Coloring Eggs

Aiden experienced dying Easter eggs for the very first time the other night.  If you ask Aiden, he will tell you he colored the eggs.  I'm not going to correct him because he's cute and I love him.

Even though he doesn't really understand why we are coloring the eggs, he really did have a great time.  This inquisitive soon-to-be three year old really got into watching the dye tablets dissolve and fizzle in the vinegar.  He even got to experience the smell of vinegar for the first time.  His response to the smell, "That smells bAd."  Make sure you hold the "a" out because it smelled that bad.

After the whole science lesson of dissolving the tablets and diluting the vinegar, it was time to get down to business.  We had eggs to color after all.  Trying to teach independent Aiden how to be gentle while placing the eggs in the cups was a failure.  He ended up plopping the eggs creating a splash every time, proving why we dye hard boiled eggs instead of "regular" eggs. 

After putting one egg in each cup, the real test began. 

Patience.  It the perfect oppotunity to teach patience, but I have to admit, I did not realize it at the time.  So really, the test was for me, and I failed.  Over and over again, my mom and I would explain to Aiden that the eggs needed to "sit" a little longer.  But, Aiden was just so overjoyed, that he just had to check on them every few seconds.

After Aiden decided that the eggs were done sitting, which really wasn't long at all, he had to take them out all by himself. He preferred taking them out using his fingers instead of the flimsy wire thing that is provided in the kit.  That is just as well because if he had used that thing we might of ended up with a bunch of colored and cracked eggs.  And then I would of had to turn those eggs into egg salad sooner than I anticipated. 

In the end, all the eggs turned out just beautiful.  Even his finger tips had a very nice pastel color pallet going on. I have to admit I was very skeptical going into this "project," thinking it would be a disaster, but I am very grateful my mom provided the opportunity to do this with Aiden.  It was such a sweet time watching her help him dye the eggs.  Maybe next year Carter and my dad can join in on the fun, as my dad was on cranky Carter duty that night. 

Thank you Me and Pops for the experience.  (Sidenote: Me is Aiden's name for my mom, in case you were wondering, but that is another story for another post.)  Aiden checks on his eggs all the time.