Spring Break Recap

Ahh, Spring Break. I have grown to love the Spring Break staycation more and more over the years. The down time is bliss. And, no schedule -- what freedom! I was really looking forward to Spring Break this year and it did not disappoint. We had a blast and re-entered the real world today feeling refreshed.

Sweet Small Fry was suffering from another bout of croup as we kicked off Spring Break (March croup 2.0), so while the original plan called for Buck to take the boys to the farm Friday and me to follow Saturday morning, for the sake of safety and closeness to Children's Hospital Small Fry and I stayed put just in case. We didn't let the change of plans keep us down, though. Instead, when Buck, Fawn and my dad headed to the farm for some turkey hunting and fishing, Small Fry and I packed up for Mimi's house and a slumber party.

Small Fry was all out of sorts from the steroids in the breathing treatment, the oral steroids, and the new inhaler. And, he was so sad to not go to the farm -- we had been building up the "big boy" trip to the farm without mommy. So, Mom and I took him to get frozen yogurt and to the zoo Friday afternoon.  The Mimi took over Small Fry duty as I had plans to eat dinner at Caroline's and go to the play Warhorse with Caroline, Frances and Lucy Ann.

Saturday morning, Small Fry was chomping at the bit to get to the farm and his wheezing was much improved. So, with Mimi in tow, we headed to Aliceville to enjoy a nice Spring day of farm living and sunshine. Small Fry still wasn't 100% so we headed back home Saturday afternoon and had another sleepover at Mimi's. Mom and I ate take out, drank wine, and watched a chick flick -- SO FUN!

Sunday brought the big boys home and some relaxed family time before our fun-filled week began.

On Monday, I took the boys to the zoo, where Lulu met us later that morning. At about 11 we called it a day as the crowds were picking up. We headed downtown to Railroad Park for playground fun and a picnic. That park never disappoints. It is simply gorgeous! Monday afternoon we dyed Easter eggs with Mimi. Pops commented that Easter was weeks away and it seemed a bit early to be dying eggs, but I wanted to make sure we did it before Easter. While I hope to do it again, at least we have already enjoyed that activity this year. While our eggs were drying we played in the sandbox and the backyard. Good thing we did because the rest of the week was pretty chilly.

On Tuesday, I woke up early and got the boys packed up for a day trip to Atlanta and Legoland. Fawn knew we were going to go one day but the website to order tickets was down so we weren't sure which day. I was able to buy tickets early Tuesday morning so Mom and I made the impromptu decision to go for it. It was a long day, but worth it because the boys -- especially Fawn -- had so much fun. We started in the Lego factory where the boys learned how Legos are made. Very cool -- the most interesting thing I learned is that there are 65 Legos for every person on Earth. That is crazy! There were two rides -- a knight ride where you had laser guns and shot bad guys and a Merlin ride where you pedal and fly around in circles. All four of us loved the knight ride -- we rode it over and over and over. Fawn and I went on the Merlin ride once. It was fun, but the line was long and took forever -- plus Small Fry was too short to participate. We also enjoyed Lego Miniland which was a replica of Atlanta. That part was lost on the boys -- except Fawn loved the replica of Turner Field. Their favorite part of Miniland were the construction scenes and moving the jackhammer and crane around with the buttons. Fawn did a fire and construction obstacle course with Mimi while I played in the toddler area with Small Fry. And, we watched two of the 4D movies -- Clutch McPowers and Chima. All in all, a great day and a fun trip.

On Wednesday, the weather was not cooperating and we were all a bit pooped out from our busy day Tuesday so I took the opportunity to go through baby clothes (tear, tear) and organize the boys' closets and dressers for spring and summer. Quite an undertaking, but how nice to have a day to get it done! When the weather warmed up, we headed to Red Mountain Park (our first time ever!) for a hike. It was a beautiful, convenient park with awesome trails. I know we will be back! We spent the afternoon building Legos and relaxing after our hike.

