Easter, kids and all that junk that comes with it.....

[annaz]

[quote="mom2every1"]. Our They think the idea of bunnies with eggs is kinda twisted anyway - mammals don't lay eggs my 8 year old told me.
[quote]

Too funny. I never noticed this.

[shera]

Well my kids Aunt makes a big deal about Easter for some reason. So we do an Easter egg hunt and she makes up a basket. They don't get alot of candy though. It will have like a DVD or art supplies in it.

We have also been known to have a jelly bean hunt in the house instead of an Easter egg hunt outside since as you know chocolate will melt outside here usually. My in laws started that tradition and sometimes they would find jelly beans in October hiding in the house someplace. They got really tricky sometimes.

Sarah

[Tansy]

Well for Easter/ Ressurection Sunday I used to Celebrate it more than Christmas pity I don't have the kind of time I had before i had kids.. I used to start in January making my eggs.

I find it interesting that in the passover the kids are sent off to hunt for leaven bread... usually hidden in obvious spots... then later they are sent to hunt for the Afkomin (part of a matza wrapped in a white cloth the finder gets a gift, its a representation of Christ!) Easter egg hunts are just and extension of that so why not celebrate The True Meaning of Easter And The Passover Seder? It holds so much significance for us!!!!! I must admit I never understood why eggs are so offensive to some people? Jesus had hard boiled eggs at his passover feast.Why not teach the jewish/christian cultural roots?

Passover stuff
http://www.threemacs.org/themes/jewish/passover.htm
Heres a good Haggada for "the never did it before crowd" (messianic)
http://www.its-time.info/books/haggadah/
http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/ ... gadah.html
Resurrection cookies!!!! make the night before! for a fun morning surprise!
http://www.cherbearsden.com/cookies.html
And why not pack into those baskets a gift of cultural fun!
http://www.chinaberry.com/prod.cfm/pgc/ ... /807020608

I know My kid tresures the things I have made her so for easter she gets some consumables (new crayons, puzzle pads jelly beans and chocolate) and a bunny (that gets sent to her Aunti who collects bunnies a few weeks later) and a psyanky eggs that she has seen me create over the past few days or weeks... This egg gets put away every year some times they break but the ones we have preserved, get brought out each year. Its a great memory of our lives.

its not really hard to make the eggs. You can use a candle and a pin stuck in the eraser of a pencil. Use the pin head to dot the egg with wax (makes very simple disigns), use a crayon to add the year and dye it. Dot with wax again and dye it again. when your ready hold the egg over the lit candle so the wax gets warm and melts slowly off. rub the wax off with a paper towel you will polishing the egg at the same time. (blow the egg out if you plan on keeping it or if your brave don't boil the egg and let it dry it will keep forever but if it ever breaks PeeeU the stink!).

Also use hand gathered eggs or wash your eggs before doing this or the silicone from the machines will put lines though your work.

[shera]

Tansy Thanks for bringing back some memories for me. I used to do this type of egg decorating as a kid. No one I know has ever done this. They look at me like I'm crazy I don't decorate eggs anymore. I am the only one that likes them and I never did get the hang of blowing the egg out of the shell.

Sarah

[Rebecca]

I got the idea from my sister to have Easter be about spiritual nurture. Our children get one "spiritual nurture" gift and one fun, inexpensive spring or easter themed gift. They also get chocolate. We have life-threatening food allergy here- so I order it from a special online site. They only get it at Christmas, Easter, and sometimes Thanksgiving.

Last year they got a hummingbird feeder as the spring themed gift.
Along with a hummingbird picture book by Joanne Ryder.

We also do family devotions with Resurrection Eggs which we all love. With our five children: every night one or two children hide the egg and one child gets to "find."

Our spiritual nurture this year is music.

Hope this makes sense,
Rebecca

[Tansy]

Rebecca I love this idea!

[SandKsmama]

We have some great Christian Easter books that we read every year - one is "Peter's first easter" by Walter Wangerin. It is fantastic...makes me cry EVERY year:-) Another is called Benjamin's Box - it kind of goes along with the Resurrection eggs that you can find at most any Christian bookstore (or you could make your own). It's a GREAT story just by itself though.

We do the fun Easter egg hunts/easter baskets, but like we do with Christmas, we try to focus more strongly on the Christian emphasis, and let the "fun" stuff be seperate and kind of *extra*, not the main thing.

hth!
Amanda

[6timeboymom]

Tansy-wonderful ideas!
there's lots of great ideas in this thread!!
My sister thinks it's absolutely criminal, but we don't really do Easter. We focus on church and the celebration there. I have no good reason except that we never started because I was either too lazy, too pregnant, or just plain too broke!!

We have made the Easter story cookies though-have you seen them? You put them in the oven, shut it off, and tape it shut. then in the morning there's nothing inside the cookie! I'll c/p it form my file-hang on-

OK, I exported it from my recipe program, so if there's funny marks or breaks I just missed them! It's cool top make, though!


****AccuChef Import File (C)SIVART Software http://www.AccuChef.com

Easter Cookies With Bible Lesson

1 Cup
whole pecans
1 Tsp
vinegar
3
egg whites

pinch salt
1 Cup
sugar
Preheat oven to 300.

Instructions:~

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden
spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested
He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.~
Read John 19:1-3~
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. ~
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to
drink.~
Read John 19:28-30~

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave
His life to give us life.~
Read John 10:10-11~

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and
brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears
shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.~
Read Luke 23:27~

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1c. sugar. Explain
that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us.
He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16~

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks
are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God' s
eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.~

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons (you don't want them too big or
it won't work, so I'm told) onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain
that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.~
Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.
Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus'
tomb was sealed.
Read Matt. 27:65-66. GO TO BED!
Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven
overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.~
Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.~
Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On
the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and
empty.
Read Matt. 28:1-9~

Cookies can be left on a very very low temp..like 250 degrees. and be
ready in a couple of hours...when surface of cookie looks dry and cracked....
they are ready to eat!!!!! These cookies are quite sweet but tasty!~

....End of recipe definition