Happy Easter!

Note to anyone in my family who may be reading this: Next year, when we start discussing dates for our Spring visit to Texas, if I even consider getting on an airplane the day after Easter, smack me. Hard.

That said . . .

Checking out what the Easter Bunny brought.

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Why yes, there is candy in all of those, why do you ask?

See?

Playing with her "M&M Girl." I just realized that we never did open it and get the candy out. I should add it to my snack stash for the airplane. She's come to expect some M&Ms at some point mid-flight.

She was very excited about the new Abby and Elmo toothbrush.

It's the Special Goldfish that only the Easter Bunny is allowed to buy!

As usual, we hosted the family Easter dinner. Here's the table before anyone arrived. They brought meats and cheeses for the sandwiches, deviled eggs and mac & cheese.

Strawberries, red grapes & Cool Whip, crackers, hummus, pickles, cauliflower bunny, trivets waiting for broccoli-ham casserole, birds' nests.

Roasted carrots, chips, ranch dip, black olives (Over the course of the day, I think Peeper ate damn near the whole can herself!), Easter egg veggie tray, sugar cookies, potato rolls for sandwiches and carrot cupcakes.

Cauliflower bunny (I stole the idea from Today I Ate a Rainbow.)

The centerpiece: Lilacs from the trees in our yard, bunnies from Kris' maternal grandmother (the one who just died) and eggs from her paternal grandmother (who died several years ago).

Birds' nests: Chow mein noodles, butterscotch chips and peanut butter, with jelly beans inside. (In the fall, you just make little plops and call them haystacks.)

Strawberries, red grapes, Cool Whip and bad lighting.

Sugar cookies.

Carrot cake cupcakes from our friend A, the same one who did the bear cupcakes for Peeper's birthday party.

Veggie tray. Does it look like an Easter egg to you? Notice the gaps in the carrots. That's because I had to pull a couple out for Peeper, when she was distraught about "The Easter Bunny aaaate my caaaarrrrooooot!"

The eggs that we dyed yesterday. There's an ice pack under them. I don't think anyone actually ate any (they did last year. Go figure.), so after the party, I made egg salad for Shrike to eat while we're gone. Mmmm, I actually may go get some right now.

Roasted carrots: Olive oil, basil, Tastefully Simple Onion Onion seasoning. 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Huge hit.

Broccoli / Ham / Cheese / Rice casserole, from the Tastefully Simple freezer cooking workshop.

In addition to the family, we invited one family friend. She brought these giant egg-shaped lollipops for all the kids. Of course, Peeper opened hers immediately.

After dinner, the kids hunted eggs in the front yard. Nothing fancy, just empty plastic eggs. They still had a ball looking for them.

They rehunted them a couple of times. This is how Peeper "hides" eggs.

And this is how she wears an Easter basket on her head.