The Big Spring Break Day 1

This was the day, the day to go and enjoy the sunshine play, but we awoke to a dreary rainy grey sky day. So put on the breaks, we had to come up with something different. The children sorted through their clothes getting rid of anything too small, or wintry. A small cleaning project to give us time to think. I find if I introduce small projects they don't see that we are doing spring cleaning and it isn't such a huge undertaking. Bill and I bought supplies to make our square foot garden boxes. A project that we will complete before the end of the week.

We enjoyed a matinee at the dollar theater, Gulliver's Travel. It was not a great of movie and I continue to think that Jack Black is an idiot. The kids were great and it was fun to treat them to a movie and burgers.

The girls at least got to go to the stake dance where I am sure they will have a wonderful time!

The Big Spring Break Starts

We started planning Spring Break a couple of months ago. Bill asked for the week off. Bill and I planned to take the kids to Williamsburg and James town. We presented this idea to the kids and they weren't to keen on more history. What they wanted to do was go camping. ( I wasn't to keen on the idea of sleeping on the ground for a week) So after much deliberation we came up with a plan: a couple of days of camping, a couple of days working on the yard, and a couple of days in the city seeing some of the things we haven't visited. It still would be super great to be all together doing some cool things. Well, put the breaks on that a week ago Bill's boss changed jobs and Bill gets to fill in for him for the next five weeks. He was able to scratch from that half of Monday and all of Tuesday so that we could do something together. We hope to keep with the idea of a big spring break even if its up to me to keep the excitement going. After the kids got home and I did a visit, we were off to the park. It was beautiful weather sunny, not too warm, and no rain in site. We wanted to try out the new kites Bill bought a while ago. We didn't have much luck getting them up in the sky but the kids sure tried hard. I'm not sure if we didn't have enough wind or the new kites were just harder to work. These kites take two lines to fly and we just couldn't get the hang of them. There was a cute little boy there flying his kite and he was able to get it up by running.

The boys also tried out some Styrofoam airplanes we had purchased. The first one broke the first flight. Then Willy kept trying over and over again with the other one until the nose of the plane finally broke off. Emily got pretty frustrated. Jessica enjoyed it until she wanted to just lie down on the grass. Lydia wouldn't stop talking the whole time. Austin had a great time rolling down the hill. I enjoyed seeing it all unravel.

Diabetes Campaign

This year I decided I would help out one cause that I feel strongly about. I decided to help out the American Diabetes neighborhood campaign, because of my brother. I know it's not much but I address envelopes to the people in my neighborhood asking for donations. They then mail back the donation or go online and give. I then send back the donations I recieve and add one of my own. It's a small thing but I can help in some small way.

My brother, Kaye Dean, has lived with Diabetes for over 40 years. He has struggled with his eye sight and has overcome amputations of toes. Infections on his feet have caused him much pain through out his adult life. He has pricked his fingers more times than I can count and has taken shots at least twice a day since he was 8 years old. He has been able to live a productive life and has a wonderful family, but I also know that there have been many things he has not been able to do because of the effects of Diabetes.

I encourage you to visit diabetes.org and give a donation to help find a cure for diabetes or visit me within the next 3 weeks and I will mail it with the other neighborhood donations.

Together we can find a cure. Please Give

Over Strep

The house is quite. Everyone walked out the door this morning to greet the day!!! I'm so glad that Willy is feeling well enough to face the next two days. Willy wasn't feeling good on Monday. Not the usual runny nose or watery eyes, but a fever. On Tuesday I took him to the doctor had him tested for strep and the flu. He started Penicillinfor strep on Tuesday and hasn't had a fever for the last 24 hours so off to school today!!! Roxie enjoyed using Willy as a pillow when he laid down on the couch. So glad to have him back to his normal self, hopefully the teachers will be glad to have him back too. I hope that no one else get it so we can enjoy Spring break next week.

That cost me an Arm and a Leg

As time passes tires and breaks get worn so last week we took the van to get new tires. We know it has been way too long. We still were riding on the tires that got us to Idaho and back. We have inspection coming up in June so we thought lets get this done before then because we always have to spend about a thousand dollars every time we go for an inspection. We thought be smart get tires have them put it on the scope and see what else will need to be done. Well one of the other things were new breaks and rotors.

Well Bill know how to do breaks I'm sure that wont be a big deal. So Monday he bought the breaks and proceeded to change the front breaks no problem because he has experience in this area. He does the first back break gets the wheel back on and we notice that there is fluid leaking. Oh well it's break fluid. Tomorrow he'll be able to fix it because it's pretty late. Tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes and no time to work on it.

On Wednesday he gets the opportunity notices that a little washer is sitting on the ground and proceeds to take off the wheel with the pneumatic wrench and one of the nuts won't come off So he then uses the hand wrench puts all his weight on it and the bolt breaks off. He proceeds to jack up the car takes off the wheel and finds the connection puts the washer where it goes and then puts everything back together puts the tire on, puts the break fluid where it goes has me pump the breaks and it still doesn't sound right or feel right. He also had to assure me many times that the wheel would stay on without one bolt. We take it for a spin and it doesn't stop fast enough.

So the car sits again all day Thursday and we decide we are going to take it back to the shop. So we take the Van back to get the breaks fixed the rotors changed and the bolt that broke off fixed. I just about died when I saw the bill cost me my best leg luckily it was pay day and we had cheap tires put on last week. Now the inspection coming up better not cost me another leg because then I won't have one to stand on.

I survived five days without the use of a car. I'm so glad I had gone shopping at Costco on Saturday and stocked up on everything. I had to tell a friend I couldn't take her to the doctor which I felt bad about. The kids had to find rides places but all in all I know that I can survive for just under a week with no car. However I don't want to do it again for a long time.

Swimming Lessons

Austin and Lydia had their first swimming lessons today. They loved that I actually signed them up for an indoor center. Prior to today we had never been to the Freedom Center. Wow I have never seen so much water in one place. I know, call me sheltered. It's a great place. I'm planning on taking the kids there at least one day during Spring Break to swim and play. Lydia is in the 4-5 year old class. There are only two other girls in her class so a great teacher child ratio. She worked on putting her face underwater floating and kicking. She did a great job jumping in off the side of the pool! She can't wait to go again! Austin has only had lessons one other time when he was five, so he is still a beginner swimmer. He worked on the crawl stroke and kicking. There are only three others in his class. I am hoping I will be able to continue signing him up for lessons so that he can get his swimming finished for his first class scouting badge. This may take several times but I have faith that he can do it. He liked his class even though he thinks his teacher is a little weird.

Crazy Hair Day

You just have to love the wonderful creative ways schools have to get students to demonstrate school spirit. Today was crazy hair day for Lydia. She wanted three pony tails and a big orange flower in her hair. I would say it was a pretty crazy hair day