And the Hunt is on.

So. The insanity that is my family. It started over 40 years ago in Yonkers. It was maybe...2 dozen eggs and only 4 children (my cousins David, Barbara, Sue and Steve). My mother started the insanity and it has carried on...And it has grown. Large. It is now 1000 eggs in the backyard of the Mahopac house. There are 30 to 50 families that come to hunt. It...is...Insanity! Over the years my mother has slowly started to work her way out of the picture. Meaning, that it falls to the cousins. Bauerlein, Stefunek, Prazenka, and Havlik. And I guess we have to add Fitzpatrick and Miller.

The Egg Hunt itself is actually a pretty cool day. It's just all the planning. There is sooo much planning. On the upside I am taking full advantage of my "invalid" status this year. I made all of my slaves do the work. Friends...I meant friends. (I gotta stop calling them that.) So yesterday, we were waiting for Erica to show up. Her flight was only an hour and seven minutes long, but it was delayed. A lot. She was supposed to take off at 4:30. Instead it didn't take off until 7:30. So, after Maundy Thursday service, Mom and I went and picked up Erica. She was whiny about having to wait for us so we spent the last 15 minutes of the ride to the airport with me giving her a running commentary. (Ok Erica, we just moved into the left lane, we just saw a sign for the airport, we're at the exit...) We got back at around 11 but I was so wired by that point that I ended up staying up till 2ish. (And yet I still didn't blog. I'm just bad.)

Today I was intending to sleep until noon, as usual, but Erica woke up bored and just started to bother me until I would come upstairs and play with her. (Her version of "playing" consisted of bugging me, over and over, until I would paint her toes.) I guess it was OK that I got up that early. It gave me time to prepare for the mayhem that followed.

My friend Diane arrived from Virginia at about 12:30. She came with presents. One gift for each day she was staying. This is how I should always be treated. (Just kidding. I think.)
At 2:00 my minions, er..friends...and the youth group from church came to the house to stuff the 1000 eggs. I left Diane to supervise while Brian and I went out in the back to work on the Scavenger Hunt list. I think that this might be the year when my scavenger hunters figure out that I use them to clean the litter out of the woods. When I came back inside I found Diane barely keeping up with the stuffers. She was actually working up a sweat. The kids finished stuffing at around 3:30 and then I abused them even more by making them give me massages while I typed the first section of this blog. (Gives an evil snicker...it would be an evil laugh, but they're still here and they might catch on.)

Tonight the insanity continues. After church we go out for Good Friday dinner. Family tradition. We go out for Chinese. Sue orders seafood for those who won't eat meat. However, according to Charlie J. I'm a heretic anyway (or was it pagan). So I will be enjoying cashew chicken. After dinner, which goes quite late, we all head to our respective homes. The next morning, EARLY the next morning, we wake up and head outside. I think that I have 8 people hiding eggs for me. We have six different colors, several large eggs, and the Golden Egg (ohhh, ahhh). While we're out hiding eggs, Mr. Bill (cousin Bill) is inside cooking us breakfast. People start showing up at 9:00 and the hunt starts at 9:30. It usually goes until noonish, and then the family chills for the rest of the day. Some people go for a walk, or a bike ride. Some will probably go and tour Katrina's and Chuck's new house, and some will fall asleep on the couch. I might go and get a manicure. Just a thought. After everyone is done unwinding they all head back to the house for leftover Chinese.

I'm tired of writing. Time for some shout outs. Evan, Caitlin, Sam and Diane thanks for the backrubs. Nicole thanks for the help. Allie, Caroline, Joe, Anna, Evan, Casey, Kim, Patrick and my second in command, Brian, THANK YOU. I love it when people do things for me. (Since you all can't hear what's going on while I type this, the peanut gallery currently surrounding me is making sarcastic comments about everything I write.) OH and a special thanks to Samantha who chopped off her hair for Locks of Love today. I think that's pretty much it. Besides, I have to start getting ready for church soon. I'll let you all know how the hunt goes. - Elizabeth