Day Seventy: Happy First Easter, Miss LB!

Lilybeth and Mama woke up today at the crack of dawn (6 AM) to see what little tokens of spring the Easter Bunny had left for her. I think I went a bit over the top playing the Osterhase--as the Easter Bunny was originally called in Germany--for the first time because, along with her plastic eggs filled with puffs, she also received hair barrettes, a little pair of jeans, a toy flower garden, a bath toy, a baby toothbrush and toothpaste combo, and some fingerpaints. Tom and I agreed that in the future, she can leave her basket out for Bunny, and she'll get one little toy like a ball or a stuffed animal, along with some sweets.

When I was reading up about the beginnings of the Easter Bunny, I learned that children would originally make their own baskets and then hide them somewhere in the house for the Bunny to find and lay eggs in. In some places, the Bunny hides the baskets for the children to find, which sounds like a fun ritual to have. Maybe when she's older she can make her own basket, and Bunny can hide it for her to find on Easter morning.

After she ate all the puffs out of the plastic eggs and had a big hearty breakie of oatmeal, prunes, and banana, Lilybeth took a bath to get ready for Grandma and Grandpa's house. This was a very special bath as it was her first one in the big tub! I thought she would be frightened sitting in it, but actually I think she liked having all her toys spread out around her.

And when we arrived in Victorville, we found that the Easter Bunny also paid a visit to G and Grandpa's house, where he left another good haul for LB.

She was completely fascinated by this pinwheel that the Bunny left. She thought it was hilarious when someone would blow on it to make it spin. She kept pressing it to my lips so that I would give it a whirl! And when the Lovejoy-Fordham Alliance went for its walk this afternoon, she carried it the entire way.

Here's a nice shot of her in the little Easter dress from Great Uncle John. She looked so sweet in it! And, yes, that's the pinwheel she's holding.

When she had had a good look at all her Easter treasures, Uncle Daniel went outside to hide the Easter eggs, which he also boiled up and painted for her. Such a good uncle. Here she is watching him hide them out the window. Little cheat!

Then, as is the Lovejoy Family tradition, the men folk had to help the little one find the eggs. I think they enjoyed it more than she did!