Hoppy Easter!

Carrots graduates!

**whispering**   (Hey, what's up, dogs?  Glad you could join us.  Today is a very special day.  Why, you may ask?  Because today, having passed his Easter Bunny evaluation with flying colors, our friend Carrots is ready to graduate and receive the title of "E.B."--Easter Bunny.)

(I can't talk too loud or I'll disturb the ceremonies.  Let's just watch and listen, okay?...)

"...recognition of your completion of the requirements for the degree of Easter Bunny, I am pleased to present you with this diploma, summa cum laude, magna cum laude, veni vidi vici magnum opus semper fidelis ad infinitum."

(Wow.  That sounds really official.)

"...Also, you may now claim the privilege of wearing this highly fashionable E.B. stole at future academic gatherings.  Congratulations."

"Oh, wow.  Thank you, Professor Bunn!  This is a dream come true!" Carrots exclaimed.

Okay, now we can yell.  YAY CARROTS!


"Woohoo!" Spunky yelled.   

"Well done, lad!" Grandpa nodded.

"Hooray!" Patch cheered.

"Thanks, guys!  I couldn't have done it without your help," Carrots said. "Let's all get a picture together, shall we?"

Another "crack" at it

"Hey, Droopy, do you have a moment?" Carrots asked.

Sure, what's up?

"Well, I didn't do so well on my last Easter egg hiding test.  But I took your advice, and I've been practicing a lot since last time.  Can I show you?"

Of course!   

"Awesome!  So...first, come outside with me.  Notice anything about this bush?"

Hmmmm...

Aha.  Over on the right....that's an egg.  Hey, pretty good hide job, Carrots.

"Thanks.  It's not my best work, but...this green doesn't match very well.

"Anyway...come over to this flowerbed, here. See anything interesting?"

Aha!  I found them, but it was a challenge.  Very clever, Carrots.

"Last one," Carrots said.  "Let's go back inside to the kitchen, here.  What do you see?"

This is the kitchen table.  And a plate of orange candles.

"Are you sure?" Carrots asked.  "Look very carefully."

Oooooh...I see it now.  Do you see it, viewers? 
Nicely done, Carrots!  You have definitely improved your egg-hiding skills. 

"Yes!" Carrots exclaimed, pumping his fist. 

What do you think, viewers?  Has Carrots improved enough to pass his exam?...

E.B.I.T. training, continued--Easter Egg concealment

Hey, what's up, dogs?  Today our new friend Carrots, the Easter-Bunny-in-Training (E.B.I.T.), is scheduled to show us his Easter Egg hiding abilities.  According to him, this is a very important part of his training, and one he must pass.  He wants to be a certified E.B. (Easter Bunny) by the time next year's holiday rolls around. 

So, let's get cracking on those eggs!  --Um.  No pun intended.


"So, what do you think?" Carrots asked.  "Be honest."

Err...ahem.  I think it's a good start.  You chose a very, uh, soft place to put the egg.  

"That's what I thought too!" Carrots said happily.

But...I have a suggestion.  If you really want to hide the egg, why not put it under the pillow?  Like this...

"Ooooh, yes!" Carrots exclaimed.  "I see what you mean."

And then, if you want to make it even trickier, why not choose an egg color that matches better with the pillow fabric?  Like this.

"Wow, that's a great idea!" Carrots said.   But then his brow furrowed.

What's wrong, Carrots?

"I just thought of something," Carrots said, looking worried.  "Do you think there are Easter eggs that are hidden so well that nobody can find them?"

That is an eggs-cellent question, Carrots.  What do you think, blog buddies?...

Oh, and also, we got mail last week!  It's a postcard from Sandy Bear.  He apparently went to someplace called Whistler...and went ziplining!  What an awesome adventure...Thanks for the card Sandy.

 

Till next time everybody!

Carrots' evaluation form #3--Hugging technique

Hey, what's up, dogs?  We're back to help Carrots with his evaluation form again today.  

Today's topic is...hmmm...proper hugging technique, "with comfortable pressures for a variety of client shapes and sizes."  

That's a good point.  I guess Easter Bunnies encounter all sorts of people and stuffies in their travels.  Fortunately, Patch, Spunky, and I are all different sizes, so Carrots will get to practice.  How's that sound, Carrots?

"Sounds good.  Let's do it!" Carrots said.


Patch, you want to go first?

"Sure," Patch agreed.  "Go ahead, Carrots." 

"You can squeeze a little harder," Patch offered.  "I didn't feel anything."

"A little more," Patch said.

"There, that's good," Patch said.  "Perfect."

Great.  All right, Spunky, you're up.  Go for it, Carrots.

"Urk!" Spunky squeaked.

Oops!  Carrots, quick, ease off a bit.  Remember, Spunky's not as...uh...robust as Patch. 

"Oh no!  Sorry, Spunky!" Carrots exclaimed, and quickly let go. 

"No...problem..." Spunky gasped.

"How's that?  Is that better?"

"Much better," Spunky said.  "Thanks."

Okay, my turn.  Now, Carrots, remember what you've learned. I'm not as big as Patch, but I'm not as, uh, travel-size as Spunky.  So go for something in between.  Got it?

"Got it," Carrots nodded.

Here we go...

