Squished between all the dentist appointments and teacher conferences on our calendars are those wonderful things called “holidays.” Or sometimes they’re called “birthdays” or even “parties.” For Bunchland families, there’s always a reason to celebrate.
- CITY: Rochester, Minnesota
- OUR BUNCH: Anne, software analyst. Harry, 20, adventurous hockey player. Tiger, cat.
We really think someone needs to make Anne’s family the subject of a reality show. They’re obsessed with wacky inter-family competitions, whether it’s a karaoke sing-off, ping-pong tournament or their Christmas Ugly Sweater Contest. Below, you can behold a slideshow of their annual Easter Egg Decorating Contest, which has been going on for five solid years now. These guys are stone-cold serious about this contest: the entire extended family participates, and sometimes friends get roped in as well. The judge is always someone from outside the family (one year it was the mayor!) and attempts to bribe the judge with wine and other goodies are commonplace. Anne does a great job of chronicling the insanity on her blog. We’re big fans of the Beatles eggs. Let us know your favourite in the comments!
Wanna have your own family Easter egg decorating contest? Here are Anne’s tips!
1. Use cooked, boiled eggs. They last longer and are more durable.
2. We start with an idea, a concept or a theme. We get our ideas from superheroes, current events, the media, art, artists, literature. Other family members get their ideas from recent activities, discussions or conversations.
3. Use materials from around the house (just about anything can work) along with some tacky glue, pens, markers or even a drill, like my brother-in-law once used.
4. Keep it simple. A minimalist approach can be very effective. Talent is relative and experience is not required.
5. The sky is the limit. There is no such thing as a dumb idea when you’re working with an egg (what is the definition of an egghead anyway?).
- CITY: Sunnyvale, California
- OUR BUNCH: Tarak, business development professional/scientist. Maria, scientist. Alison, 12, smart sports fanatic. Adam, 6, lovable kid who likes anything with wheels.
Six-year-old Adam is visually impaired and has hypotonia, which affects his motor skills. But no way does he let that stop him from having a good time. His dad, Tarak, is on the board of directors of the very matter-of-factly named Blind Babies Foundation, and every year his family attends their signature event, the Beeper Egg Hunt. At this unusual fun-filled family event, which falls close to Easter, there is live music, crafts, and the main event. Thousands of eggs emitting a high-pitched beep are placed in a wide-open field for visually impaired children to find. It’s a crazy scene as the kids, some with the help of siblings, search for the eggs using their heightened sense of sound. The beeping eggs can later be traded for plastic ones filled with stickers or candy.
Adam’s parents thought he was blind when he was born, but they credit Blind Babies Foundation for helping with his development, and his vision has actually improved over the years. The Beeper Egg Hunt was one of the first BBF events he attended, and the family comes back every year. Sister Alison loves volunteering at the cupcake table, helping kids with frosting and sprinkles. There’s an emphasis on tactile activities, like a petting zoo. And Alison and Adam never pass up a chance to have their photo taken with the Easter bunny.
- CITY: Belmont Shore, Long Beach, California
- OUR BUNCH: April, 47, daycare worker. Larry, 54, machinist. Jacqueline, 21, responsible concert-goer. Oliver, 18, focused skateboarder. Meredith, 10, cello-playing sweetie-pie.
Sure, Christmas is the time of year normally associated with doing goodwill towards others. But for April and her friend, Long Beach event planner extraordinaire/local hero Justin Rudd, there was just too much lag time. After a mutual friend who is a public health nurse told them about the desperate situations of some of her patients, they started Operation Easter Basket. The whole community works their butts off filling baskets with not just candy, but useful items like socks, toothpaste and toys to be donated to local charities. Everyone from local junior high health classes to Scout troops get involved, and little kids deliver baskets by tricycle. The event is fueled by a feeling of fun and friendly competition as people try to outshine each other in attempts to make the best baskets. April’s house serves as a drop-off center where baskets await pickup from charities, and April says the sight of as many as 15,000 baskets crammed into her living room is truly mind-boggling.
April’s family teams up to deal with the flood of baskets that always overtakes their house. Eighteen-year-old Oliver helps load and unloads cars, 21-year-old Jacqueline tirelessly tags baskets with the appropriate age and gender of the intended recipient, and 10-year-old Meredith is a pro at fluffing up the baskets with stuffed animals and filling Easter eggs with candy. Her husband Larry picks up basket items throughout the year. Basket-making pretty much takes over their Easter. And April witnessed the extent of her community’s generosity during last year’s recession: though baskets were trickling in slower than usual, at the 11th hour people decided they could spare 10 or $15 to make a basket, and her porch was flooded with them.
