coloring Easter eggs

This afternoon, we pulled out our supplies for coloring Easter eggs. here's a glimpse back into last year's Easter weekend when Parker colored eggs for the first time. Parker has been asking for over a week if it was time to color Easter eggs, so when he woke up this morning and inquired, I was happy to smile and say, "Yes Parker. Today you get to color Easter eggs."

I like to to dye our Easter eggs the way my mama did with us each year growing up. It's fun and it's classic. All you need is food coloring, vinegar, eggs and mugs/cups with hot water.

While Parker was patiently waiting on me to get the hot mugs and food coloring ready, he used crayons to color one of the eggs. (this was something else mama used to let us do when my brother and I were little...I've decided it's great not only because it's fun but because it gives the kids something to do while they are waiting on the dye and colors to be ready). This year we went wild and experimented with taping strips onto some the eggs. ;) Very cool. We will definately perfect this next year!

Parker wasn't the only one who was excited about coloring Easter eggs. As soon as Cooper saw all the commotion, he reached those chubby little arms across the seat of one of the kitchen chairs and tried to pull himself up pleadingly hollering, "Up Peas! Up Peas!!! UP PEAS!" (or as you and I would say, "Up, Please.") I couldn't help but laugh as his little legs just kicked out straight as he tried to pull himself up...he would have eventually gotten up there, but I decided to assist rather quickly so as to try and prevent a big "Uh Ho" (as Cooper says) from happening with 5 mugs of hot water and dye. ;)

I was rather disappointed I was not dressed a little cuter throughout the afternoon until our little Mr. Mr. got involved in the decorating process. By the time his anxious and excited little hands retired for the evening, I was covered in green food coloring. Sweet Cooper did not mind the mess. He wailed pitifully (as he rubbed his little fists into his eyes) when mama and daddy decided it was time for bathtime and then bed. :( I think he was rather proud of his green egg though; he had a smile on his face when we laid him down in his crib.

18 eggs all lovingly colored and created by sweet little hands.

Saturday update:
Who notices in the picture below that this egg container is one egg short? Remember Cooper's green egg?

This morning when I walked downstairs after showering to check on the boys (all 3 of them :)), I found Cooper on the hardwoor floor with his little green egg smashed all over the place. As I stood at the top of the stairs dumbstruck, mouth wide open, he looked at me with this blank stare and slowly lifted his hand to his mouth to shove another bunch of egg bits into his (apparantly) hungry little mouth. I yelled for Clay in a panic assuming that the small child had swallowed the egg shell too. After guessing that wife had noticed a small fire or flood in the house by the amount of panic in my voice, Clay bolted up the stairs and dropped his shoulders when he saw the small mess spread throughout the kitchen and entry-way floors. Dear hubby's response was, "Look. He didn't get much of the eggshell. It looks like he took a bite of it and spit it out." [insert exhausted look and sigh directed at hubby] Clay knowingly picked Cooper up and placed him in his high chair with the remaining pieces of egg.

What is it about eggs that fascinate my children?

"Yes. I did something naughty when my daddy wasn't looking and my mommy wasn't around..."

"...but it sure tasted good."