Chinese Easter

[I wrote this post nearly three weeks ago but kept intending to put video up of some of my kids cool toys from China that make noise and light up...oh well]

Surely we have all heard of Chinese New Year, but this year our family experienced a little of China on our Easter break.  My Dad and Josh recently returned from a two week trip through China---a last hurrah of sorts---and boy did they bring a lot back with them to share with us!  My personal favorites were the musical spinning tops that were brought back for the grandsons.  Also cool were the cyclists that ride around, light up, and play music...though I am grateful I know how to remove the batteries!  All of my kids (except Bracken who was too big apparently) got silk pajama-esque outfits that are adorable.  Tate doesn't seem to love his but that doesn't matter because he looks soooo darling in them that I am going to make him wear them anyway.

By the time Easter day actually came we were on to true Easter things but I did notice in my pictures that the kids Chinese hats (complete with long braid down the back) were in the entryway by the bunnies, so I thought the China trip was deserving of a shout-out.  The day before Easter we had planned to have a cousins Easter egg hunt at my Dad's but the weather was awful so we postponed until the following day and had the hunt after Sunday dinner.  The kids had a great time and almost everyone got A LOT of eggs.  We had been concerned that the hunt wouldn't happen at all because I had waited until getting back to VA to purchase all of the plastic eggs, etc. because I hadn't wanted to try and pack a lot of extra stuff but when Jessie and I went from store to store we began to panic as all we could see were rows of empty shelves.  Finally CVS saved the day and the kids were totally content with their loot.

Abbie and Tate had already gotten to participate in an Easter egg hunt with Abbie's preschool class.  We all met at a park near the school the Tuesday before Easter and watched the kids scramble for the eggs that were all laid out in a colorful sheet across the grass.  We had decided that actually hiding them may have become to frustrating for a large group of 3-year-olds.  It was tons of fun but Abbie developed an attitude somewhere down the line because I suggested she share some of her eggs with Tate since she had gathered way more than he had.  She was not a fan of the idea.

We all had a very special time just being together.  We were so grateful to be able to spend one last holiday with all of the cousins and siblings together before Josh's departure.  My only regret was not getting a picture of all of the kids together in their Easter clothes.  Grandpa had purchased matching seer sucker outfits for all of the grandkids.  The girls had smocked dresses and the boys all had matching shorts.  I guess I didn't think it was essential to get a picture with my camera because we were having professional family photos taken later in the week, however, I obviously don't have access to putting those on my blog.