I've been thinking about Easter a lot for the past week, and about what it means to me and how I'm sort of...taking it in this year. We're not super churchy, so I'm not saying I had a moment with God or anything, but for me it was more about taking time to examine some new beginnings we have going on here (jobs, home, a toddler language explosion) and rediscovering some faith in myself and my family.
This is just a long way of saying that we had a really lovely weekend.
Today we had lunch at Benihana! And it was awesome! I highly recommend your local hibachi establishment if you have a toddler. Claire was TRANSFIXED by the chef and the food and the steam and the...everything. She's a huge fan of hibachi.
She is not a huge fan of Benihana hats though.
Me though? I'm sort of amused by Benihana paper hats.
Claire hunted for Easter Eggs this afternoon. They're the plastic kind, because hard boiled eggs make me want to gag. Oh my goodness, there's nothing that makes me want to barf more than ruining a perfectly good Cobb Salad with a bunch of grody EGG.
I had them on the breakfast table this morning and when she spotted them her eyes got really big and she said, "OOOOOOOO!" Then she called them, "Ball!"
Yeah! Sort of, honey.
Side Story: Last week they did an egg hunt at her school and each parent was asked to bring in a dozen plastic eggs with "fruit snacks or stickers" inside. So, "fruit snacks" obviously means those gummi-type snacks in Disney character shapes with something like 2% fruit juice, right? Not the best calories you can buy, but pretty harmless toddler food in moderation, yes?
Well. I was the only parent that opted for stickers. (OF COURSE.) Claire came home that afternoon with about 12 eggs stuffed with:
- Starburst candies
- Jelly Belly jelly beans
- Haribo gummi bears
- Brach's gummis in the SHAPE of fruit - the kind with sugar all over the outside
- 1 package of legit fruit snacks
Now. I'm not saying that any of these are BAD for a toddler. They're treats. Whatever. Sometimes-foods. But the directions said FRUIT SNACKS and 4 out of these 5 are definitely not fruit snacks! They have fruit in the name or color but seriously? Not fruit! Not even 2% fruit-juice-Disney fake fruit!
I can't decide if the other parents phoned it in with a, "Whatever, this is what we have to stuff in these stupid eggs," or if they really thought these were semi-healthy because of their vaguely fruity properties given to them by a marketer.
I think they really do think these snacks are be healthy. Because, you know, that's a Pineapple flavored gummi bear! FRUIT!
What do you think? Stupid people? Or just careless people? Either way, America's ideas about food are really messed up.
Anyway. I got a cute picture of us this weekend, which is so rare.
Then I blew some bubbles and Claire chased them. I wish I liked anything just half as much as she likes bubbles. It must be nice to be so flat out THRILLED by something so simple. Being 18-months old must be the best age ever.


