Saturday, April 11, 2009

Public Egg Hunt Insanity


Every year the Lion's Club has a big Easter Egg hunt at one of the parks in our town. This is the first year we decided to take our son who is 2 1/2. Last year we felt he was too young, so we just did a small egg hunt with our family.
Now I had heard stories about this egg hunt getting out of control, but then some friends assured me it just depends on the group that year.
So I was running late this morning, but I managed to make the snacks, and get the kids into the car and on the road by my goal time of 11:30. We arrived at the park about 11:45, and then I ran around the car a few times trying to decide what to do first. I decided to get the baby into the front pack first, and then put the toddler in the stroller. Then I tried to walk as fast as I could to the Egg Hunt area. Did I mention I think I pulled a muscle sometime in there? They should make getting kids in and out of a car an Olympic event. If you're under a time constraint it is one stressful ordeal. I always hear the William Tell Overture in my head as I'm loading the car. But I digress...
So I got there, and I had to ask someone where to go for the toddler hunt. It was just people everywhere and the signs for each section were tiny, and there were people standing in front of them. So I found my friends and we decided to put our kids in the Unassisted section. You read that right. UNassisted. That means the kids are gathering eggs alone. We stand there waiting for the countdown, and then we hear 5...4...3...2...1...GO! So my little guy walks out there and cautiously starts picking up eggs. I was so proud of him and enjoying it, and then it happened. Did I read the sign wrong? Because some impatient parents couldn't just enjoy watching their kids walk around with bewildered looks on their face and occasionally pick up an egg. No they had to storm in there and swipe eggs from the reach of slowly bending UNASSISTED toddlers. A hunt that would have easily lasted 10 minutes took less than a minute. Apparently someone needed whatever little prizes were in those plastic eggs in a bad way. I have no idea what they are, because my kid only wanted the real eggs. (Hey, you have to give the kid credit. He accepts no imitations!) I just sat there with a look of utter disbelief on my face. There was a section for assisted toddlers. Perhaps these people can't read? Or they don't know what UNassisted means? Or they are just rude. I'm going with the last one. All I can say was it was definitely an experience. I might have to spend some time teaching my kid how to throw some elbows for next year! So think twice next year before you swipe the egg in front of any blond 3 year old boys. Muhahahah...

1 comments:

Katie and Bob said...

Don't get me started on the many reasons why people are stupid...glad Byron had fun though!