Spring Break

 We kicked off spring break with some fun rodeo parties at school this year.  Each of the kids made harmonicas, ate tons of sugar, and got to play some games.  They also talked me into checking them out early so their break was a few hours longer!

 

 Playing his new paper and cardboard harmonica (which surprisingly made some music noise)

After all the games, the kids got to do an in-seat roller coaster video, which was hilarious to watch.

 

Ben couldn't wait to get his hands on some candy!

His harmonica worked as well!

Third grade got to have sack races and a dance party, which was also pretty darn entertaining to watch.  Ben may be a quiet guy, but when he gets going at the dance party you better watch out!

On Saturday morning, we all did a 1-mile family walk for a dear friend's charity race. It was a cold morning, but the sun came out and it turned out to be a gorgeous day.

We were so, so happy to have Mr. Scott and Miss Lou Anne with us for several days as well!  Lou Anne and I got to help out with the race preparations and Scott was the official race photographer.  It's always a joy to spend time with them and we loved getting to be a part of a wonderful cause together.  I'm kicking myself because our time together was so busy that I didn't get any pictures of Lou Anne!

Good thing we did the non-competitive route because we had to stop and blow dandelions along the course.  (His wish - a new green blankie!)

The weather was actually pretty crummy for most of spring break, which cancelled our camping trip, but gave us some rainy days to relax at home and watch movies.  Ben even sat down with Alex to teach him how to write his name in cursive!

We also visited Grammy and Grumpy for a couple of days and the kids worked together for hours to build a fort in the park there.  They insisted on getting pictures of their creation and I have to admit, I was impressed by how hard they worked and the fact that the made something together without fighting at all!  Some logs were so big it was a team effort to move them.

 

We did some ceramic painting one afternoon, which turned out to be a ton of fun for us all.  Alex picked a bird and made it red because he's playing on the Cardinals this season in baseball.

Ben chose a jar and did some interesting designs. 

The finished work!  Ben spent a lot longer perfecting his masterpiece and I never got another picture.  They boys were pretty serious about their work.

 The may get bigger, but a nice box can still be hours of entertainment...

 

...maybe more entertaining for some of us than for others.

On our last Saturday, we spent the day on Galveston Island and checked out the indoor waterpark at Schlitterbahn.  It was heated and some of the water was nice and warm, but some was still on the chilly side.  Thank goodness these guys had a wonderful time, though.

The boogiebahn ride was outside in the warm sun (and COLD water) but the kids absolutely loved it. Matt and I even took a few turns as well.  Alex may have mooned the crowd a time or two, but he did great.

Ben really got the hang of it and even pulled out a full 360.

We enjoyed a nice seafood dinner and even got to enjoy a close encounter with some dolphins just before heading home.

It was a relaxing and refreshing break for us all.  I can't believe we're in the home stretch of the school year!