Spring Break

What a busy weekend to lead into our Spring Break week. Lots and lots of big deal things for our little family occurred during such a short period of time.

Saturday, DH had to drive up to Virginia for a family funeral. I really wanted to be able to go with him, but since it was his family and we depend on his family for babysitting for things like this I had to be home with the kids. While he was gone our old dependable, 16-year-old TV bit the dust. When he came home, as much as I told him how enjoyable and quiet the day had been without TV, we went out the store and have now entered the new technology age, at least in regards to TVs. TVs are just not allowed to break down during NCAA tournaments, or when the 'Canes are in a playoff race, or days before baseball season begins. Can you tell the main reason we have TV with cable?

To be honest, the new TV is very, very cool. The picture - oh my goodness, I cannot wait to watch something like "The Amazing Planet" on it. I really think DH is in love with it.

I also spent most of Saturday cleaning out Robbie's bedroom. Unfortunately, it seems to have become a holding place for all of our outgrown clothes. I screwed up my fortitude, and have sent a bag full of the cloth diapers he outgrew months ago and all of his little, itty-bitty newborn size onsies off into the world of freecycle. My last baby's newborn clothes...

It was worth it in the end. The nursery is back to having a small play area that can be utilized on those days he just will not stay out of everything long enough for me to get any other lessons done with the big kids. Everyone has enjoyed playing in it with Robbie this weekend. Once I get my babygate back from my mom, it will be very useful.

We also picked up a new-to-us bed frame off freecycle this weekend. The plan was to rearrange the girls' bedroom and let Mary have her 'own' bed, which she has been begging for over the last few months. Katie would move to the upper bunk, and Emily would move into the lower bunk. The toddler bed would be moved into Robbie's room until he was ready to move into it (sometime in the next couple of months). All parties became very excited over the prospects of moving beds. Until the toddler bed was actually moved out and into Robbie's room, then Emily started explaining, quite well how she WASN"T a BIG GIRL and needed her bed. So, Emily moved into Robbie's room along with the bed - it was easier. Everything else worked out, and someday Emily will re-join her sisters, but right now she is really happy to be sharing a room with her brother.

Emily did move up in the big girl standings in one regard this weekend, she was finally able to join me on a library trip, after a nearly two year hiatus. This is my child who HATED going to the library as a baby/toddler and she was able to make me hate going to the library with her. Lately though, she has been devouring read alouds. Mainly Curious George books, but any other books we pull out. Since she had memorized the six or so George-books we own, it was time to introduce her to the library, with shelves upon shelves of picture books, and lots of Curious George. Oh Boy, it was like a little vibrating child in there - she was so very happy.

So, after my exhausting, furniture-moving, reading until I am hoarse weekend. I am ready for Spring Break. It was wonderful to wake up this morning and know I don't have to worry about lessons. My plans for this week are into organizing. I picked up some plastic storage boxes on Friday and plan to try to sort through all of our games and manipulatives and separate by levels. When we start back in a couple of weeks I would really like to have things arranged so that I can grab an activity and go for Katie and Emily. I started this at the end of last week and it was really nice to re-discover all the things I had forgotten we had.

I'm also going to relax a little. I need a break just as much as the kids.

Peace,
Amy