a stroke of genius = a new tradition

After someone knocked over a basket full of empty plastic eggs for the millionth time since Sunday, I made an announcement to the girls tonight.

"We have to put all the eggs in the baskets and leave them by the fireplace."
"But, why, mama?" E asked.
"Because the Easter bunny is coming tonight to get them. He needs to bring them back to his...uh...bunny house so he can fill them up next year. So we'll leave them by the fireplace and he'll get them tonight."
"Does he come down the chimney to get them?" E asked.
"No. That's Santa." I replied. "The Easter Bunny...uh...uses the back door."

There was some mild protest that was quickly alleviated by letting them pick two eggs each to play with until next year. E chose wisely -- a pink egg with a purse on it and a Tinkerbell egg. A picked a dark green one and a blue one. Then the bid farewell to the basket and went to bed.

And I bid farewell to the fear that one of us would break our neck on a plastic egg.