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!