We’re pretty sure Clara has found a new favorite holiday—though it may be that this is simply the first major celebration she’s old enough to truly enjoy. Either way, someone had an absolutely fantastic Easter weekend.
Her enthusiasm for Easter may also come from the way the celebrations seemed to stretch across nearly a week. We actually kicked things off on Wednesday with an egg hunt at a local park with her older cousins Jake (who turned 13 on Easter weekend—happy birthday, Jake!) and Olivia (10). They’d be spending the actual holiday with their dad’s side of the family, so we made the most of the chance to play together beforehand.
Clara found two eggs that day (really, my dad had placed a couple out where she and her 18-month-old cousin Emanuel could spot them). From the moment she saw them she was smitten—she couldn’t take her eyes off them.
She refused to set them down even as we moved to the playground. Apparently the only thing better than swinging is swinging while clutching an Easter egg.
That was Clara’s first of three egg hunts. On Saturday we stumbled into a grocery-store hunt for kids under seven (in the paper towel aisle, of all places). She left with one egg, a balloon and a giant grin—the perfect warm-up for the main event on Easter morning.
The main hunt took place in the yard around my parents’ beach house in Delaware.
Clara’s mission—one she eagerly accepted—was to collect nine eggs.
Because her excitement from the earlier hunts was still fresh, we let her grab a number of the eggs herself, though Sherry and I still pointed out most of them. Clara has recently taken a liking to putting things away, so dropping the coin-filled eggs into her basket felt completely natural—though she often kept one tucked in her hand.
Her “basket” for the day was actually a tin bucket from Target that matched her nursery colors. Not only did it serve as a perfect egg-collecting vessel, it also appealed to her existing bucket obsession—though that may have slid down a notch thanks to her new romance with Easter eggs.
We included a few of Clara’s favorite small items in her basket—from Cheerios to a pile of ribbons, which reliably delight her more than many actual toys. You can read more about how we assembled a baby-friendly Easter basket here on BabyCenter, including the wooden eggs Sherry dyed with food coloring.
We also tucked in more of her favorites—small snacks and trinkets that keep her entertained—details and photos of which you can find here on BabyCenter.
We didn’t forget her weekly fabric-background photo either; naturally we leaned into a bunny theme. Yes, that’s a real carrot—she adored it.
As much as eggs, baskets and bunny ears delighted Clara, the biggest winner of the weekend may have been sand.
We spent the weekend at my parents’ house near Bethany Beach, Delaware, and were treated to 80-degree weather—perfect for two impromptu trips to the ocean. The breeze kept it from being full-on swim weather, but we still enjoyed genuine beach time on both Saturday and Sunday.
Clara’s earlier encounters with sand had been limited—one when she was six weeks old and another during our Valentine’s trip to Rehoboth Beach, where the blowing sand didn’t sit well with her. This time, however, it was pure sand love: pinching it between her fingers, tossing it in the air and even a cautious taste test (the verdict: not tasty).
On Sunday, with sand officially a friend, she enjoyed a sandy crawling session, hunted for seashells (and apparently checked out the local surfers), modeled a pair of new sunglasses for a few seconds, and spent quality time with her mommy and baby cousins—Emanuel and my sister Emily on one side, John and my sister Katie on the other. Getting three wiggly babies to sit still for a flattering shot on a windy beach is no small feat.
The weekend was great for the grown-ups, too. Our cousins and close friends Cat and Travis welcomed their baby, Edison Dean, on Sunday afternoon, and we stopped by the hospital on our way home for a quick visit. Everyone was doing well, including big sister Elsa.
Between all the family time and beach outings, Sherry and I also made progress on our next home project from the beach: patio planning. My dad is planning a stone patio behind the beach house, so we sketched a few layout ideas and worked on a rough plan for the paver patio we’ll add to the side yard behind our carport. That area is accessible from the sliders in the living room and the sunroom; we’re thinking fencing for privacy and pavers to increase outdoor living space while preserving some green shade and landscaping.
Here’s our rough sketch of the plan so far—Sherry had a little Photoshop fun with the layout. It’s still early days, so the final design may evolve, but we’re excited to start turning this corner of the yard into a comfortable, private outdoor space.
There’s a lot more to come, but one thing is certain: Clara’s party is less than three weeks away, and my optimistic wife thinks we’ll have the patio wrapped up by then. We’ll see. For now, tell us about your weekend—were there egg hunts, Easter baskets, bunny ears or prop carrots involved? Any other babies born on Sunday that you know of?