The Big Egg Toss

We made it back to the Kids Hash this afternoon after missing it last month when it unfortunately clashed with the JIS Showcase Concert. Finally, I must add, because Linnea was due her next potty by now! She has completed 36 runs!

So she got this lovely pewter mug this time:

The girl to the left had done 18 runs and the boy to the right 50 runs - which is why they were all receiving different sized potties.

-"1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10... ON YOUR HEAAAAAAAD!"

All the kids also got some Easter chocolate, and this cool cap today too, since it was the Easter Run.

The two pretty Easter Bunnies who are running the Kids Hash:




After the shout-up it was time for the Easter Egg Toss. All the kids lined up in pairs, supposedly to try and throw an egg to each other back and forth, as many times as possible.

But when it was all go, go, go...  and nobody even tried to throw and catch the eggs - it was ALL about crashing the eggs onto each other, hard! These kids have been to too many of these Easter hashes to know what the deal is - it's all just one huge egg TOSS!

It was all about getting messy, and boy were they having fun!

Linnea managed to get Ben on his back!

Then it got completely crazy, eggs were flying left and right and all the kids were running around trying to sneak up on each other. Good thing egg is supposed to be good for your hair!

When the last tray of eggs came out of hiding, it was soon all over and we could take two exhausted, messy and egg-smelling kids home...

Easter Egg Fun

For lunch today on Easter Sunday we had eggs, of course, beautifully decorated beforehand by Lucas and Linnea.

Sugar rush!

Since the huge Easter eggs the kids got from Mormor yesterday, stuffed with all kinds of toys, Lego and sweets, didn't come from the Easter Bunny - Easter Bunny had to come last night, with more chocolate. The things you do for your kids...

Swedes are the people that eat the most amount of candy in the world - 17kg per person and year! That's more than double the amount of the average person in Europe! Recent numbers also show that during the Easter week, 6000 tons of candy is being consumed in Sweden..!
Well, we certainly have eaten our share of it by now! We soon got chocolate coming out of our ears..!

Konstrundan 2013

Something I had really looked forward to doing this Easter in Sweden was visiting another few artists at the early 'Konstrunda' around Hornborgasjön. We did that three years ago, and I really liked it, so it was with great anticipation we set off yesterday to see what this year offered.

It was just the girls this time, as Lucas preferred to stay at home and chill - and to be honest it certainly didn't hurt for the kids to get a break from each other...
We started out a little bit late in the afternoon after the Easter Parade and lunch break etc, but we still managed to do 10 stops!
You never really know what you get though, the "exhibits" can be very different to what they read in the program, sometimes they are not described accurately or they end up being something you are actually not that interested in. Yesterday was a mix of both for us.

We started by stopping in at the sheep farm again, and Linnea got to meet some little lambs, this one was just over a week old:



This year the 'Konstrundan' had over 40 different exhibits, shops and artists' studios etc to visit, you really need the map to navigate around. Linnea kept us on track from the back seat, letting us know what was next and where to go. She had even scheduled in the fikadax (=coffee stop)!



Each place participating in the 'Konstrundan' had a big sign outside, so you would find it easily. That was an improvement from last time.




Buying hard bread and tea, at "Knäck & Bräck":


Back to the roots again, we did another stop at Mormor's childhood home Backgården, just like last time. Unfortunately noone bothered to come out and talk to us this time.



My favourite stop this time was at this place, Bolum Horisont, where they displayed both garden items, beautiful ceramics, glass and sculptural items and had a lovely coffee shop, where we finally stopped for our "fikadax"!





Then we had renewed energy for the last few stops, before it was time to head home:



We also stopped at:
Ateljé Broddetorparn (No web page)
Ateljé Holgers
Ateljé Gökhem
Gudhems Hjärta

Is there a Swedish Easter Bunny?

Linnea is asking a lot about which day it is Easter Bunny comes in Sweden. It is a bit confusing, because normally the Easter Bunny would come on Easter Sunday; but in Sweden the biggest day of Easter is sort of today on Holy Saturday, or Easter "Eve". We Swedes always celebrate the "eves" more.

So this morning when they found a Easter egg each, full of sweets and gifts, they immediately thanked Mormor for it...





... then they asked again, when Easter Bunny is coming?
Aarrgghh, I guess the Easter Bunny will have to hide some chocolate eggs in the garden early tomorrow morning, to make them happy.

The Easter Parade

Today the kids took part again in the Easter Parade. A popular happening every 'Påskafton' (= Easter Eve) here in town.
It's been three years since we were last in Sweden for Easter, and did the parade, but the kids could still use some of the same dress-up things! Although last time the skirt Linnea is wearing reached the ground..!



Lots of people had gathered in town to join the parade. Kids of all ages had dressed up to be 'påskkärringar', 'påskgubbar', Easter bunnies and even chickens!


While we waited we got to listen to this old man playing a keyed fiddle/nyckelharpa (a traditional Swedish instrument). Bless him, he was very cute in his traditional clothing and his hat made out of birch-bark, but the music (well...) was awful...


Finally off they went, with the nyckelharpa-man in the lead, now with a drum! Ha ha!




I guess you can spot who walked first in the parade..?



Luckily they only walked around a very short route in town, because it was so windy that the chill went through the bones! Brrr! In the end they made it back to the stage, where it was time for the prize - Easter candy for all kids!