I struggle with the Easter Bunny/Fancy Hat side of Easter every year. Every year. I have issues with the Easter Bunny and I don’t wear fancy hats. In fact, I don’t wear fancy anything and fancy makes me break out. But I am SUPPOSED to look fancy on this one day. I don’t really understand this. Is is about Him or is it about us? If it’s about Him, then it should not be about me. And if it’s not about Him, then why am I doing it? I find it a little baffling when commercialism and religion try to link arms and walk off together. Just seems confusing. I’m not trying to spark any controversy or even solve this in my mind, so don’t stress yourself out over this. What I believe about the Easter holiday doesn’t matter anyway. What I believe is this: I believe in Jesus. Every day of every week. I believe in bunnies of the marsh and pet variety. And I believe in eating chocolate as often as possible. I do not believe in eating marshmallow peeps. If Disgusting could be packaged and eaten…oh wait, it can. Marshmallow peeps. Nasty.
But back to the fancy thing. I have always felt the pressure of THAT Sunday, because everyone is fancified to photogenic perfection. Girls have ribbons and lacy socks and little hats. Older ladies wear hats that look like someone glued an igloo on top of a lily pad and called it a new dormitory. Little boys are wearing suits with hankies in the pockets.
And then there’s me.
And my kids.
I try.
I really do.
It’s just so much pressure.
Beyond the outfit, then there is the Easter Outfit Picture. To illustrate the pressure I feel to properly comply, and then the level of failure I experience, I will post the only 4 pictures I took of my children on Easter Sunday, 2008.
In this first one, I decided to butcher the light, smash the newborn into the crack of a chair, and juxtapose pink dresses with a red chair. Awesome. And the baby is spitting.
And since that lighting thing went badly, I’ll try a flash with this next one and go with the over-exposure look. Now she just looks frightened and plagued with male pattern baldness. Cute, though, in a Monkey Sanctuary kind of way…
And here comes the family shot. Everyone look your best and smile for the camera.
Never. Mind.
Snappshots.com 
I totally get the pressure! From my mother in law. Its hard enough to get 4 kids ready on a “normal” Sunday. My MIL buys the kids Easter clothes every year ( which I am thankful for ) and makes a point to let me know that I need to take more pics of them wearing the outfits than i did last year! Wish me luck! ( :
I always hated peeps too! Then my kids, who love them, started making s’mores in the microwave. They are a GREAT source of entertainment! Try it!
There may have been a new dress for Kristie to wear and the boys a new shirt, but, it was like getting ready for any other Sunday morning…..except for the hidden Easter baskets that morning, and that was a LOT of fun.
I needed a good laugh and I rolled with these! That group of pictures is something you will want to add to your blackmail pile of embarassing things to drag out later! Your adorable children will grow up into adorable but awkward grown children trying to impress a date or future spouse! Priceless!
I think the whole dressing up thing is left over from the 1950’s, where the moms and daughters actually matched and men and boys wore suits on a regular basis. We are just so happy that we have spring in this part of the country, and I think that is part of our whole dressing up thing. Spring has such a different meaning after a long, snowy, cold, white winter! We definitely see the rebirth happening daily here and it is so extremely exciting!
The girls look so precious in that first pitiful photo. Sweet sweet sweet!