It's Easter!

Easter is one of my favorite holidays, because I love rabbits and jelly beans. When I was a kid, my parents would always make us big baskets full of all kinds of candy and hide them in the house, with a trail of jelly beans leading to the spot. Then we had large quantities of candy for breakfast (and at least one hardboiled dyed egg, which we were required to eat as a small concession to health).

I also love Easter because it marks the coming of spring, which is my favorite season. I love seeing the wildflowers, the fresh green grass (especially exciting in California, where the grass all turns brown in the summer due to lack of rainfall), and the nesting birds. Everything feels clean and new and hopeful, and the world is full of possibility. I like the fact that every day is longer than the next as the hours of sunlight increase.

Since I have a rabbit obsession, I always buy Easter cards and send them to all my relatives. I did it this year too; for little R I bought the fabulous The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes, even though she won't be listening to any book (let alone reading) for quite a while. This book features a little brown girl rabbit, who defies racism, sexism and classism to rise to become one of the Easter Bunnies, even though she is a single mother of 21 children. I have always loved this book so much, and am excited to share it with R once she is old enough.

My mother gave R a darling little Easter dress, complete with a crinoline skirt. Now that she is a little bit older, she looks exactly like a living Kewpie doll (multiple people have commented on this) and it was so fun to dress her, including a little headband and bow, and tiny patent leather shoes. At times like this I am very glad I have a girl. Their clothes are so much cuter!