On Thursday, we started the day with a treat for the boys -- Heavenly Donuts! Small Fry actually went to the counter and ordered an apple fritter. Ha! We met the Butlers at McWane for a play date at 9 and stayed for a couple hours until the crowds got too heavy. We spent most of our time in the Just Mice Size area. Small Fry was captivated by the water table and spent his time playing there. The three bigger kids were running and climbing through the castle. Before we left we headed downstairs to pet the sharks and sting rays. Then we headed to Triangle Park for a picnic. It was a great morning with Sim, Mac, and Celie! Thursday afternoon Fawn headed with Lulu to get some spring and summer clothes and play at her house. Then that evening, Buck and I had a few hours away from the boys. They were being thoroughly entertained by my parents while Buck and I went car shopping. I think we are about to enter minivan-land. Cannot believe it, but boy are those things convenient and super-nice! After car shopping, Buck and I grabbed a quick dinner at Billy's.

On Friday we headed back to the farm for the weekend. The weather was supposed to be terrible, but we Buck timed it just right and we arrived at the farm as the rain cleared up. We enjoyed the afternoon just the four of us, and then the real fun began as the Hendersons arrived about dinner time for their first visit to the farm. Friday night we let them have a picnic on the dock and they played in the yard. The sleeping situation was interesting. Fawn was exhausted and the Henderson boys just weren't as tired (they do not require as much sleep as sweet Fawn). So I put Fawn in our bed instead of the bunk room. Small Fry was in his pack n play in our closet. After a fun grown-up dinner and lots of fun chatting, Buck made the brilliant (on his part) decision to go to the main lodge to sleep. I got to supervise both boys in our room. Wow was sleep hard to come by! Small Fry had a very uncharacteristic diaper blow out around 12:30 and it took some work to get him back to bed because he wanted to sleep in the big bed with Fawn and me. Then at 2 the second round of storms came in; no severe weather, but some very strong thunderstorms that were frightening in a single-wide trailer. Saturday brought cloudy, windy weather, but no rain. So even though it wasn't the prettiest day, we got to enjoy the farm. We gave the Hendersons a tour on the Bad Boy Buggy, went fishing, and played in the mud. I think all the children went through all of their clothes. They were a wet, muddy mess -- but they loved every minute. The Hendersons left about nap time and we stuck around to enjoy what truly was a beautiful spring Sunday. The abundance of mud made it easy to ditch Small Fry's cowboy boots at the farm -- they are now permanently farm shoes (AMEN!). And his Alabama hat was also disgusting, so I hid  it the minute we got home. He's actually gone to school in Crocs and no hat this week -- he looks like a different child.

Such a fun week with the boys -- it makes me really look forward to the long, schedule-free days of summer!

iMarch.

March croup 1.0. Poor buddy; it kept Small Fry and me home from the farm.

So when he was feeling better Saturday we headed to the zoo. Small Fry loves the elephants.

Three of the elephants were out and roaming about -- we got to see them up close and personal.

Elephant selfie.

Giraffe Small Fry.

Check out the sleeping lions in the background. Hilarious!

March croup 2.0. Wearing stickers on his ears at the doctor's office. This funny business was quickly followed by a not so fun oxygen check, lung x-ray, and breathing treatment. Poor buddy has had a really rough few months when it comes to coughing. He is now on an inhaler for a month as we try to determine if he is suffering from asthma.

Lots and lots of iPhone photos from Spring Break -- they will follow in separate posts!

First Tee Ball Game.

Fawn is excited to finally be playing tee ball...and the best part? Buck is his coach. Buck has been waiting years to coach his own boys in baseball. Now those years have begun. They are both enjoying it -- I feared one wouldn't or the other wouldn't or both wouldn't. But, they both seem in their element. Buck is calm, instructive and great with the little boys. Fawn is loving baseball -- he likes the rules and the order and he loves to run the bases. He absolutely had a ball during his first game and was sad to leave because he wanted to keep playing.

Silly Faces.

