Yearn for Surrender: Spring Break 2019

Easter was very late in 2019 (4-21-19) which meant that our Spring Break week was very late too. This year the district is going to move up the break to March and have a second small break at Easter.

Brandon and I were able to coordinate walking and biking so I was able to get exercise breaks even over spring break.

I love to take pics of the Lake and beg friends to visit with them!

When the kids are at school I often think of all the fun mom things that I want to do with them, all the fun things I used to do or imagined doing. Spring Break is a good chance to do some fun things with my kids. I challenged them to help me make a rainbow with the matchbox cars. We all worked together sorting and it turned out well.

Our rainbow!

Some colors are more popular than others.

M convinced Brandon to print him some super car pictures after seeing two in one weekend.

I worked hard on this car!

Before Spring Break Brandon and I had planned to take the kids on a little overnight in Chicago from Sunday to Monday at the start of break. Brandon has Mondays off so we thought it would be a fun idea. The more I researched the more I realized this little trip would be pretty expensive. Then I started looking at the weather and realized that it was going to be cold with snow. Our kids complain walking outside in the summer so we knew that this wouldn't work.

We called an audible and decided to head north instead of south and just stay at a hotel with a pool for the night. It was such a good decision. The kids had a great time and we made great memories. It was much cheaper and low stress and it was fun to look out the windows and watch the snow falling.

M and T: We approve the alternate vacation!

The pool was a little cold, but the hot tub felt lovely.

A pool to ourselves and snow falling outside!

After swimming the kids enjoyed reading in the hotel room. I brought a crock pot meal so we ate dinner together and then played a family game of Dragonwood.

Don't disturb our reading mom.

T: M, listen to this!

I love that they are readers!

We kept the kids up later than usual and all went to bed at the same time. T did wake up in the middle of the night and colored and read in the bathroom for a while and then went back to sleep. Overall, much better than it could have been.

The kids LOVE hotel breakfasts. Sweet T eats everything in sight and M just loves unlimited juice!

T: I am making a waffle!

T: It is bigger than my head!

M: Juice and sports on TV, what a great morning!

After breakfast we stayed in the lounge area and sat by the fire and played games. It was very relaxing and we all had fun!

T: I played LIFE for the first time. It is so much fun!

T: I love tinkering!

T: Check it out.

M: Daddy and I played a new game!

After we checked out of the hotel we found a place that had indoor mini golfing. We hadn't taken the kids since they were very tiny. It was much more fun with kids who could actually understand the game.

T: This is pretty fun!

The course was actually much harder than outdoor courses.

T: Ready for the next hole!

Thumbs up.

A treasured moment!

The girls!

The guys!

The kids!

M was totally over taking photos, but T wanted photos with everything. There were plenty more than the ones I am posting. :)

T: I was a snake too!

T: Can you tell I am trying to be a fish?

After we got home and ate the kids did more coloring and we played LIFE as a family. I am not going to lie and say it went perfectly. I am pretty sure there were tears and fights, but we played a game as a family! We didn't go to Chicago, but we had a good Sunday and Monday together!

M: Do you like this one?

Life is hard, but life is good!!

The rest of the week was filled with different things each day. On Tuesday we headed down to Children's for a couple of appointments. The kids did very well and we went out for Chick-fil-a afterwards.

M: Now that is a big pit!

There is always something exciting happening at Children's Hospital!

M: YUM!!!!

T: My favorite!!

On Wednesday we stayed home and cleaned the house in the morning. I told the kids we could watch a movie in the afternoon if we cleaned in the morning and they gave me time to prep dinner. We got the whole house vacuumed and swept. I was very proud of them! We watched a movie and took T to OT in the afternoon.

T: This is fun work!

M: I like sweeping more than vacuuming.

The photo below might not look like much to most people, but my kids playing a game together without an adult is amazing. It was very helpful that I was in the same room cooking so I could intervene at anytime. Overall they did quite well. They both cheated, they both got upset, but I think they had fun too!

Playing Dragonwood

While we were cleaning the cats were living their usual cat lives of discovery and sleep.

They love looking out the window.

They also love a good nap!

On Thursday morning we hosted playgroup at our house and then went to another appointment in the afternoon. The kids actually like the appointments because there is often some fun show on in the waiting rooms.

On Friday we headed north to see our good friends. I wish we had taken pictures together. We have spent Good Friday with them for many years now. It is sort of our tradition. It is so good to be together. I LOVE talking with the mom H and our kids love playing with the boys. Our days together always seem to go way too quickly. The only photos I have from the visit are LEGO creations the kids worked on.

T: Do you like my house?

M: Do you like my ship?

On Saturday afternoon we were invited to a Birthday party for a little girl in my Sunday School class. What a sweet honor to be invited to her super sweet unicorn party!

T: Happy Birthday B!!

This year we did a drama at church for Easter. I was pretending to write a drama for youth group and the others were acting out the voice in my head. It was really funny and fun to do!