From Cold Toes to Golden Tickets

March 28th was the designated day for Easter egg hunts, and let me tell you, the options were endless. We decided to be ambitious and participate in two different events.

Our first stop was the EggSTrEAM Eggstravaganza at Franklin Middle School. It was packed with those classic, wonderful games like the egg-and-spoon race. United Church also hosted a flower planting station—and shocker, our little plant is actually sprouting already! I met so many super nice people from the church who were just so warm and welcoming. Honestly, I don’t want to sound crazy, but every person we met was just lovely.

We got to pet some cows from Downey Farm and some bunnies from another sweet lady, and we even snapped photos with an alligator from Shoe Orthodontics. The downside? Holy cow, it was freezing. It was so cold we actually had to retreat to the car to thaw out until the hunt officially began.

The hunt itself was a quick free-for-all for empty eggs to be traded in for prizes. Priscilla did really well! However, when we got to the prize table, it was a bit of a mob scene. By the time we neared the front, the giant stuffed animals were gone, but Priscilla had her eye on a small pink Squishmallow Bigfoot. We were literally next in line. Just as we were about to speak to the volunteer, a family consisting of a mom, dad, and little girl snuck behind the volunteer while she was busy and snatched several stuffed toys, including the one Priscilla really wanted, off the table. They moved to the other side undetected to throw their eggs into the collection bucket, leaving the official volunteers completely oblivious of what just happened.

Priscilla was devastated. I took it as a major teachable moment about disappointment, expectations, and not letting trivial things ruin a whole day of fun. After she collected her emotions, she picked a different prize and understood. We ended that adventure with some Wetzel’s Pretzels, because soft pretzels with cinnamon and sugar make everything better.

Our second choice was the Egg-citing Bunny Trail & Egg Hunt at Wakefield Valley Park. This was a traditional hunt with over 20,000 treat-filled eggs. We started the afternoon with a photo with our favorite person at Texas Roadhouse, who photobombed Priscilla and Andy the Armadillo!

We stayed busy making a kite, a basket, and even a succulent. The "Bunny Trail" was fun, featuring mini-golf and various game stations for prizes. Then came the big hunt. This was another free-for-all, but these eggs were filled with candy and the golden hope of a prize ticket. And guess what? Priscilla got one!

She rushed to the table and, since she was first in line this time, she got the very first pick. She went straight for a fuzzy fox journal from Claire’s. After the morning's Squishmallow drama, seeing her face light up was the perfect way to end the day. It was a lot of fun and definitely worth the chilly start!