A couple of weeks prior to Easter, my eight year old asked if we would be taking pictures with the Easter bunny. I was pleasantly surprised when she asked because it seems that she’s been maturing and a more rapid pace since entering third grade.
She was so excited to have her picture take with her toy poodle “brother” Zack, and I was too! Not sure if she’ll want to take pictures next year, but I’ll definitely be holding on to this memory.
All the best,
Tanya
I love dyeing eggs with my daughter. It’s a fun activity and a great way to involve science. Yesterday, Quinn decided that she wanted to dye eggs for her Youtube video, and I was all for it! For some reason, these activities bring us closer together, and I get an opportunity to see what she knows and is capable of doing without my assistance. When I think about the first time we dyed eggs and how far she’s come with barely needing my help, there’s no doubt that my little chickadee is growing up.
It also was great to see her eyes light up as she eagerly looked through her Easter basket and gave our puppy, Zack, his Easter toy.
Happy Easter, and all the best,
Tanya
Then, I noticed the bunny footprints leading to the event. They made me think about how we both are on journeys: Quinn as a child having experiences for the first time and simply enjoying life and having fun with a few lessons along the way, and me not only having Quinn follow my lead and in my footsteps but me sometimes figuratively putting myself into her shoes and reliving my youth through her experiences. My sweet girl helps me to not take life too seriously and to just enjoy the face paint, chatting with characters, crafting and taking pictures with the Easter Bunny.
Sometimes I feel like Alice in Wonderland going down the rabbit hole of motherhood. I may be a bit nervous at times and struggle to find my way on occasion, but when I think about the wonderful journey I’m having with my little girl, it’s not so scary, and I look forward to the many adventures to come.
All the best,
Tanya
“Look at all of the eggs I got!” my daughter shouted with a smile on her face as she came running back from the field with my mom, her nana. We just love going to Shadybrook Farm for their pumpkin patch and Halloween activities, so we were definitely excited to attend their “Easter Eggstravaganza” activity this weekend. Instead of taking a hayride to the pumpkin patch field, we, along with other families, were taken to an Easter egg field where children were permitted to fill their baskets with six eggs apiece and then select a special gift upon returning from the field. I was so excited for Quinn as it brought back memories of when I was younger and went on an Easter egg hunt.
In addition to getting treats, the Easter bunny was available to take pictures, and there were many other fun activities for the children and adults alike to enjoy. It was definitely worth the fee of $10 per child and $5 per adult. Plus we were able to get a discount by donating in a canned good. If you’re looking for a fun family activity, I highly recommend coming to Shadybrook Farm. It most definitely may become one of our family traditions.
All the best,
Tanya
Last year, I took my daughter to the Mad Hatter event celebrating Alice in Wonderland and the different characters at our local mall, and we had such a wonderful time. So when I received an email to RSVP for it this year, I wasted no time adding us to the list. I just love when I stumble across something that both my daughter and I can enjoy, and I love it even more when it’s free! Alice and the Queen of Hearts made appearances, there were coloring, crafts, tasty treats and the Easter Bunny was there too. I initially stood off to the side as Quinn went to meet him, and she then turned towards me, signaled with her hand saying, “Come on, Mommy! You can be in the picture too!”
Though her smile was not as big as mine, she said, “I was so excited Mommy! The Easter Bunny gave me a high five and a fist bump!” This weekend, I actually had three stacks of papers to grade and was tempted to not attend the event since we had a play date scheduled for later, but boy am I glad that I did. Seeing how excited my little girl was made it all worth with it.
All the best,
Tanya
P.S. If you live near Willow Grove Mall, there are two more free Mad Hatter events on April 5th and April 9th. Click here for more information.
“Yay! The Easter bunny came and left me a basket with special treats!” My little girl excitedly said. She spent a good portion of the day opening her surprise eggs and creating her own to share with me and her father. It’s amazing how much she’s grown within a year. She wanted to describe the color, shape and overall appearance of each item she came across, and I was eager to listen.Going to her nana’s (my mother) house was a special treat too, and really made her day. Though she is still learning the “real” reason for celebrating Easter, this was a happy day for my little girl.
All the best,
Tanya
Popcorn, cookies, lollipops, juice, water, the Mad Hatter, coloring activities, photo props and the Easter Bunny too: today, my daughter and I enjoyed attending the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at our local mall. This event was fantastic for my daughter but was totally awesome for me because it was all for free! That’s right, free! Anyone who is a parent or has cared for a child at one point or another knows that it can get quite expensive to provide children with the basic necessities, let alone special treats and outings from time to time.
When I was a little girl, I did not necessarily know the financial obstacles my mother, as a single parent, endured in raising me and my two siblings. One of the reasons may be that she would always find free or low-cost events and activities for us to attend, and I was not focused on the cost just the fun I was having. Though I am not a single parent and am doing okay financially, I still love finding a good bargain and saving money. It gives me such a good feeling knowing that I can put a smile on my daughter’s face and keep a little money in my pocket. What would we do without free events?
All the best,
Tanya
PS. If you are in the Montgomery County, PA area, the Mad Hatter Tea Party will be taking place this Saturday, March 19th as well.
Yesterday’s weather was perfect to have some family fun outdoors, and with Easter a couple of weeks away my husband and I decided to take our little girl, along with my mother, to Linvilla Orchards to take a hayride to meet the Easter bunny. What’s great about Linvilla Orchards is that there is no fee to enter, and even if we did not do the hayride, we would have still had a lovely time.
The actual hayride price was nine dollars apiece, which is not too steep, but I must admit that I was a bit disappointed that all of the passengers, including us, simply remained on the hayride upon arriving at the Easter bunny’s house. Based on the advertisement, I assumed that the fee included walking around for a little while and being able to take pictures with the Easter Bunny in front of his house and to take pictures of the other Easter and spring decorations. Despite my minor disappointment, Quinn was very happy as the Easter bunny and his helpers stopped by to deliver a little goodie bag with some jelly beans, lollipops and other candies along with a high-five or bunny hug. Maybe I’m just a big kid, but I was hoping to get a little good bag too. As I said, it was a nine dollar fee for everyone. They did, however, give everybody the opportunity to snap a photo or two as the Easter bunny went around to visit the passengers, which was nice.
What really helped me to not fret to much over my absent goodie bag was being able to see the farm animals, such as chickens, roosters, goats and sheep, with my family. We actually spent a great deal of time feeding the goats and sheep carrots. Linvilla Orchards also has a fabulous park area for children of all ages. It was tough getting my soon-to-be three year old to leave. Even though it would be nice if we were able to get off go the hayride, overall, we had a great time and will certainly return to Linvilla Orchards for future activities.
All the best,
Tanya
Mommy's Baby Steps 