The easter bunny didn't come to our house. He didn't have to because we had MOM. My mother made the greatest spring/Easter baskets. She was very specific that her baskets were to celebrate spring. It had nothing to do with religion. Each one of us had our own basket that we used for this particular week. At the end ,we would give it back to mom to hold in safe keeping until it was easter/spring time again.

Each basket included a stuffed animal made by mom, handmade chocolates and this was pre-Martha Stewart,jelly beans,something to wear on our heads i.e. bonnets,headbands,hair ribbons etc, a paper-mache egg all the way from Sweden which held cute little candies and other fun things to eat, eggs in all shapes and sizes. This was presented nicely in toile for she was a wedding dress designer, or cellophane. Mom loved cellophane because of the annoying sound it made.

From the time I was born until my 35th birthday when my mother passed away, there wasn't a year without a spring/easter basket. She did this evey year for her children and grandchildren and when she died she took the tradition with her. We could not bear to fill the huge absence the loss of our mother/grandmother left.

Our girls were remembering these baskets last week as we were walking through Target. They were describing them in great detail and I had some of my own stories to share "pre-children". We noticed that little boy 'O" was looking kind of sad. With tears in his eyes he said,"I've never had one of these baskets."

"What ?" we said in total disbelief. Well friends it's true. My mother died when he was 4 months old. He had only one basket. So I pulled out the memories from that basket and then silently vowed that this year all of my children will have an incredible spring/easter basket.

The pain of losing my mother has dwindled and to share her love of creating special moments for her family, her memory still lives within me. So Mom this ones for us and in loving memory of you.

So this pregnant idea is about 3 days old. Stay tuned to see how it turns out……………