Spring Break

We had a wonderful spring break.  We kicked it off with a lazy Monday.  It was such a relief to get to stay in our pajamas all day long and not have any place we needed to be!  We only got to enjoy a few of those days this week since we had plans on all the others!  

On Tuesday, the 15th, we visited Great-Grandma (my mom is "Regular-Grandma" to my kids).  It has been a while since I have been able to see her due to our house wide illness and just plain being busy!  I am glad the kids were able to visit her.  They haven't been able to come along on our outings since school started and I like it when they get a chance to see her.  Jacob asked when we were driving into her apartment, "why don't we ever come here anymore?"  I informed him that I still come all the time while he & Hunter are at school.  I enjoy our outings much more without 2 extra kids in tow!  We went out to lunch at Paradise Bakery.  Mom, Aunt Jan & Dad met us there.  I have found that it's much easier to have others along on our lunch dates, especially when I have kids.  The kids were pretty good since I bribed them with a cookie and a Happy Meal afterward (we didn't have time to stop and get one for them on the way in).  After lunch we went back to Grandma's to visit and the kids got to eat their lunch and watch some coveted cable TV.  As I was sitting there holding Adam, I mentioned to Grandma that we started coming to visit her when Hunter was about this old.  I remember laying him on her blue carpet while we chatted.  At that time 3 1/2 years ago I didn't know if she'd still be around a year from then, much less 3 1/2 years from then.  I have enjoyed my visits with Grandma and am so grateful I can live near enough to visit her often.  When we lived in our rental, it was harder to visit since it was a longer drive and I had small children with naps to take care of.  I prayed that she would live long enough for me to move into this house just down the street from her so I would have a chance to visit her more often.  We have had countless visits & outings and I am so grateful!   

Hunter (2 or 3 mos), Grandma & Jacob (almost 3) in 2007.

I took this grainy picture with my cell phone.  Technology has come a long way in just a few years!

Adam & Grandma

Hard to imagine they are all  my boys!

Wednesday, the 16th, was our shopping day.  Hunter has been asking me for his own book shelf.  When he moved into Jacob's room, this is how much room was left on the shelf for his books:

It is pretty full and was overflowing with books when we moved Hunter's there.  Every other day or so he'd say in that nagging whiny voice, "MO-OM, when are you going to get my bookcase?"  So we finally headed out to get him one since I found one on sale this week at Big Lots.  He was so excited to load it up with "his" things.

I know it's silly to have 2 bookcases in a bedroom but we LOVE books!

After finding his bookcase, we headed to Target for my weekly shopping trip.  I wasn't about to miss it just because I had all 3 boys!  It will take more than that to keep my determined self away!  That's how dedicated I am to my hobby.  I treated the boys to popcorn & a soda.  Normally they share, but today we splurged and they each got their own.  Jacob said excitedly, "We each get our own???"  It was a happy moment.  We made our way through my usual route.  Of course, we were the farthest away from the front of the store when I saw Hunter grabbing himself.  He told me he had to go to the bathroom.  I was trying to hurry.  I found these shoe rack shelf things on excellent clearance and I was trying to decide how many to get.  The boys' shoe situation is atrocious and I have been looking for a solution.  I don't like to be distracted while trying to figure things out in my head!  Then Jacob announced that he needed to go to the bathroom too, really bad!  I guess that is my reward for letting them each have heir own soda.  It goes right through them!  I have even banned it any time close to bedtime because I know from experience, there will be an accident.  I put my figuring on hold and we started toward the bathrooms.  I really didn't want to have to walk all the way to the front of the store and then head to the back again to finish my shopping when we were almost ready to leave and go home anyway.  Then I remembered I heard there was a restroom tucked away in between the photo shop and the optometry departments.  We set out to find it and it was found!  By then Hunter had forgotten he had to go for the moment so I let Jacob rush in and take care of business.  After about 5 minutes, Hunter remembered he had to go again and was telling me.  I was stuck.  I couldn't leave Jacob who was in a one toilet bathroom to take Hunter to the larger restroom.  I started knocking on the door and pleading with Jacob to hurry.  He finally opended the door and Hunter rushed in.  I heard him flush the toilet right away.  No sooner did I hear him crying frantically and trying to open the door.  I opened it for him and discovered the toilet was overflowing.  Apparently, Jacob had used "too much".  Hunter shoes, feet and bottom of his pants were covered in "poopy water."  GROSS!  I was forced to make the trip to the front of the store anyways.  I was sure to make a team member aware of the toilet issue.  As I was walking away, I heard her on walkie talkie informing someone of the problem, followed by "I'm not doing it!"  I don't blame her.  What is it about an overflowing toilet stereotypically being a man's job?  After the kids were all relieved, I headed back to my area to finish my shopping.  At this point Adam was getting hungry so I was being rushed again!  I ended up buying the entire clearance section of these shelves just so I could be on my way and decide what I really needed at home when I didn't have so many distractions.  My philosophy is to just buy and I can always bring it back!  On the way out to the car, Jacob fell and skinned his knee.  When we arrived home, I had Hunter's poopy feet to wash, Jacob's skinned knee to dress and a hungry baby to feed.  I realized this is just a preview to our summer, only then it will be 30 degrees hotter!  I am NOT looking forward to the heat!! 

