Happy Easter!

We don't actually do Easter, in the church sense. We do more the pagan spring celebration-style stuff--being, as we are, a mixed-religious background household of current atheists--a designation that's ever-changing, as it happens. Well, not the background. You can't change the fact that Poptart was raised Jewish and I was raised by lapsed Catholics with the recurring conviction, gathered from overheard comments, that I was not allowed to participate in any religious activities and that all church-related stuff was strictly verboten (and rather glamourous in my eyes). I later found out that the priest had solicited contributions at my sister's funeral and that my father, at least, had given up all religion then and there. My mother went agreeably to please her parents--or her mother, rather-when we visited and it never seemed to be a really big issue.

More than anyone needs to know, that. In any case it's all about the Easter Bunny here, with a pleasant disregard for whether he's real or not, because even with an almost 7-year-old in the house we're really just not that sophisticated. Although we did have a moment--there were change purses in the baskets with small amounts of change in them, and I referred to "the money your grandma gave you for Easter". Oops. But then I just said that I though Grandma had given them the money to put in the purses, and Bart said no, it was in there when they got them, and that was the end of it--or so I think. I don't really care if they believe in the Easter Bunny, actually, although I'd like to keep Santa going for a while. Poptart refuses to participate in any of it, out of respect, he claims, for his cultural upbringing, which he insists also included a refusal to participate in anything Valentine's related "because it's St. Valentine's day". I think "because that way I don't have to put up trees or hide baskets" would be more accurate!

Gert has the cutest basket--it looks like a big pink peep bunny. I can't wait to buy a yellow one, or maybe the yellow chick, for Four. I wonder what is Mandarin for four? I think I'll find out and start calling her that, or Mei Mei for little sister.