"How's that?" Carrots asked anxiously.

Ahhh.  That's nice.  What a good hug.  You have learned well, my young Padawan.

Carrots looked blank.  "Huh?"

Oh.  Sorry.  I guess you're not a Star Wars fan, eh?  Well, in any case, I think you pass.  Another checkmark on your evaluation form, Carrots...you're getting close!

Till next time!

Carrots' evaluation form #2--smiles and bows

Hey, what's up, dogs!  Welcome back to the blog.  Today we're forging ahead with Carrots' evaluation form.  

As you may remember from last time, Carrots handily passed the "cuteness" and "fluffiness" portions of his evaluation.  

What's next?  

"Looks like...'cheerful attitude,' " Patch said, reading from the form.

That should be easy.  Just give us a big smile, Carrots.  Show us your teeth!

"Okay!" Carrots said, and grinned happily.

There you go!  Perfect.  "Cheerful attitude"...check.  Next?

"It says...'grooming and photo-readiness," Spunky said.

Ah yes.  A crucial point.  Easter Bunnies take lots of photos, so a neat and professional appearance is very important.  

"I have an idea that will help," Spunky suggested.  He disappeared for a moment and re-appeared with...

...a length of ribbon.  

"What's that for?" Carrots asked.

"Just watch," Spunky replied. 

Oooh, very nice touch, Spunky! I think Carrots is ready for his closeup now.  

Let's test out the new look on camera.  Our human will take a picture.  

Ready?  Everybody say "BACON!" 

Errr...except for you, Carrots.  You can say, uh, well, "CARROTS!"

 Till next time!

 

Carrots' evaluation form

"Hey, guys?  Do you have a minute?" Carrots asked.

Certainly.  What's up?

"Well, now that I've been here for a while and feel more settled, I think we should start working on my Easter Bunny Skills Evaluation.  Can you look at it with me?  I have a copy right here."


Sure, let's do that.  Wow, this is quite an extensive list...

Well, okay.  Hmmm.  It says here that the first thing we have to check for is whether you have the "necessary cuteness" to be an Easter Bunny.

Carrots looked worried.  "How are we going to decide that?"

Just stay put for a minute.  We'll back up and take a look...

 What do you think, guys?

"I think he's got it covered," Patch said.

Agreed.  Cuteness...check.  What's next on the list, Spunky?

"Fluffiness," Spunky replied.

Oh, that's an easy one to check, too.  Again, just stay put, Carrots.

Mmmm.  Pretty fluffy over here on my side.  What about you, Patch?

"Plenty of fluff over here too," Patch said.

Spunky?

"This is a very fluffy bunny tummy," Spunky replied.

It's unanimous.  Fluffiness...check.
 
Seems like Carrots is off to a great start on his skills evaluation!  But the items are going to get harder and harder as time goes by.  We'll keep working on his skills so he can fulfill his dream of becoming a full-fledged Easter Bunny.

Till next time...

An Easter package

Hey, what's up, dogs?  Today is Easter Sunday.  I woke up to a surprise--a mysterious package in the middle of the living room.

It appears to be a basket.  That makes sense--it's Easter, after all.

I whistled for my friends.  


"Hey, guys!" I called.  "Come and take a look at this."

Patch and Spunky arrived shortly afterward, and the three of us observed the basket for a few minutes.

 "Um...did you see that?" Patch asked nervously.

"See what?" Spunky replied.

"I thought I saw it move," Patch said, even more nervously.

 

Spunky and I both agreed that we needed to check out the contents of the package.  Our human's safety might be at stake.  

Patch didn't like the idea much, but he eventually agreed to join us.  Which was good, because we needed him...as you can see below.

It was a delicate operation.  Spunky balanced himself precariously on top and peered into the package.

"What do you see, Spunk?" I called. 

"Um...I see pink fluff," he responded.


Huh?  Pink fluff??

At that moment...

"Hi there!" a voice said cheerfully.  

Spunky and I were so surprised that we lost our balance and fell. 

"Oh, no!" wailed the bunny.  "I'm sorry!  Please don't give me a bad evaluation!"

"Who are you?" Patch asked.

"Oh, I totally forgot!" said the bunny.  "Happy Easter.  My name is Carrots and I'm a E.B.I.T."

"An E.B.I.T.?" I asked, perplexed.

"Easter-Bunny-in-Training," Carrots answered promptly.  "Here's my card."

 

An Easter-Bunny-in-Training?  We'd never heard of that before.
 
Carrots explained, "Well, you see, every bunny that wants to work as an Easter Bunny must go through a rigorous training program.  It takes a very long time and it's very hard.  But when we're done, we get to write two little letters after our name--E.B., for Easter Bunny.  It's a tremendous honor!

"As part of our training, we do home visits.  That is, we're assigned to homes around the country for a period of time, where we practice spreading love, giving hugs, and hiding Easter eggs.   

"This is my first home visit and I'm very excited!  But you're going to have to write me an evaluation, so I hope I didn't blow it already."

 

"No problem," Spunky said.  "Nobody was hurt.  We were just surprised, that's all."  

I said, "And if you want to learn how to spread love, you can start by helping us wish our blog friends a very HOPPY EASTER!"

Hope everyone has a great holiday!  Till next time...