March Madness is a Mood

Alright -- I just gotta crank this post out!  The main hold up this week in blogging about our Spring Break, is that the thought of recapping and thus re-living the week seems almost as exhausting as living through it the first time.  And, since no one REALLY wants a day by day outline, I'm going to make this as short and sweet as possible.  ;)

• Scott took the whole week off of work
• We attempted to do "one fun thing" each day (and yes, the phrase is in quotes on purpose)
• Not a single kid seemed to think that they needed to DO anything all week long to EARN those fun things
• And the younger half were super sleep deprived after angling to stay up past their bedtime each night while continuing to wake up extra early to sneak in more screen time

Throw in plenty of fighting over petty things and meltdowns over even more ridiculous things, and you've got the gist of how are stay-cation went.  If I'm being honest (and I like to think I'm always being honest here on the blog), the only real highlight of the week for ME was being able to sleep in almost every morning.  That and I did force the kids into some back yard manual labor on Day 1.  And we did end our week off with a family mini road trip to the Kansas City Temple.  So, all in all, I guess you could say that I'm in major need of an attitude adjustment.  Because if last week was any indication of what life will be like once school is out for the summer, I don't think I'm going to survive with my current (super aggravated and frustrated) outlook.  {Although, to be fair, I think EVERYONE in this house is in need of an adjustment.}

So there you have it!  Enjoy the following pictures of our Spring Break "fun."  ;)

 We filled out our brackets for March Madness last Monday.

 Fun fact -- Up until tonight, Isaac has been leading the family and friends pool we're in by a LOT.  Scott helped him fill it out by telling him each match up and asking him who he thought would win.  It was hilarious how seriously Isaac took it.  And how he answered each time so authoritatively and without hesitation.

 We finally moved the trampoline so that it's no longer right in the middle of our backyard.

 And we finally took apart the OLD (busted) trampoline that the previous owners had left behind.

 Lots and lots of pruning went on and all the branches and sticks from a storm a few weeks ago were finally picked up.

 I think Maxwell enjoyed Spring Break.

 Chuck E. Cheese was one of the fun outings.  This particular trip to Chuckie's was extra fun because they managed to score something like 3,600 tickets. 

 I made a razzleberry pie and it was DELICIOUS.

 NOM.

 Scott and I spent about 3 hours at the DMV getting our license and registration worked out.  And then the very next day, Ethan spent almost twice that at various DMVs while waiting in line to finally take his driving skills test and then traipsing over to a different location to actually get his card.  It was SUPER fun.  Let me tell ya.  Hahahaha.

 Swimming at the hotel pool while in KC.

 And finishing off our visit to the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures.  It was awesome.  And that is zero sarcasm there.  

 We paired up to go on a Scavenger Hunt throughout the museum.

 I thought the miniatures were especially amazing and cool.

 Check out the detail in these miniature quilts!!!

 (This was Jane's favorite doll house on display.)

 Iconic toys from the 1980s...

 The 1990s...

 And I think the 1970s?

Finally home!  Maxwell boarded overnight while we were in Kansas City and the kids were especially excited that the day we picked him up was National Puppy Day so we had to get a felfie.  Haha.

And that's a wrap!  Peace out peeps.  Stay tuned for next week when I give a brief accounting of my 40 Before 40 status.

Spring Breaking Point

This post is dedicated to Grace -- because she REALLY wanted me to blog about it.  Saturday was a gorgeous day.  And even though in my mind Spring Break didn't officially start until today (because, hello, Saturdays happen every week) Grace was chomping at the bit to carry out the most ridiculous idea she's come up with in a while.  And for those of you who know Grace, once she gets an idea in her head she won't let up until it's done.  In a word, she's relentless.

(Grace swiped my phone to take all of the pictures -- I refused to have anything to do with their festivities.)

So, despite the fact that Scott and I both told her repeatedly that her activity of Twister with shaving cream and paint was a TERRIBLE idea and would make a HUGE mess that there was no way she would completely clean, she eventually somehow convinced us that we should let her do it anyway.  Relentless, I tell you.  In all honesty, I was so annoyed with the whole prospect that I told her I would not be blogging about the event because I didn't want to reward her nonsense.

However, in the aftermath, I decided that it might be productive as a cautionary tale for anyone else who might be considering planning a similar activity.  Hahaha.  Because spoiler alert -- it made a huge mess, I don't see how it was even all that fun, it ruined all their clothes, and they definitely did not clean everything up to my satisfaction.  At least on their own.  Once they "finished" and we pointed out everything they missed, at least they begrudgingly got the job done.

 (Google Photos created this lovely little Then and Now of the girlie bugs.)

So that was our Spring Break "Day 1!"  Today was almost as aggravating (if not more).  You would have thought we were ruining everyone's lives by insisting that they help with some yard work and housework before moving on to our "fun" thing for the day.  Because I spent the weekend creating my landscaping plan for the yard, I'M now the one chomping at the bit to carryout all of my ideas. Hahaha.   In order for that to happen, however, there's a ton of clean up and prep work that needs to happen in the backyard.  After trimming lots of branches and pruning some bushes, I tried to get the kids to help clear out all the sticks so we could move the trampoline to the spot it always should have been and dismantle the old, falling apart trampoline that the previous owners left behind.  I'll have to dedicate a  whole blog post to those before and afters, but rest assured that there was minimal effort exerted on most of the kids' parts.  Those kids!  Hahahahaha.   Stay tuned for more Spring Break highlights.  ;)

 (Grace's contribution to the yard work was to pose with these cut down bamboo shoots.)

Thank Goodness It's Friday

Hip hip hooray!  I'm so glad it's Friday!  Especially since this Friday is our kick-off to Spring Break.  To celebrate, we made a second attempt at the fire pit -- and we succeeded!  And now, to really top the evening off, we're watching West Side Story for movie night.  {Although, to clarify, "we" refers to me, Jane, and Sophie, with Grace in the background painting a project for school.}  Hahaha.

{West Side Story was my first "classic movie" to check off my 40 Before 40 list, because (believe it or not) I've never watched it before.  I rectified that situation earlier this week and ended up LOVING it.  Like seriously -- 10 out of 10, would recommend.  Sophie has been wanting to watch it ever since I started raving about it, so that's where we're at for tonight.}

{Last night was Sophie's student led conference at school.}

The last exciting bit of information for this Friday night is that Sophie found out this evening that she made it onto the yearbook staff for next year in junior high!  She had to submit an application and writing samples and teacher recommendations and everything.  Apparently, this yearbook is an award winning specimen and requires some really rigorous screening.  ;)  To end the post, I wanted document Sophie's article that she turned in with her application.  For the article, she was supposed to choose a focus and make up a story using fake student quotes. Since her main interest is Student Life, she wrote an article about a "school dance" and I'd have to say she really nailed it -- she certainly has a voice!  Hahaha.

Life of the Party!

In the middle of November, [the junior high] got ready for the biggest dance of the year. It was quite the party and the whole school seemed to enjoy it to its full extent. The theme was, “Winter Woodland” and the decorations matched perfectly. The dance was free, allowing all students to have fun. Not only was it the biggest party, but it was also the first. “It was incredible! I got to hang out with friends and dance the night away,” Paisley Harlow said when asked about her experience. When asked about the party, James Renovon replied, “It was definitely better than all the middle school dances I went to. I thought it was pretty good.” The dance sadly ended at 10:00, but it made many memories that the students will always remember.