Easter 2012

Easter came and went, with three Easter egg hunts, two brunch outings, and one awesome Filipino food feast. 

 We got in through the lottery to attend the 2012 White House Easter Egg Roll on the day after Easter.  

The metro is always a lot of fun! 

 At first, all seemed well.  We waited on line on the ellipse for ...oh... an hour or so just to get in. 

 There were characters in costume once we got in (and were held on a path for another 15 minutes for no obvious reason). 

 The bizarre part with the costume-wearers is that the majority of them it seemed couldn't see at all when in costume. Each had a handler, who ranged from being enormously helpful to unbelievably pushy and snarky, who would move them around and get people with their kids and cameras into little lines waiting to have their picture taken with the character.  

 Zoe really liked meeting Dora and Scooby, though we ended up never making it to the Easter egg roll part at all, given that the line wrapped all around the lawn, seeming without end...and probably outside the timed window one is given in the lottery...

 30 second Easter egg hunt with real baskets, and real eggs! 

 Unfortunately, we waited for about an hour just to leave.  The President came down to the lawn to shoot

 hoops on the basketball court, so they closed the one exit...

 ...I was so proud of Zoe and Caleb for being such little troopers, standing for so long in a compressed space, and felt terrible for so many other parents with small kids with no snacks or potties anywhere to be found.  It was wildly disappointing, to say the least and I wouldn't recommend anyone waste their time.  As one guy we saw said, as he sported a suit and was trying to soothe a 2-year-old who was tired of waiting; "I took a day off for this?! I'd rather be at work." 

 We finally left and walked all the way around the Ellipse, then back up and around the White House via 16th Street (Caleb fell asleep while on piggyback...) to the Old Ebbitt Grill.  Yum !

Angry Birds distraction. 

 Hello, blue eyes! We all enjoyed Dogwood Tavern for Easter brunch. 

 After mass, hubby headed into work and I took the kids to my aunt's house...the weather was perfect for outdoor fun and games. 

 Found one!! 

 Opening the loot. 

 Thank you Tita Girlie!! The baskets were a huge hit. 

 Sharing with little cousin John, who got an afternoon away with daddy as mommy settled in at home with the new baby brother.