On Friday, the 18th, we went to the zoo.  We originally planned to go on Thursday, but at 10 p.m. on Wednesday night, my kids were still awake.  I had put them to bed at 8:30.  I decided the only fair punishment was to postpone the zoo trip to teach them a lesson.  They were heart-broken.  When I told Jacob we weren't going to the zoo he said dramatically, "Now Spring Break is RUINED!!"  We went to the zoo with Natalie (Trevor's sister) and her kids.  We decided to make it our annual Spring Break tradition since this is the 2nd year we have done this.  We got up early and arrived a bit before 9.  The weather was so nice and it didn't feel too crowded, even though there were throngs of people waiting at the entrance as we pushed our way inside the zoo.  My membership allows us to enter the zoo an extra hour before regular ticket holders .  When we walked in, we noticed there was a stand giving away free Cutie oranges.  We loaded up with them and the kids got to do a peeling contest to win their choice of a t-shirt or a lunch bag.  All the kids ended up with a prize.  They enjoyed it so much and it was fun to see all the kids around the zoo wearing their Cutie paraphernalia.  Jacob commented on how fun it was to visit the orange stand and next time we came to the zoo, he would choose a t-shirt (both my kids picked the lunch bag).  I informed him they probably wouldn't be there next time!

Adam was SO good the entire trip!  He took a few naps in his seat during the day.  I don't blame him.  Every time I sit still my eyelids get so heavy.

It was a rare treat to see the lions so active! 

Natalie & her gang.

For a moment, I lost Hunter.  I looked back where we had just come and found him sulking on this bench because "I walked away from him."  My little drama king!

This squirrel was one of my favorite parts of the zoo.  He was nearby and scampered right over when he saw me digging through my bag for a treat.  I was really looking for goldfish crackers but settled for a whole Ritz cracker since he was standing there waiting on me.  As I handed him the cracker, I had it too high for him to reach while I was trying to take a picture of the moment.  He was on his hind legs and waving his arms, trying to reach his cracker! 

I finally dug out my goldfish crackers and the kids got to take a turn feeding him. 

Of course we shared our goldfish with the surrounding kids so they could enjoy him as well.  I even had a mom beg me for some crackers so she could get a photo of her son feeding the squirrel.

The squirrel's cheeks were practically bulging with goldfish crackers as he shoved them all inside to enjoy at a more discreet location.  He finally scampered off, leaving the rest of the waiting goldfish crackers.  I think his cheeks were filled to the maximum.

Did I mention how good this little guy was??

An obstacle I encountered at the zoo was no place to privately sit and nurse the baby.  We happened upon this photo booth which turned out to be an ideal location.  The boys really wanted me to give them "a dollar" so they could get their picture taken.  I decided to just take their picture as they sat inside, finding out later that the booth actually cost $5 and not "one dollar" as I was told.  I made them clear out so I could feed the baby.  Natalie took the group on ahead while I stayed behind in the booth.  It was an ideal spot until a zoo guest came over and wanted to use the booth for an actual photo.  I finished up and hopped out quickly for them.

This turtle is pretty unique (ugly)!  It reminds me of a baby lochness monster!  It's head is that pointy thing that looks like a branch.

CUTE!  He didn't have to stay in his seat all day!  He was happy to get out and look around.

Natalie took this awesome shot as I was feeding the baby for the 2nd time.  The chosen location for this feeding was the women's restroom.  I stood in the handicap stall (sometimes I really do feel that way with my kids) and held him while trying to nurse.  This nursing session didn't go quite as well as the photo booth.  He wasn't very comfortable and didn't eat for very long.  I plan on petitioning the zoo for nursing accommodations!

We had a fun day!  I'm not sure where Hunter was during this group photo.  We topped our trip off with a visit to In 'N Out on the way home.  Hunter crashed in the car..which I figured was coming since he was asking when we were going to go home.  That is his trademark question when he is ready for sleep.  It was such a fun day with great company.  I can't wait for our annual trip next year!

On Saturday, the 19th, the boys went to the highly anticipated birthday party of Kimball (a boy in our ward).  I have been asked every day since the invitation arrived if it is "Kimball's birthday yet."  It was a cute soccer party at the park.  The day was beautiful, overcast & and a bit windy.  After the party, we went to Rich's birthday party (Trevor's childhood friend).  It was fun to sit around and catch up with friends.  We stayed out much too late, of course!  Hunter kept asking if it was time to go home yet.  Obviously he was ready for his bed! 

It was a quick & fun week!  We were able to recharge & gear up for the last 9 weeks of school (and cooler temperatures)!