The Easter Bunny Story - Belated

Remember the "Week of Horrible Sickness and Sink Clogs"? Well, Easter fell right in the middle of it. Easter, I must say, is not a holiday that my family or I celebrate wholeheartedly. It's just that I never have been the church going sort, not that there is anything wrong with being a church going sort..... *sigh* I never understood why everyone needed to hide their eggs because Jesus was resurrected. Did he have a serious egg salad craving? What?

I have convinced the girls that on any holiday that involves a mysterious person/creature appearing in the middle of the night with gifts/money/eggs they MUST sleep all night in their own beds. If they are in my bed,Santa/Tooth Fairy/Easter Bunny will not know that they are in the house and the magical person/creature will go on about their business as if no kids lived there.

It is the only way to ensure that the surprises stay surprises until the morning.

If they felt comfortable sneaking into my bed at 3 am, like every other day of the year, they would have the surprise thing ruined. There is just no way -except through the living room where the surprises always are -to get from their room to mine.

This has worked like a charm for their entire lives.

Until this Easter.

Sophie had a fever of 104.0 F and I did not want her sleeping on the other side of the house from me. I pictured seizures......meningitis......vomiting.........untimely death. The mind of a single Mom after 5 full days of sickness and sink clogs tends to run away with itself.

I told Maya that she would have to sleep in her room and Sophie could sleep in my bed because she was sick. This did not go over well. Of the two girls, and even though Maya is the oldest, she is definitely not the one who is okay with sleeping on the other side of the house without someone in the room right next to her. She is scared. Of the bogey man.....strange sounds......the crack between the blinds and the window.....possums......

Then she reminded me that if Sophie was not in her bed the Easter Bunny might forget her.

I countered with, "We'll leave him a note. He'll understand."

Then she said, "If Sophie is sleeping with you, I'm sleeping with you. I don't care if I get sick."

"Okay. We'll just leave the Easter Bunny a note for both of you," I said.

Maya set her chin, trying to be brave. "Okay." Then tears welled up in her eyes. Sighing, she resigned herself, "I guess if he is going to forget then it's only fair he forget both of us."

Great.

Trying to save her psyche AND the holiday, I said, "Well, I don't know what else to do, honey. I'm sure he will understand. If you think of a better idea, let me know. I'm sorry."

"You can sleep on Sophie's floor?" Maya queried.

And guess what?

I did.

So the damn Easter Bunny (me) could come as planned.

I slept on the floor of Sophie's room in top of a few blankets for padding, and in the smallest amount of floor space you can imagine a tall grown-up type person could sleep on.

And the Easter Bunny came......and hid eggs.....and left chocolate.....and jelly beans.....and bubble gum.

And missed no children at our house this year.