Associate Bunny Memoir

The Easter Bunny is an important and very busy personage at this time of year. Our family understands that, unlike Santa Claus, The Bunny cannot be everywhere, so each year there is an Associate Bunny who helps out. In recent years, my daughter Jessica was Associate Bunny but now that she is at college, I returned to that role. Of course, the Associate Bunny cannot participate in the great Egg Hunt, so my son Paul declined the nomination. He did help dye the eggs.

This year, we had over 20 guests for Easter. Early in the morning, The Bunny hid 240 eggs (real hardboiled and dyed eggs, also plastic eggs with candies inside). Before the hunt, the children old enough to hunt are briefed by the Associate Bunny. During the briefing, every child picks a stuffed animal to be their personal advisor (since parents are not allowed to help hunt), plus a basket for their eggs. Egg Hunt Rule #1 is always There are no eggs in the flower beds. After the briefing, children line up inside the house in order of age. The youngest (5 years old) goes out first and has one minute by the clock before the next child leaves the house. The last three (ages 12 to 15) went out together.

For the adults, The Bunny hides the Gold and Silver eggs in very difficult places. The only clues are offered in two poems:

Gold Egg Poem
My hiding place is off the ground
My holder here is partly round
I can see you through the bars
Colored like the planet Mars
If the gold egg you would find
Seek the string which does me bind

Silver Egg Poem
A dark dry home looked good this year
And becoming cold wasn’t a fear
You will find me warm and snug
Trying to avoid both bug and slug
Would you find me hidden here
Lift me up and give a cheer

This year’s Gold egg was hanging from a thread behind some red wooden steps (found by my brother). The Silver egg was under some boards in the wood box (found by Jenny even though she was carrying Baby Emma while hunting). Here are some images from our Easter:

Hardboiling 5 dozen eggs

Hardboiling 5 dozen eggs - Easter 2008
photo: copyright 2008 Katy Dickinson