of course, I think she just really enjoys being able to stop the cars.  Maybe a future police person?  Maybe a flagger for construction?  Maybe just enjoying it now...

Note the quick smile back to dad!