Is the Easter bunny retiring for me?

So when do you think the Easter bunny stops visiting? At what age? Well, I think it must be 20!

"Ashley, the Easter bunny came to see you!"

On Easter morning, I went to Ashley and said to her in my high-pitched surprised "mommy" voice, just like I have since she was a little girl, "Ashley, come here, hurry, the Easter bunny came to see you!" Imagine my disappointment when she looked at me and kind of laughed and said, "Mom, I have to finish getting ready....." as she looked at me with a little sad face full of pity!

Ok, not the reaction I was expecting. She usually jumps up and down clapping her hands with excitement. She has always been so excited about getting an Easter basket. And I know she was excited but not the everything-stops-now-so-I-can-see-my-goodies kind of excited. So I just left it as was. Then I think she felt bad because she came to me about 10 minutes before leaving for church and said, "Ok I want to go do my basket now". Well, I decided at this point we'd wait until we got home from church so we could enjoy it!

So at that moment, I realized, that's it! The Easter bunny is done visiting my house! My days of preparing Easter baskets are over. But then I remember the time when I said that when she turned 13, then feeling so bad the Saturday night before Easter when my sister was preparing a basket for Shine, that I left at midnight to go try to track down anything I could to fill a basket for her. So, as much as I say it's over, I've come to realize, that while I may not get the same reaction I did when she was 5, you can bet, next year I'll be gathering all my stuff to fill a basket for my, then 21 year old baby!

Hey, watch the chompers! We have too much invested in that mouth!

I guess one sign of being too old for an Easter basket, is when your basket contains "Secret" things, if you know what I mean!

Oh and I had to show you this necklace I found for her. I thought it fit her perfectly. She loves anything with fleur de lis and what better than a little fleur de lis bling!

And let me say, Ashley was very appreciative of her basket and loved everything. She hugged me and said thank you, so it wasn't that she didn't appreciate it. She's always thankful of what we do for her. So I just wanted to clear that up in her defense!

Anyway, just thought I'd share a little of my Easter experience with you this year! I guess just another sign that my daughter is growing up. Actually, I guess I should say, GROWN UP!