Spring Break so far [in pictures]

It's Spring Break in these parts. We didn't plan an exotic vacation (or anything mildly interesting, for that matter) this year. I admit I've been slightly jealous as I have seen and read about my friends' fun adventures. But I'm also glad to be out of bed and (mostly) enjoying my kids. Here are a few random photos of our activities since Spring Break started last Thursday.

Pictured: A St. Patrick's Day feast of Pesto Pasta, grapes, beans, jello, and punch. Not pictured: Lucky Charms and green milk, green frosted cupcakes, rainbow sherbet floats, and lots of green tongues. Also not pictured: Two phenomenal parent/teacher conferences that morning.



Pictured: The kids just before a Sunday walk. Notice the youngest three in jammies and Gavin with a pink helmet. Notice also the brand new stroller that Garry won at work. Not pictured: A mother also in pajamas. (Word to the wise: Gavin needs to learn to either ride that scooter effectively or agree to ride in the stroller before he will ever be invited on another family walk.)



Pictured: Army men ready for battle in the backyard. A good afternoon of play for rowdy boys. Give those kids some shovels and they're good to go! Not pictured: Two bathtubs full of sandy grit.



Pictured: Lexi in a swing. Mommy in a swing (and pajamas). Gavin digging in the sand. Gavin learned to "Superman" down the slide that day. Lexi enjoyed swinging like a "big dirl." Not pictured: The lawnchairs where Garry and I sat and watched our kids play for an hour.



Pictured: Neighbor Tyler K. in between Tyler B. and Zach, with popsicles. These boys are great friends. Not pictured: the third Tyler in our cul-de-sac.



Pictured: Gavin after a pizza meal at Costco with Dad and the sibs (I was napping). Do you think Gavin attacked the pizza or the pizza attacked him? I'm most impressed by the fact that there is no pizza sauce on his clothing. Not pictured: the overflowing grocery cart.



Pictured: Lexi chillin' in the basket of the Kohl's cart (also with Dad and sibs). She didn't want to ride in the stroller part. Not pictured: Dad trying to find some jeans for himself with four kids in tow. He didn't find the right ones, so he ordered them online. Also not pictured: Me, at home in pajamas with my feet up, working on a Blurb book for Gavin for three hours.



Pictured: Another day, another closet re-org. (I'm a little crazy.) We moved a toy organizer out of the closet and hung Tyler's shirts, which made more room in the dresser but less in the bedroom (still a win). Not pictured: Tyler and I in the crawl space, going through boxes to find shorts and t-shirts for he and Gavin.



Pictured: Three kids in new shoes. Two were purchased at the outlets in Castle Rock yesterday, and the other on Amazon.com. From left to right: A 7-year-old in size 2.5; a 3-year-old in size 11; and a 22-month-old in size 6. Not pictured: The 9-year-old who got new shoes (adult size 7) a few weeks ago.



Pictured: Zofran comes from the pharmacy in sheets of foil bubbles. I asked Tyler to cut up the sheets into individual doses so I can grab-and-go when it's time for my fix. I usually put the pills back into the box, but Tyler made me a custom bag, which I love. Not pictured: The three other drugs I take on a daily basis.



Pictured: Four kids enjoying their bribe to behave during a Target run. Lunchables are made even more exciting when consumed on the coffee table downstairs (my "cleaning professional" was mopping the floor when we got home). Not pictured: My peanut butter sandwich.



Pictured: Kids in a tent in the basement. They are "camping in" tonight, and possibly for a few nights, depending on whether the tent makes my life easier or harder. I love the staticky hair. Awesome. Not pictured: The eruption of Mt. Laundry on the other side of the room.





We may not be on the beach or in the mountains or at a resort, but Spring Break isn't so horrible after all.