This little guy is just so silly! He is telling jokes, mimicking movie lines, and generally being a ham. Every day I experience a laugh and a smile JUST BECAUSE OF HIM. Thank you for the smiles, laughter, joy, and love for life you share with us every day.

Fawn's Friday Funnies: Hunting Edition.

This weekend is youth turkey weekend in Alabama; the real turkey season starts next weekend. Buck and Fawn are heading to the farm for Fawn's very first turkey hunt. He is so excited. Buck has been prepping him on being still and being quiet. On the way to school this morning, Fawn told Small Fry that he couldn't go turkey hunting because he "lost on two things." "You can be still and you can't be quiet." As for me, "You only lose on one thing, Mom. You can be quiet but you can't be still." Long pause..."Plus Mom, women do not hunt."

Today at his school was "Taste of Nations." I volunteered to help in his classroom, and it was the most precious day. Each of the five 4K classrooms was decorated as a different country that the children have been studying the last month. Ours was India. The children had passports that they got stamped as they entered each classroom. They heard a story or learned something about each country, did a craft, and got a "local" snack. To say the children loved it is an understatement! Fawn was so excited to tell me about it and show me all of his crafts on his way home. When asked what his favorite country was, he quickly responded China. Why? "Because they have panda bears. I want to hunt panda bears. I wish there was a panda season so I could sneak through the woods and shoot them all. I hate panda bears." How to teach lessons of conservation about the world's most beloved endangered species? Lord help us.

Weekend Vistas.

The last weekend of February took Buck and me to The Grand Hotel in Fairhope, Alabama for a Young Lawyers meeting for Buck. In a nutshell, The Grand Hotel is my happy place. I grew up going there as a child and just love being on the bay. It's a peaceful, southern, slice of heaven. And, I loved being there with my one and only for a special getaway (our first getaway since weaning Small Fry!). We had dinner functions both evenings, and Buck played golf with lawyer friends Saturday and had meetings on Sunday. So it was a pretty filled weekend. But, I had plenty of time to relax, to stroll, and to read. I loved every minute!

We had a bit of an adventure on our way down -- literally at the 1/2 mile to The Grand Hotel sign we blew a tire. Just a pop sound and then a whooshing. I calmly said, "I think you blew a tire" while Buck pulled off the road and said "We sure did." No cussing, no anger. Just calm. He went right to work unloading the trunk to reach the spare, jacking up the car, and replacing the bum tire. I busily googled "Fairhope tire stores" and called a mom and pop store close to the hotel to see if they had the tire we needed. In a matter of minutes, we were on our way. Sweet Buck dropped me off at the hotel and then went to handle the tire. We were lucky -- the tire workers were amazed the huge bolt that went through our tire didn't do more damage. We were safe, and that's what matters.

After a sweet visit strolling through hotel grounds with my best friend from law school and her two little ones, I reunited with my hero Buck and then headed for a walk past the gorgeous old homes on the bay. I captured this photo on my iPhone of the sunset, which I stopped to watch while I listened to some of my favorite Christian music. It had been a bit of a rough week -- a young church member had died in a plane crash leaving his wife and two young daughters. While we weren't personally affected, the situation shook me and just made me re-ask God some questions I'm pretty sure I won't get the answers to on this side of heaven. I think He used His sunset to remind me that even through the clouds, His LIGHT is there.

After a sweet weekend away from our boys -- and a lovely homecoming to them waiting on my in-laws' steps for us, backpacks on, ready for Mommy and Daddy -- we headed to the farm the next weekend to enjoy some gorgeous weather and get some farm chores done (Buck's chores, not mine). We had some nice family time, though I think I always come home from the farm more tired than I arrive at the farm. I beginning to understand why -- pre-children -- Buck would return from the farm and just want to sleep the rest of the day. I didn't get it at all -- but now I do! I need a day of vacation to rest after an action-packed, sleep-deprived farm weekend. I didn't take my camera, but did capture these amazing rainbows on my iPhone. He is faithful and keeps His promises!

The first double rainbow I've seen in person! Wow! Fawn was amazed and impressed!