Greg Gehr’s Family Blog

We had a bit of a rough night.  The boy was not feeling well and we were not sure if he was going to be up to the traditional Easter Egg Hunt, family gathering, and celebration of the birthday of Cesar Chavez or not.  But he bounced back this morning, and we were back on track for our countdown to the Great Santa Easter Egg Hunt!

I should explain. My son has figured out (with my learned assistance) that if the Easter Bunny goes to every house on the same morning to hide eggs, then this bunny must have some special superhuman powers.  In fact, as we all know, the only person that has the power to visit every participating house around the world in one day is Santa.  We all also know that nobody just works one day out of the year.  My son strongly suspects that this "Easter Bunny" thing is just a costume/disguise that Santa wears while hiding eggs so he can work off-season.  He has his suspicions about the Tooth Fairy too, he says he thinks Santa has a tutu in that closet.

Anyway, to get back to my story, Logan had a two stage hunt this year.  The first part was a traditional egg hunt, providing eggs filled with jelly beans, chocolate candies, and tootsie rolls.  (including multiple easter packages with iTunes cards in them, and one with a spot of cash, that easter Santa knows what kids want!).  

Then, his sister and her fiancee, Joe, along with their friend Leeann had a clue driven hunt for him.  He had to decipher six clues, each leading to the next, to find his easter basket from her which not only had candy and treats, but two movies he has not see yet as well, Goonies, and Coraline.  I especially liked the twist on the final clue.  The basket was hidden behind Logan's iMac.  For the sixth and final clue, he had to "buy" hints from the adults using his candy as currency.  I told him his basket location would get him "all keyed up" for a tootsie roll.  His sister told him the present would be the "apple of his eye", this clue cost a chocolate.  Finally, his mom told him "once you go Mac, you never go back" for some Jelly Beans, at that point he figured it out and searched his computer desk, finding the basket!

Here are a few photos from today:

Photos:

Jay is the one in the Green T-Shirt

 

Videos:

The Redwood Acres Fair is different this year.  They have made substantial changes to the "usual and customary" format.  One of the biggest changes was the addition of a "Made In Humboldt" exhibit hall, containing the best of what we make and do here in Humboldt.  There was local food, local beer, local wine, and lots of local folks.

I took my 5 yr old, as well as my grown daughter, her fiancee, and a good friend.  We spent the better part of the day there, and we had a great time.  The link takes you to a gallery page of photos of the day.  I recommend clicking the "slideshow" button.  Well done, Redwood Acres, well done!

http://gallery.me.com/kachakaach#100114

Jay's first real costume party.  Spiderman!  They were REALLY into it.  His friend, Bryson, dressed as Superman, was turning 4, and they had well over a dozen other cute kids in costumes.  

Day Two; We returned the Whale and got a room at the Redding Travel Lodge so we could get a few hours sleep (not bad for a budget motel, clean, good service, fine place if you are just staying for a night or two).  We got up at 1:30am, taxi at 2:15am, Amtrak Train scheduled to leave at 3:15am (actual train arrival time after delays, 4am).  The train station at Redding is unmanned, but at least there was indoor seating on wooden benches (as you can see from the photos) and a bathroom!  Quite the adventure with a 4 yr old, but Logan was a trooper!  The hotel gave us sack breakfasts at check-in when they heard how early we had to leave, with apple sauce, granola bars, juice, and yogurt, a nice touch.  It really helped keep Logan from melting down, he had never been up that early morning in the morning before.

We stopped for a great dinner at La Grange in the old town section of Weaverville. Susan had buffalo meatloaf, Logan of course had chicken strips, and I had clams. The goat cheese starter and peach cobbler dessert was fantastic.