I spend an unreasonable amount of time in malls. There's no explanation that will make it make sense. It's a fact that I should probably be ashamed of, but who has time for that? I'm too busy being ashamed of the fact that I still have Valentines decorations in my living room.
Mila, of course, also spends an unreasonable amount of time in malls. It's sort of a package deal since she hasn't figured out how to cook her own dinner or wipe her own butt just yet. Since she's a tiny mall rat, she has lots of opportunities to notice when something new appears.
You know, like a giant rabbit sitting in a chair surrounded by flowers.
I think it's safe to say that Mila has not yet found her common sense or developed a healthy sense of fear, so the first time she saw the Easter Bunny hanging out at the mall, she was mesmerized. She demanded that she get to move closer and she smiled and waved and generally acted a fool because EASTER BUNNY! HE'S AWESOME!
That situation played out several times. We would be in a mall, Mila would be all LOOOOK! BUNNY! and we'd stand there and restrain her because she was all in on tackling that stupid rabbit. There was even a time when Mila kept saying she wanted to hug the Easter Bunny and it was FANTASTIC because that other kid of mine is still scared of him. While Mila was trying to run and hug the creature that leaves plastic eggs all over the place, Alexis was mortified and kept yelling, "HE'S EVIL."
When I say "yelling," I mean the rabbit heard her. He didn't look amused.
That's the longish explanation for why I had to bribe the heck out of the Big Kid in order to get this photo.
I had to con Alexis into sitting next to the Easter Bunny because Mila can't be left to her own devices for even a minute lately. I think she's packing a lighter and tiny bombs in her pockets because HOLY DESTRUCTIVE TODDLER. Alexis had to be there to control the Mila. Mila wanted to be there.
OR DID SHE?
After weeks and weeks of begging to hug the Easter Bunny, Mila just plain chickened out when it was time to do the thing. She turned into a noodly toddler and threw a fit until I stuck her in Alexis' lap and rolled my eyes at her cute little face.
You can tell from the photo that nobody was happy to be sitting with the bunny. Normally I don't push those issues, but YOU GUYS I SWEAR MILA ASKED 13524230985 TIMES. GAWD. It's like she's a toddler or something what with all of the "I want that" followed by "PSYCH! I DON'T WANT THAT!"
Once Mila was safely seated in Alexis' lap, she turned her attention to the circus act that was going on behind the camera. So many adults were trying to make her smile. So many. They were making fools of themselves, but only because they didn't know how well trained that kid is. She does not make eye contact with the camera. There is nothing anyone can do to make her look.
But, hey, I'm super glad the adults tried. I'm super glad because I'm relatively certain that's what stopped them from seeing what happened.
Miss Mila, she of much enthusiasm for things in fursuits, was not having it with that particular bunny. She was over the moment before it started, so she sort of stared into space while waiting for any of the adults to come up with a solution that worked for her. Except, when she finally decided that particular bunny was stupid, she balled her little hand up and PUNCHED HIM.
Mila punched the Easter Bunny.
I think the norm might be that the big sister looks out for the little sister, but Mila and Alexis are not the norm. I think it's safe to say that the little sister does all of the battling that needs to be done around here.