The year the Easter Bunny learned Manners...

When Devin and Sarah were young; I was working late at Grand Union. A customer came in at the last minute in a rush and bought a box of Baking Soda.

"Oh thank God!" she said, "I'm so glad I caught you before you closed, I use this Baking Soda to make Bunny Tracks for my kids so they can find their way to their Easter Baskets...."

"What a great I idea!" I said, and that year I began the tradition of waiting for the kids to go to sleep before "Making Bunny-Tracks!"

I would dip my thumb in a bowl of water, press it into another bowl filled with baking soda and press tracks around the house; leaving trails for my kids to follow in the morning. After breakfast we vacuumed up the baking soda, freshening the carpet and the vacuum at the same time!

I made tracks everywhere... tracks to nests... tracks to baskets... even tracks to dead ends... Sarah always says Devin found everything and she found the dead ends. I don't remember it quite that way, but I was the grown-up I think....

Then one year I came home after a double shift and I was too tired to be enthused about "making Bunny Tracks!"

"It's your tradition" said my ex-wife "I'm going to bed..."

So there I sat. Staring at the baskets, baking soda and water. "ugh." I said to myself. "What am I going to do?!!!" "I'm just to beat to beat the carpet this year..."

Then, I had an epiphany! I knew what I had to do, so I did it and went upstairs to bed.

In the morning, Devin and Sarah came out of their rooms, and in unison they chimed: "Hey! Theres no Bunny Tracks!" "The Easter Bunny didn't come this year!"

"What?" I said in disbelieving tones... "...are you sure? I don't think he would skip our house, he's too nice to do that to two good kids like you... Lets have a look around..."

We walked around the room until we came to the Front Door. Then, as sincerely as I could muster without a giggle I said: "LOOK! The Easter Bunny wiped his feet on the mat before he came into the house! What a good Easter Bunny!"

...they looked at me in disbelief. I don't think they bought it. I don't think he ceased to exist that year, but I know he wasn't as cool as he was before. Its just a guess mind you, but an "Easter Bunny with manners" lost mad props that day!

All I know is, it was a stroke of genius that gave me a good nights rest!

Hippity-Hoppity!


obeedúid~
12/apr/09