Spring Break 2012. . .one week in. . .

We have been enjoying a very relaxing Spring Break this year :)

Right now Nana & Grandpa Fred are down visiting.  This picture was taken at the park today -- it was a gorgeous day to be outside!
Thomas was showing off his back handsprings. . .

He also showed off a few handstands. . .











Margaret was catching some sun (and got some. . .she came home with pink shoulders!)

 

Marie was out practicing some ball handling skills. . .

 . . .while Grandpa and Frederick had a hot game of cards going on :)

The kids with Daddy (and Grandpa Fred!) eventually moved out onto the field to play a little soccer. . .

 

And then, for the boys, the basketball court was calling. . .

As soon as Tom & Thomas started playing a couple of other boys asked to join in with them so they had a rousing game of 2 on 2 going (that shot Thomas was throwing there ended up being a swish - ha!)

 A student from school walked up to say "hello" and ended up joining the fun, allowing Frederick a spot on the court too.

So then it was a game of 3-on-3.  Such fun to watch :)  And yes, at age 8, Frederick held up well!

We were probably at the park about 3 hours before heading home to a quiet evening. . .Tom grilled out dogs and brats, I made one of our new family favorites -- cookies and creme cookies (it's basically a chocolate chip cookie recipe that adds cookies & creme pudding mix and crushed oreos into the mix -- thanks Pinterest) and the kids relaxed with some Little House on the Praire with their grandparents.  

And the beauty of all of this is. . .it is Sunday night and I am *not* furiously getting things ready for the week at school :)  Don't get me wrong. . .I love teaching and am one of those "crazy" people who LIKE to go to school. . .but it's also great to have a little bit of our "old" life back too. . .where we're not crazy-busy every hour of the day!

Other pictures from this week (nothing exciting. . .the goal this spring break was to stay home and NOT have plans. . .):

My dad came down for the first part of the week and since his birthday is Wednesday, Frederick made him some cupcakes while he was here.  Margaret was at gymnastics and Thomas was sick so he only had the two grandchildren and his tone-deaf daughter to sing to him.  Sorry, Dad.  The cupcakes must have been good though. . .he ate TWO!

One of the reasons Grandpa Foster specifically came down Tuesday was that Frederick had his Cub Scout's blue and gold ceremony.  Since my dad had been involved with my brother all the way through his Eagle Scout award, he has been interested in Frederick's scouting experience too.

Quite a group they have here. . .and here is a picture the Scouts have with their families. . .

And I couldn't leave out this great picture of Frederick with his grandpa. . .

 

And I just realized, looking at this picture tonight, that that hair is GONE!  Yea!  He agreed to have Tom cut it earlier. . .it looks soooooooo much better now.

In other news, the girls have made some progress on this. . .

I KNOW. . .can you believe it?!?  I can't stand it.  Poor Marie though. . .it really is 90% Margaret.  It took Margaret almost all week to decide that she really, *really* wanted her new bed set up (we had to wait until Saturday for Marie's bed because we wanted to get it straight to the dump and not have it laying around someplace else in the house).

Margaret came through for us all. . .(and a little bribing. . .she wanted to go volunteer with Thomas, Nana, and I to set up for a Hero's Ball later that evening). . .look at their new beds and bedding!!

This pictures makes me 100% determined to get the mirror painted for Margaret's dresser THIS WEEK. I finished painting the dresser almost a year ago. . .and the mirror is primed. . .it only needs the color. . .THIS WEEK.  For sure.

The girls weren't the only ones to get something new over Spring Break (thanks again, Dad, for helping to shop for all this stuff -- I *hate* shopping):

Yes, yes, I *am* spoiled rotten. . .I have one dad who shops with me and another who helps to get the job done.  I am one lucky girl :)  Isn't this pretty?

As always, it's Sunday night and I've waited way too long to post all this stuff. . .and there are other memories that will stay in pictures, hopefully to be journaled at another time in my life.

We are lucky to have a two-week spring break. . .especially during the "spring ahead" time change -- ha!  Onward and forward into Week Two. . .

Love,

Jenni