Spring Break 2012 - the first 2 days!

We left for Texas in the rain...the kids kept busy with reading, coloring and picking on eachother!  We left "on time" but 45 min from home I remembered that we had forgotten the camera...so we turned around and got it!

First we headed into Indiana....

Then Illinois...

And stopped for lunch at a great rest area that had a playground and hopscotch!

The into Missouri for a little bit...

And then Arkansas - I missed the real welcome sign because I forgot to turn the camera on....so this is the best I could do.  We stopped for the night in Forrest City, AK.

Back on the road again....the kids wanted to finish the drumming session that they had been doing the previous night...but 7:30 AM is too early for that kinda noise!  So...into Texas we went. 

Another lunch stop!  Can you see we are all standing...I think we were all tired of sitting in the car!

After skirting Houston...into Galveston we went!  We thought we were almost there, to our house, until the GPS said "drive 21 miles!"  We were west of downtown Galveston quite a bit.

We have arrived!!  The first view of the beach from our house!

The deck!  Waiting to get inside...so glad to have arrived!

A boy and his book!

Ian usually comes home and is immediately on his computer...not today...it was his book.  I think he read it his whole walk home!

Butterflies!!!!

I drove for Gavin's field trip to the Fredrick Meijer Gardens.  I had the sweetest 3 boys in my car...it was so fun to hear them chattering away.  When we got the gardens we first learned about the changes the butterfly goes through - it's metamorphosis- the kids made a craft to remind them of the 4 stages. 

When then walked through part of the indoor garden to get to the conservatory where the majority of the butterflies are.  On the way we stopped to look for Monarch caterpillars and the chrysalis that they make. 

We made it to the conservatory where there were tons of butterflies!  Lots flitting around and even more feeding tat the feeding stations.  Spencer (in the red stripe), Silas (in the orange) and Gavin (in the yellow and blue stripe) were good really good at spotting the butterflies...we didn't have near enough time for those three!

Out of the conservatory getting ready to head back to school....comparing with other groups and what they saw!

March 26, 2012

It was full when I left for work....only 6 left now!

Crazy plants!

So I decided to start my morning glories in the house...I found a great idea for building these little pots out of newspaper and planted my seeds.  The package said it would take 7-10 days for them to sprout....it took 3!  They are now out of control and it is too early to plant them out side.  Guess I will just keep watering them and see what happens!

Who needs a haircut?

Wicket!!!

A rainy Friday afternoon

I decided to make something...a new spring wreath!  (not sure why it's blurry)

What's for supper?

Pig-in-the-blankets!  Yum!

Love this kids heart!

Yesterday while picking daffodils at my mom and dad's house Gavin thought he needed to bring some to his teacher.  So, he carefully selected one and a branch of Forsythia.  This morning he was so excited to take them to school for his teacher.  When I asked why he wanted to give them to her he responded: "because I love my teacher!"  So glad he loves his teacher and school...may the love for school and learning continue for many years!

3/20/12

Daffodils!  I love spring!

March 19, 2012

What to do on a warm Sunday afternoon....

Jump off fallen logs!!!  (of course:)

Going....going...gone....

We rented a stump grinder to finally get rid of our tree stump....

Getting smaller

And it's gone!

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Cleaning up all the sawdust.

The empty hole....Kendra checking it out!

Spring!

Spring means lots of things....for the kids it means time to ride bikes to school again!  So, after a 2 hour fog delay...they were off!!!!

Riding away....still kinda foggy!

Thursday....

This plant was a gift from one of the MD's at work maybe 2 years ago...It has needed replanting for probably about that long.  So...I finally did it yesterday...I think it looks very happy:)

Herding cats.....at the museum!

I spent the day with Lucas' class at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.  They were a great group of kids...and even though I am used to watching 4 kids....5 seemed to be alot harder!  Resting at the train station...Lucas, Miles, Henry, Sydney and Isabel.

Lucas had a bit of a rough day....but after lunch he perked up....here he is sneaking up on the girls...trying to scare them!

No trip to the museum is complete without riding the carousel!  So...we did....Lucas decided to ride next to his best friend Trenton!

3/13/12

The kids spring choir concert was a musical.  It was great seeing them all sing and get involved with the motions.  Gavin just found where we were sitting...can you tell by the look on his face?

Lucas in the middle of the 3rd graders.  He was fun to watch because of some of his facial expressions....sometimes he would sing, sometimes not, sometimes he would do the motions, sometimes not;)

Kendra was close to the front as she was part of a trio that sang the first part of a song.  She is growing up to be such a lovely young lady...love that smile!

Spring is coming!

Daffodils!

Sunny Sunday!

Wicket

Superior Ratings!

The oldest 3 kids participated in a piano competition today.  They had to play two songs, by memory, for a judge.  There were several different ratings, superior being the highest, and that is what they all got!  Great job guys!!!!

It works!

I discovered a new cleaning solution while on Pinterest.  It was 1/4 cup bleach, 3/4 cup baking soda. You mix it together and it forms a paste....as you can see the top side of the picture is the "after" the bottom the "before!"  Who puts white linoleum in an entry way anyway????