Easter Egg Hunting has taken on a whole new meaning for us. Matthew's first year as an egg hunter was a peaceful affair set up in the backyard of neighbors -- two toddlers, lots of eggs, not really hidden just placed around the yard. This year we had three big hunts to choose from -- one at Church, one at the neighborhood park, and one at the community center where Matthew attends preschool. My vote was that we either a.) call and find out what exactly the plastic eggs would contain and attend the hunt with the best booty or b.) figure out a way to hit up each one.
In the end, we did make it to two.

We arrived at St. Madeleine Sophie's Hunt about two seconds before the count-down to Egg Mania began. They had the foresight to group their hunters by age. I was pleased to see that Matthew towered over most of his competition in the 0-age 4 hunt. (How a 'zero-year-old' hunts for eggs is still a mystery to me. I suppose that means the pregnant women are elbowing each other out of the way to get at the eggs filled with the most chocolate. I'm sure that's what I would've done last Easter had I not been occupied by lying in bed eating chocolate-filled eggs). Anyway, looking over the raincoat-hooded heads, I felt something stir within me. I had to fight the urge to give Matthew a pep-talk: OK, Matthew. This is it. This is what we've been training for. Remember our practice Easter egg hunting in the living room last night? Ha! Mere child's play. So, focus. Keep your head in the game. See that little two-year-old? His shoe's untied -- no competition there. And that little girl over there? So, bundled up in her rain parka she can hardly move. Ooh, the twin boys on your right -- they look a little tough and they might have an advantage working as a team, but you can take 'em down. I know it...Maybe it's a good thing that Matthew (as of yet, anyway) doesn't seem too into competitive sports.

I'm happy to report that he did totally clean up though! His truck-basket (yes, of course he has a truck-shaped Easter basket!) was overflowing with his stash of brightly-colored goody-filled plastic eggs. So, after a quick stop in the Church hall to look through his treasure, eat a donut and replenish our egg-hunting reserves, we headed off to the local park Hunt.

Ooh, Matthew. There’s some stiff competition here. They don’t have the hunters grouped by age. We’ll be running against ten-year-olds, but we can totally take them out! I mean you can totally take them out. I’m just here for support.

The added bonus of the park Hunt was the mud factor. And technically it wasn’t really a ‘hunt’ just a ‘run onto the muddy field and find the eggs that are lying on the grass in plain view.’

Our training did pay off: Matthew was focused on the eggs, not at all distracted by the other kids slipping in the mud, and again, he came out a victor! A field of mud is no match for Matthew Martin, Egg Hunter Eggstraordinaire!