March Break!

The kids are on their break this week and it's going too fast! Tomorrow's their last real day off from school and then the usual weekend and then back to the grind! I thought we'd get out for lots of skiing, trips to the pool and other fun local stuff.

It rained on Monday and was messy out so we didn't go anywhere. They played some video games, and we watched a couple Little House on the Prairie episodes.

Around mid afternoon, I tried to find a partner to do some baking but had trouble getting any interest. Nobody was willing to lay down the DS! Finally I laid down next to Sweetie on her bed and stayed her in the face with the saddest expression I could muster and she caved :))) She said I looked too sad and she wanted to make me feel better. (good to know, file away for future use!). Once she knew there were eggs to crack, she was sold anyway. We made brown bread in the bread maker, chocolate chunk cookies and a banana bread. She's getting pretty good at measuring and levelling off and can crack the eggs without any pulverizing action now!

Murray was pretty happy when he got home to find the plethora of fresh baked goods!

On Tuesday we had no car as the "check engine" light had come on so it spent the day at the garage. The mechanic thought it was an airflow problem caused by a loose gas cap and we got out with only $22 in repairs! Unfortunately, on our way to a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper, it came back on again so we might not be getting off so easily!

Yesterday we tried to go skiing but it was too icy and it was a disaster. I gave up before I totally lost my temper and sent them to their rooms for a few minutes til lunch. In the afternoon there was a funeral for a former minister of our church. The kids all wanted to go but it was a long service so they went to visit with Aunt Caroline instead and watched a movie and got doughnuts!

Today we got into the fun stuff! I went to the gym and they got to play in the childcare section. We raced home, ate a bowl of cereal, packed treats & headed out to a movie at the theatre. After the movie, we went straight to the pool for some swimming! I'd told them we were going to have a fun day and once I'd explained the plans, 2 things happened. Lovey self combusted into a fiery ball of tears and fury over the movie selection. She was writhing in agony on the floor because she'd seen a preview and SHE didn't LIKE it!!!!!! Honey, upon hearing my plans for our "fun day" demanded to know what was for supper. I told her we were having pork chops. At this she crossed her arms, wrinkled her face and scornfully said "I thought you said we were going to have a FUN day!!!!!!!!! pork chops AREN'T fun!!!!!!!!!" and stomped off.

I decided she was right, pork chops aren't any way to cap off the one day of fun you're going to have on your vacation! The fact that I had loads of other FUN things lined up didn't count for much I guess! I decided to cave on this one and on the way home from the pool I announced we were picking up pizza!

While we were swimming we ran into Honey's teacher and Honey swam up happily to visit her and get a hug. The teacher's daughter and a friend were there and all knew the girls from being on the bus last year so they played with the kids and gave them piggy back rides! The teacher and her daughter left shortly after but the friend stayed with us most of the rest of the time we were there. It turns out she's going to be 12 soon and for her birthday her parents are letting her take the babysitting course because she loves kids. Wait. It gets even better. She lives one street over from us!!! I'll be tracking her down fo sho!!!!!!!!!!! :)))

After our "exciting" supper, the kids were still wound for sound so I coerced them into going for a walk since Murphy hadn't been out today. They were all dead set against it until I said they could stay home and do laundry instead. Somehow this heightened the appeal for an outing! They also hoped to find lots of returnables in the ditches since we hadn't done a sweep for awhile. Unfortunately everything's still buried or someone beat us to it because we only found one can!

And of all this fun and activity, what do you suppose the highlight of the day was??? Nope, not swimming. unh unh, not the movie either. We found a missing glove that the girls make into a hand puppet and call Madeleine. This was the best part of their whole day! What do I knock myself out for anyway?!??!??!

The polka dots on the upper part are the eyes and nose, the fingers of the top glove hang backwards for her "hair" and the thumb and baby finger on the bottom glove are Madeleine's arms. They LOVE this thing!!!