Family Picture Day

Today, a trip to the Galleria. Since Matt's mom needed a family portrait for a project, we made an appointment at Picture People (I had another coupon for a free 8x10, of course). David wasn't particularly enthusiastic about having his picture taken. Maybe he thought the photographer was going to poke him in the eye, just like Dr. Mazow. Thankfully, she was fast and did not make strange baby noises to try to get C&D to smile. After no more than 10 minutes of pictures, C&D declared us all done with picture-taking. Carmen wanted to run, and David wanted to sniffle his tears and run, too.

While we were waiting for the pictures to load onto the computers, C&D walked through the store and right out the door, staring at children and talking to strangers. When we finally selected our picture and received the printout, we decided to let C&D continue exploring. After walking and weaving amongst the shoppers, they pushed the empty stroller around and around in large circles (we braved the crowds and brought the stroller because I met Matt and the babies at the Galleria after a haircut).

And we discovered the Easter Bunny. The Easter Bunny was standing outside his Easter garden, carrying a basket and handing out Laffy Taffy. Carmen saw him first. She walked toward him, quickly, eyes wide. Here, she said, is a kindred spirit! He likes to hop, too! The bunny knelt down and held out his hand. David, busy picking geraniums, suddenly noticed the bunny, too. Carmen touched his fur, and then jerked her hand back. David did, too. They spent a long time staring at the bunny, and the bunny stared back, occassionally waving or blowing a kiss. Twice C&D started to cry, but then stopped to stare again, trying to make head or cottontail of what exactly they were looking at. After a few minutes I thanked the bunny and we walked back to the stroller, but Carmen turned around and walked back. The Easter Bunny brought her a purple stuffed bunny to look at, and she buried her face in my chest. A group of
rowdy boys mobbed the Easter Bunny for the contents of his basket, and I moved the babies on to the space in front of Nordstrom's. I wonder if C&D will have Easter Bunny dreams tonight, or if they will dream of walking through the mall. They might imagine how much fun it will be to finally reach the escalator, and finally lick the water in the fountain in front of Foley's.

Now after meeting the Easter Bunny, C&D really should have an egg hunt this year. Some cascarones would work, although we would need to make sure C&D differentiate between the confetti eggs and hardboiled Easter eggs (remember the time Christopher tried to pop a hardboiled egg on my head? I still remember how much that hurt!).