Tiptoeing Through: The Great Accessible Egg Hunt

It seems like everyone in the world is talking about Spring, excited about it's warm temperatures and pastel colours, bright sun, blue skies, t-shirts and tennis shoes. Here in Newfoundland, Spring is not really a season that we have. It's still freezing cold outside, and we'll be wearing winter coats and boots for another few weeks yet. We typically have snow storms well into Spring, and while the past few days have been pretty decent, we are not out of the woods yet. Seeing the stores full of gardening supplies, sun hats and open-toed shoes is just a tease, but it makes me hopeful that warmer temperatures might eventually come our way.

I do love all things Easter, however - the chocolate bunnies and Whopper eggs, crisp white dresses, fresh tulips and lilies, and cheap plastic eggs with tiny toys inside. I love that crap.

When Brennen was younger, I never really made a big deal about Easter. I mean, I would put together a basket for him, filled with peeps and kinder eggs, but I knew that he couldn't open them, couldn't eat them, and couldn't play with the toys inside. Brennen wouldn't look for his Easter basket, or hunt for eggs. He wasn't able to, and there was a sting to that, like I was being robbed of one of the joys of parenting that everyone else was taking pleasure in. It was an expectation of mine - just one of the many ideals that were woven throughout everything I thought I would get to enjoy with my child when I became a mother, and it was hard to accept that some things were just not going to go as planned for us.

It took me a while (..years) to understand that having a child who experienced the world differently would also cause me to experience things differently, to expect differently, to process and perceive the world differently, but once I came to that realization, everything seemed to make sense. I settled into my role as a "Special Needs Mom", and began to flourish right along with my child.

This weekend, we took our kiddos to an Accessible Easter Egg Hunt at the Manuels River Interpretation Centre. This very special egg hunt was designed specifically for children with mobility challenges, and of course, was open to their families and siblings. Easter eggs were hidden along the trail at various heights and levels, some with balloons tied to them so they were easy to find!

This was our second year doing the Accessible Egg Hunt, and we had such a great time! The trails are hard packed and well groomed, making it easy to push a stroller or wheelchair, and the staff of the Interpretation Centre were super enthusiastic and excited to make this the best day ever. We especially appreciate the time and effort that went into ensuring that this was an enjoyable day for all families!

Here are some photos of our Easter Egg Hunt!