A Ghost of Easter Past
Posted by Nona Nita's Blog at 4/10/2009 8:08 PM 
Categories: Nona's Musings
Tags: children parenting holidays family memories grandchildren holiday activities
Categories: Nona's Musings
Tags: children parenting holidays family memories grandchildren holiday activities
In order to subsidize my stay-at-home mom stint in the 1980's, I spent 7 years of my life as Jay Jay the Magic Clown. Having taught myself some comedy magic, balloon sculpture and face painting, I booked myself and performed at over 2,000 children's parties in my local area. As a result of the many lavish parties I attended, I pulled out all the stops when it came time to give a party for my own children. There was the "Wizard of Oz" party where the kids and I turned our basement playroom into the Emerald City, complete with a yellow brick road; the Halloween Party with the eyeball soup and marshmallow and licorice spiders, the "Cabbage Patch Hospital' party where a friend dressed up as a pediatrician tending to the needs of all the kids' dolls, culminating in the birth of a new Cabbage Patch Kid for each of my children which the pediatrician birthed before our eyes from a huge quilted cabbage; and the Spider Man party where my cousin, dressed in an authentic Spiderman costume, entered through a window and scared all the four year old boys so completely that they all ended up crying and wanting to go home (oh well, they weren't all winners..)
One of my fondest memories of Easter Parties, however, was the year that my daughter and son invited their friends' aged 3-6 over for an Easter Parade Party. Such fun we had before the party, putting coins in plastic eggs and hiding them all over the yard. (I wonder if the new owners are still finding them!) My son, daughter, and I had been scavenging for months through the dumpster of the local dance costume factory for scraps of toile, sequined fabric and satin ribbons. To that we added silk flowers of all kinds. Each guest was given a strong paper plate, scissors and glue and time to create their own Easter Bonnet, with the boys covering cardboard top hats. When all were finished, my children led them all around the back yard in single file, each sporting their stunning creation and striding to the strains of Bing Crosby singing "In Your Easter Bonnet". Munching on pastel iced cup cakes and apple juice; the party couldn't have cost much but was remembered and talked about long afterward.
I frequently read the blogs of new parents who are wading through the awesome responsibility of new parenthood. I realize that they have no idea that the activities they are now involved in will become precious memories in their later lives. Even if I told them it would fall upon deaf ears since they would be too hassled and exhausted to do more than roll their eyes and think "easy for you to say, you 've gotten a good night's sleep in the past year". One nice thing about getting older is that we can forget some of the harder things about childrearing and focus on the joys. I know that when I enjoy dinner at my son's home with his wife and daughter and my lovely daughter and her family, for a brief moment, I will look at them across the table and imagine them parading across the lawn, and for just an instant I will again be "the proudest lady in the Easter Parade".
Although I don't have video from our little Easter Parade I offer this one, quite the same in spirit, proving that regardless of all the technology, children really haven't changed that much...everyone still loves a parade!
For more on Enlightened Grandparenting visit Nona Nita's Nook
and click My Path Productions for ideas that support conscious living
One of my fondest memories of Easter Parties, however, was the year that my daughter and son invited their friends' aged 3-6 over for an Easter Parade Party. Such fun we had before the party, putting coins in plastic eggs and hiding them all over the yard. (I wonder if the new owners are still finding them!) My son, daughter, and I had been scavenging for months through the dumpster of the local dance costume factory for scraps of toile, sequined fabric and satin ribbons. To that we added silk flowers of all kinds. Each guest was given a strong paper plate, scissors and glue and time to create their own Easter Bonnet, with the boys covering cardboard top hats. When all were finished, my children led them all around the back yard in single file, each sporting their stunning creation and striding to the strains of Bing Crosby singing "In Your Easter Bonnet". Munching on pastel iced cup cakes and apple juice; the party couldn't have cost much but was remembered and talked about long afterward.
I frequently read the blogs of new parents who are wading through the awesome responsibility of new parenthood. I realize that they have no idea that the activities they are now involved in will become precious memories in their later lives. Even if I told them it would fall upon deaf ears since they would be too hassled and exhausted to do more than roll their eyes and think "easy for you to say, you 've gotten a good night's sleep in the past year". One nice thing about getting older is that we can forget some of the harder things about childrearing and focus on the joys. I know that when I enjoy dinner at my son's home with his wife and daughter and my lovely daughter and her family, for a brief moment, I will look at them across the table and imagine them parading across the lawn, and for just an instant I will again be "the proudest lady in the Easter Parade".
Although I don't have video from our little Easter Parade I offer this one, quite the same in spirit, proving that regardless of all the technology, children really haven't changed that much...everyone still loves a parade!
For more on Enlightened Grandparenting visit Nona Nita's Nook
and click My Path Productions for ideas that support conscious living
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