Homemade Easter Eggs with a Crazy Toddler: What I'm Makin' Monday

I'm going to start off with a bit of good old fashioned TMI, for old time's sake. Afterall, this is the stuff I started this blog to write about...

Well, I was taking this birth control you see, and it was making me crazy. Not certifiably but I was getting so emotional, and moody, and I was COMPLETELY unmotivated. Yes, I blame my birth control for killing my drive (in more than one way) and making me a lazy blob that goes to bed as early as (GASP) 8:30.

So, a week ago I decided to toss it to the curb (yes my husband knows, I'm not going rogue) (and no, I haven't 100% convinced him for #2 yet).

Another thing I kicked last week... Caffeine. I didn't drink a lot of it. Mostly just on the weekends for my 4:30am shift, and I'd split a 5-Hour Energy 1/2 Saturday 1/2 Sunday. But I successfully survived my first (half) weekend without it (I was sick Saturday and had a fill-in).

All that to say that I'm proud of myself for composing this post at 11:30pm (now 2:10am). I just put Lil' J down for bed at 11:15. No, that is not the norm, but for some reason, tonight I couldn't bear to let her go any earlier.

Since I have been going to sleep early, and I already packed my sewing stuff, I'm going to have to get creative with my Makin' Monday posts these next few weeks. This week, I made this silly child one happy girl.

Dress from Grandma!

The day started Sunday morning around 4am. I got up just before my husband and hurried to get ready for work. The babysitter arrived just before I left and my husband followed shortly behind me.

Sadly, this month we've both had to work weekend mornings and the overlap is brutal. Daycare plus a weekend nanny... Not ideal. But during the week we have each been able to spend time more with Lil' J at home.

I perused Facebook at work and kept seeing everyone post their adorable Easter photos and talk about the Easter Bunny visiting. I was SO envious. I couldn't wait to get home and go to church and play Easter Bunny with my girl too.

Unfortunately, I hadn't done a good job preparing for our fun time ahead. I had already packed/given away our plastic Easter eggs, had no candy, and wasn't sure if we had real eggs in the fridge.

I checked during my break and we had just over half a dozen, but they expired February 4th. .... Woops. Oh well, we didn't have to EAT them, just decorate them.

One thing I remembered is that we had some egg dye in one of our cupboards from last year that we needed to use or lose before the move. Perfect timing! I set a mental game plan and counted down til I was off work.

I went straight to church to meet our nanny and Lil; J. She was in the nursery, so I went to sacrament meeting of another ward to hear the Easter service, and we met up at the end.

BINGO! Her nursery teachers handed her three plastic eggs, I had a fourth a friend of mine gave me at work. That would be enough for hunting!

When we got home the fun started. I pulled out a pot and the eggs and Lil' J knew we were about to do something fun. She wanted to help in the entire process.

I don't even really know the correct way to boil eggs but I figured since we weren't going to eat these anyway it couldn't hurt if I did it wrong. Lil' J helped me put the eggs in the cool water then I set the pot on the stove to boil. I let it boil for a good half hour while I cleaned off the table and got the dye ready.

Sadly, I packed most of our Tupperware too so our dye containers were a nice eclectic assortment of tubs ranging from condiment containers to breastmilk storage cups. Nice.

Lil' J repeated the colors after me while I added vinegar and water and kept ooohing and ahhhing as they bubbled (and of course tried to dive out of my arms to stick her finger in them).

We let the eggs cool then I asked her which color she wanted to start with.

"Boo" she said. Ok, blue. Good choice.

The glitter packets that were in the kit long surpassed their best by date and were all dried out... Sad face!! But she still had fun using the squirt tube things (she was very serious about this).
I'm not sure what's wrong with me, but for some reason I expected my one year old to gracefully show me her Easter eggs while I snapped photos.

No.

She'd pick it up for a moment then drop it on the floor. Where Snoop was waiting, hoping to escape with one.

Then I'd flip out.

"No!! Be gentle with the pretty eggs!! Don't drop them!! No more!"

Lil' J: *Tears* and "AAAHHHs"

"Ok fine, but don't drop it ok?"

"Ok."

*SMASH*

*Face to palm*

I asked her to show me the pretty egg, thinking she'd choose her favorite and she picked the blue one, but I snapped the photo just as she let go. Here it is shattered anyway.

Then I got a grip and just had fun letting her make a mess, dropped eggs and all (though trying to selvage as many as I could for a hunt.)

My husband texted me saying he was going to be late, though luckily he was only a couple hours late, and home in plenty of time for an egg hunt. He got her dressed again while I--I mean, the Easter Bunny hid them outside (luckily he makes late afternoon stops for weekend-working parents).
The eggs were hidden yet somewhat obvious. Tall grass, notches in a tree, between branches on a fallen limb. I figured she'd need help with a few.

Now let me tell you, I don't know if she remembers the hunt we went to last year where eggs in front of her were snatched by big kids on the prowl; or if she had practiced hunts at school; or if she just understood when I handed her a basket and said "go find the eggs" but she went to town and snatched them all up on her own, with only a few general direction cues.

It wasn't easy capturing pictures of her running around and grabbing eggs, but I got a few decent ones, and some blurry ones that were still too cute to ignore. If anything I'll remember how dang excited she was to hunt for eggs.


I thought she would be more excited about her purse, I specifically picked out the pre-made, UN-origional, generic basket with a purse because she's always carrying around my purse and she actually just started saying "purse" but she barely wanted anything to do with it. She wanted the eggs and what was inside them.

Daddy had no problem obliging.

Then we had a very-not-fancy Easter dinner, and an evening Skyping with long-distance grandparents, aunts and uncles. Good times for sure.

My husband took off for bed before 9 and I decided I wanted a few more snuggles with my crazy bunny. By 11, she was pointing to her room, and jumping into her crib with pleasure. As I rocked her before setting her down I thought what strength it would take to sacrifice my child as God did. Goodness gracious, that's love.

It was a long, beautiful, day. One I know I'll always cherish.

What did you do this Easter?

Just because I didn't make anything crafty doesn't mean I don't want to see your domestic skills. Link up and share!