Easter Bunny picture

For those of you not too familiar with Base/Post/Navy Exchanges, it's a place for military families to shop tax free. It's like a department store but it also has toiletries, paint, electronics, everything basically, and there's a commissary next door to buy groceries. The NEX (Navy Exchange) in Hawaii happens to be the biggest one in the world. There's also a food court upstairs so I can usually bribe Sam with a Happy Meal if he lets me shop. We go there probably 2-3 times a week because it's one stop shopping. Anyway, a few days ago Hannah, Sam, & I went to pick up a few things and they had the Easter Bunny there taking pictures with children. I've never had the kids' picture taken with the Easter Bunny before. Honestly, they've just never shown an interest in it. Well, on this particular day, they both wanted to take a picture with this giant furry rabbit in a bad way. They were begging me. I agreed to let them but I didn't want them to take one right then and there. I had just gotten a lovely vision of them looking all cute in their Easter outfits, seated upon the Easter Bunny's lap, smiling contently for a picture. The reality was that Hannah was in her school uniform and Samuel was wearing something that I'm sure he had just rubbed french fry grease on. I promised them we'd be back to see the Easter Bunny on Good Friday.

This morning, bright and early, Hannah reminded me they were supposed to see the Easter Bunny today at the NEX. So, I got them ready, in coordinating outfits, to go fulfill my vision for the "portrait session." We got to the NEX and there was a little bit of a line to see the Easter Bunny. Sam was getting antsy. He kept saying he couldn't wait any more to see the Easter Bunny and to give her a big hug. (Sam had decided the bunny, wearing a vest and tie, was a "she.") Looking at the picture to the left you might notice something missing... SAM! We got up to the front on the line and he was so excited. "It's our turn!" he exclaimed. Hannah ran up to the bunny and gave "her" a big hug and immediately sat on its lap. Sam, not so much. I gently gave him a little shove towards the bunny but Sam just stood petrified. I then took him by the hand to walk him over to the Easter Bunny. He refused to sit on "her" lap. I said, "Why don't you just stand next to the bunny?" He shook his head emphatically. "How about if you stand next to Hannah instead?" He said, "OK." Good, there's still a chance to achieve my utopian vision, all but the sitting on the Easter Bunny's lap and smiling contently part. Unfortunately, Sam was not about to let his eyes off of that bunny and turn his back to "her." He was too busy staring "her" down. Rather than take a picture of the back of his head, I decided to just let him off the hook and get only Hannah in the picture. Oh, well. I should've known. We had the same issue with Santa Claus last Christmas. There's always next year!

Happy Easter!