Ready...Set...Go

Last Sunday was the occasion for our yearly Easter Egg Hunt for our kids and other kids on the block. We use to go like lemmings to the annual Park District hunt, but after a year or two of seeing the people heading to the ER due to fighting over eggs(and I'm talking about the adults), we said no more.  So, actually easier and safer in our yard.  The kids come and go, via moving out of the neighborhood, graduating into a teen, or, we just don't invite them back anymore cause we don't like 'em.  Either way, there are always new friends around, and, it seems like, more kids on the block than ever. Sometime in the morning, my wife spends an hour or so filling plastic eggs with sugar and scatters them around the yard.  She also places some trinkets, i.e. hula hoops, bubbles, etc.  After breakfast we round up the available kids on our street and we set them off.  The biggest problem this year was the pesky squirrels  trying to make off with some of the loot, and, the biggest surprise:  the weather was decent, the sun was shining, and the chocolate was melting inside the eggs while we gathered everyone.  But, the kids had 10 minutes of scrambling for their loot and were laughing and having fun while doing so.  We had expected, as usually happens, that after all the stuff was found, some kids would be big winners and some would not do as well.  Usually the older boys do quite well, while the younger little girls not so much. If that happens, we have them pour all their junk into a pile and we split it up.  This year, not necessary.  Everyone won.  And this is what makes us want to do it again next year.