Spring Break!

 A week before Spring began, we had our Spring Break!  Normally this is not a problem in our area, but this year, due to the snow the week before, it felt a little premature.  Never fear.  We know how to party, no matter the weather, or season.

Ben had a lot of travel scheduled for March.  He went to Atlanta for the week before Spring Break, and then had to go to Utah the week after, and to Denver the week after that.  So, though he was home with us during the week, he was catching up from his Atlanta trip, preparing for his other two trips, as well as doing his current work.  Therefore, Spring Break=LOW KEY this year.

We had wanted to go camping somewhere, sometime during the week.  However, the first day of Spring Break was a rainy day, and combined with the ice, snow, and rain from the weeks before, the ground was too muddy and saturated.  My kids improvised with a tent in the front room.  The four girls slept in this for three nights in a row, until I made them clean it up when I hosted my book club on Thursday.

 

 We took a trip to the library one day (maybe Wednesday?).  The next morning, after not setting my alarm (my very favorite thing about school breaks), I came out to find that the kids had gotten themselves breakfast, and Scott was reading the latest "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book to the girls.  Awesome!

 That afternoon we actually had nice weather, so we headed to a park.  I used to take them to parks all the time, but it has been a while since we've all gone, and they had a pretty good time.

 They had wanted to bring their bikes, but there's no way they would all fit in the car, so we brought scooters instead.  Scott led them on a trail around the park.

 

Then, we went way out to the other side of the park, walked across a lot of mud, and came to a little dock on a little pond.

 After a sufficient number of sticks had been thrown in, we headed back home.

On Friday, Ben took the day off.  We had planned to go to the zoo, but it started raining that morning.  We were undeterred, and headed to Dallas anyway.  The rain cloud stalled right on top of Dallas, and it seemed as if it wasn't going anywhere, so we changed plans and drove out to Grapevine to go to the Legoland Discovery Park in a mall there.  Halfway there, we found out it was sold out for the day, so we thought we'd go to the aquarium there, or the movie theater where you can eat while you watch.  Nope.  The aquarium was also sold out, and the movie times were too late for us (Ben had to get back for something later), and extra pricey.  Legoland had a store attached (of course), so we spent plenty of time and plenty of the kids' money there.  We thought we'd go to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch, but the line was crazy long.  So we left the mall and went to Golden Corral, which my kids happen to love.  We came home, built all the new Lego sets, and that was that.

On Saturday we had our friends Bobbidee and Joe over for dinner.  They just had their seventh child, and most of their kids match up in ages with ours.  It had been too long since we had gotten together, and I'm glad we were finally able to make it work!  We'll have to do a night with just adults, but it was fun to have our whole families together, too.  OH--it was "pi" day, so I made three pies, and they brought three, so we had that covered.  (It was the once in a century pi day--3.14.15.)  So, so yummy.  I don't mind this strange, new custom.

Sunday was nice, though Ben had to leave for his trip right after Sacrament Meeting.  My brother Jeff and his family came from Oklahoma to spend the night before heading out for their Spring Break in California.  It was great to have them here.

Happy Spring!

Caytie's project

Caytie had a GT assignment to discover her passion.  She chose art.  I think I already posted the picture of her creating the timeline for Jackson Pollock.  After that, she had to create an artwork of her own, so she painted a swamp.  (She never chooses quite what I think she will.)  She had her work at a GT showcase one night, which we were able to see thanks to the snow cancelling soccer practice and her 2nd grade music program.  Hooray for snow!

March comes in like what now?

I understand that March weather is supposed to come in strong, but we got more than we were expecting when we got an ice storm, complete with cancelled school.  The kids had fun on the trampoline for five minute bursts, and Emma and Scott did manage to build this tiny snowman with the unpackable ice pellets.

Large quantities of hot chocolate were consumed.  Large quantities of my patience for snow gear on the floor were consumed.

 By the next morning, the ice had melted, but it started to snow real snow, so we had a late start for school.  It was still snowing a bit by the time they were supposed to go, but the roads were fine, so off they went on the bus.

 

We had a couple of nice days, and then...snow again!  No school again!  This time the snow was a little more packable, especially in the afternoon after it had melted a bit, so with some help from the neighbors, Frosty came to be.  (Caytie is truly barefoot.)

 (Sadly, there was no magic in this hat.  Tessa tried.)

And now...time for Spring Break!

Photo Buffet--details edition

For your viewing pleasure:

Sunday afternoon fun includes building block towers taller than the builders!

(Details to note: Benson has no pants on.  He takes them off every day, as soon as we get back from wherever we've gone.  I'm grateful he's at least willing to wear them in public.  Also: he's still in a diaper.  He is not going to be swayed by peer pressure.  When we tell him that all his friends and cousins and siblings wear underwear, he adamantly insists, "NOT ME."  Also: there is a ladybug house on the mantle. There were also three mason jars full of dirt and earthworms in the kitchen.  That is what you have when your preschool theme is bugs.)

We got some pattern blocks.  I'm a sucker for a sale at the teacher supply store. One of the girls wanted to document their creation for posterity.

 (Detail to note: nail polish on the table.  None of the girls want to claim this one.)

Preschool Ladybug Picnic!

 (Detail to note:  we're inside.  We were hoping to eat outside, but it was just too chilly.  There was only a little chocolate pudding from the gummy worm dirt cups spilled on the carpet.  Not bad.)

Gracie, Caytie, and Tessa made a "heart fall" for Valentine's Day and took a picture for us to see it.  They cut out a bunch of hearts and threw them over the ledge and watched them all flutter down.

 (Detail to note: Gracie had done this when she was four, and wanted to re-create the event.  This time she had help, and they made sure to color their hearts so they could photograph better.  Hmm--I think I have the original picture...let me see if I can find it...

Found it!  It's from May 2010.)

Benson was watching a show on his daddy's phone.  I told him to turn it off so he could go to bed.  He thought he'd outsmart his mommy.

 (Detail to note:  Can you find the phone?  Look slightly south of the Superman sign...)

We had some visitors for Valentine's Day/President's Day/Naaman and Ellie's birthdays!  Devan, Kim, and their kids came for the three-day weekend, and we had a Ninja Turtle party, complete with a pinata, for their kids while they were here.  We love having them come!

(Detail to note:  these are some awfully cute kids.)