Easter in Montreal

... at the starting line ... an initial run to the back hard ...

Our Easter at the Jarvis home came in many parts.

Take for instance, the egg hunt on Saturday.

This is a traditional event when the cousins get together and everyone seems to know the drill.

... eggs are hard to find ...

Catherine brings out plastic eggs in different sizes and colours and we search through the bag trying to find eggs that will fit together.

Those are placed on the table and at the same time people are taking candy and putting them inside of the egg forms to be hidden somewhere outside before the hunt can begin.

 ... videoing the Easter Hunt ...

I am decorating the Easter tree – taking the Winter Tree down which is full of snowmen.

I am adding eggs and what looks like tiny chicks and bird houses from Germany.

 In fact, some of these decorations may have been at my house years ago.

 ... an initial photo on the steps inside ...

No one wants to help me.

All are more interested in gathering around the new table where the candy is.


Everyone in the house is participating in getting the eggs ready or hiding them, so there are no secrets about what kinds of candy will be in the eggs.

Hebe ... not sure of why there is so much happiness ...

And in fact, some of the candy gets into the eggs at this point, not all, given the smudges of chocolate on some cheeks.

Then there is a call for Leo and Eric to go outside and hide the eggs.

... waiting for the word ... GO ...

When the men are finished and we get outside at the starting line, Catherine sets up the rules, because Hebe and Rhiannon are 4 and 3 years old and not able to outrun the 9 and 12 year olds in what is now a dash for Easter happiness.

... "in your Easter Bonnet" ...

Naomi is slowed down because of her wheelchair and that has to be taken into account this year.

There are howls of despair at the first rule.

For every 3 eggs you find, one of them must be put in the basket of a younger child.

How many eggs do we have to give away?

The second piece of information given out is that the eggs are all on the neighbour’s property, their own property or on the driveway.

There is nothing underneath the car.

... anticipating the door to the outside to be opened ...

With that the hunt is on.

 I am taking pictures of the adults.

Catherine is taping the kids.

 Catie is pushing the wheel chair.

... finally, my  wheel chair and me outside ...

Tom, Rebecca and Xavier are running madly around the yard, delivering every third egg to someone who is close to where they are running for the next egg.

Hebe is new to the family.

an Easter ribbon for my hair

She has had her first Christmas, her first birthday party and now is in the middle of a joyous Easter hunt, though she doesn’t really know why she is running around the property behind someone who is pulling her along, pointing to items she should be picking up and putting in her basket.

..

We gather back together for a final photo.

The Easter Egg Hunt is declared to be a success for no one is sobbing because something b-a-a-d has happened in the 10 minutes it has taken to execute what was a full morning’s work.

Arta