Spring Break

Spring break is over...boo hoo! Most parents I know dread when their kids are home full-time, and try to fill the week with camps, and playdates, and all kinds of activities because it drives them nuts having them home. I'm considered wierd because I really love when they're home....I like hanging out with them, coming up with new adventures for the day, discovering things, or just whatever. I really enjoy them, and I know this time is so precious and it will be gone before we know it. The other day Dave said, "You know, sometimes I can't wait for the day when the house will actually stay clean. When there won't be shoes, and toys, and books all over the place all the time." I didn't say it out loud, but I totally disagree....I'll be so sad when those things aren't part of every day. As frustrating as it is to constantly tell them to clean up, or picking up after them, I LOVE that they're here. They're with us, and they are safe and happy and healthy.

So what did we do with our break? Let's see, we went to the Nut Tree in Vacaville and the kids rode on the rides, and we played with toy sailboats in this small pool they have there. Jason could have done that all day...his was a pirate ship taking over the stormy seas. Haley enjoyed it for a while, but it wasn't so much her cup of tea. The next day we went to Marine World (or whatever they call it now) and took Haley's friend Lauren with us. Jason is now starting to enjoy roller coasters, so he tried a couple he's never been on before and actually liked it! Next, we spent the day in Rockville Park hunting for geocaches. If you've never gone geocaching before, it's super geeky, but way cool! Jason especially likes it, but Haley really enjoys a good hunt as well. We've planned a whole series of caches to hide, so hopefully we'll do that soon. Thursday Haley spent the day with some friends, so Jason and I went to see the Spiderwick movie again. He's been wanting to see it again, so that was our mom and J time. Friday they spent the day with Nana Steph and Papa Ken, and then Saturday was opening day for baseball. Whew! Busy week, but lots of fun. I've added a picture of Haley and Jason in Papa's golf cart that Steph sent....they really aren't very good drivers....

My brother

Yesterday was my big brothers birthday. Yes, mom, I remembered to call him! He's WAAAAY older than I am, so I won't post his age, but just remember....he's LOTS older!

I've always been "into" my brother. When I was little I can remember going into his room, and sitting on his stomach while he was lying on his bed and talking to him. And because I was a typical little girl, I talked and talked and talked and talked, while he just made noises that sounded like he was paying attention. When my mom and dad would go out (which was rarely) he would tell me we were going to play a really cool game called "Butler." I would be the butler, and he would tell me what to do, which usually meant changing the TV channel for him. Yes, these were the olden days before remote controls. I remember when he took a trip to Yellowstone with his friends, and when he came home, I thought he went to Jellystone, just like in the Yogi bear cartoons. I asked him if he saw Yogi, Boo-Boo and Ranger Smith, and he did all their voices for me in response. Bet he doesn't remember that one! When he left on his mission, I would run away from home and take only his picture with me....I would get a stick, a bandanna and tie it up inside the bandanna. I know, I was a little wierd.

Once my brother got home from his mission, he was pretty much gone from then on....college, marriage, kids, etc. I really didn't get to spend any time with him or get to know him until I went to college. I am so grateful for all the time I spent with him during those 3 years....hanging out at the condos, talking about mom and dad, Bobby, music, etc. He really became my friend. He used to tell me to hurry up and get married to someone cool so we could spend vacations together and stuff! But, with the age gap between us, we are always at different points in our life and it makes it harder to connect. My kids are little, his kids are gone, so our paths don't connect in the same ways right now. And yet, I love him dearly and he's always been the model of what a man should be in my eyes. I absolutely adored my father, and he was my hero, but I never expected to find another someone like him...he was one in a million. But my brother is a real, day to day version of someone I can emulate and teach my children to be like. There are so few positive male role models for kids...I am truly blessed for my children to have their wonderful father, my brother, and their grandfathers to give them direction.

Dennis is more like my mother than dad, yet I see signs of dad here and there all the time. Maybe because I'm always looking for pieces of my father....I miss him so much. Dennis is funny, a little sappy, and very smart. You can ask him about most subjects and he'll know all kinds of things....he's one of those people who's opinions you like to draw from.

Anyway, Happy Birthday, big brother.....I'm thinking of you.

Not so good....

Apparently keeping up with the blog is not a priority for me right now! Eeek! I'm going to try and change that. Of course, I won't be passing this link along until I get better with it, either.

We just had Easter come and go and had a nice day. We had my mom, Dave's mom and step-dad and us for dinner. The kids woke up that morning bright and early at 6:45, but they were commanded NOT to start anything or bother mom and dad before 7! The had an egg hunt the Easter Bunny left for them, and then we all had breakfast and got ready for church. Dinner was great....ham, funeral potatoes, fruit, asparagus, yummy salad and pie for dessert. Everyone was full and ready to pop at the end of the night.

I'll get some pictures off the camera and post about spring break later.