TAG--You're It!

The Crew BEFORE

(Back row: Ty and The Boy; Front row: Dalton, Spencer, Christine, The Girl)

Half the Crew AFTER 

(Comparing the percentages...hits, kills, shots taken....)

The Younger Half AFTER

(Just messing around..must have been fun.)

Over Spring Break, I caught a Screaming Deal online and bought 6 admissions to a local Laser Tag place for half off.  (I love a good deal!)  And according to the local TV meteorologists, we were due to have snow for about half the week we were off school, so I scheduled a Laser Tag "party of 6" to go on one the alleged snow days. 

Our admission included a round of glow-in-the-dark mini golf as well, so I figured we could blow a couple hours at least .  The Kids each invited a couple of friends and I packed the coupons, a cooler of sodas and granola bars.  (Plus, for myself, I grabbed a book and a mental note to stop at a downtown store near the laser tag joint that I had wanted to check out.)

While the mini golf was not as difficult as the participants would have wished, they had a good time hanging out together.  The laser tag option got them grouped with  family of four--the kids were younger that our group, but very enthusiastic to play.  To make even teams, good friend Spencer volunteered to be on the "strangers' team". 

[Have I mentioned what a good kid our friend Spencer is?  Not only does he put up with The Girl in an online game they both like and play together, he is just an all round nice kid who loves his mom and even likes his siblings.  He is bright, clever, and funny. What is not to like about this kid?!]

So the Stangers' team got beat up pretty well.  [Sorry, Spencer.]  But when the groups emerged, they were all smiling and enjoying each other's company still.  I figure any time they come out from a war-like game and are still friends, it is all good.  Plus the ride home was filled with laughing and talking...much more so than the ride down.

And as my luck would have it, the day we went Laser-tagging, the weather was just fine, and the yucky stuff came the next day.  Of course.  But oh well.  Fun seemed to be had by all, and the deal was so great I didn't even mind driving a car load of kids to Provo and back.

Stay-Cation Winding Down

To finish out our Staycation, we are meeting Genius Golfer for lunch today near his work.  The sun had finally come out and the temperature is even warming up too.  Just as Spring Break should be.  Too bad it took all week to get here. 

The Girl is still in bed, and it is 10:30-ish.  She is going to have a rude awakening Monday morning when she has to be at school at 7:30.  But the late nights, long hours, swimming, and hard playtime this week have all been taking their toll on her.  She must have allergies or something too as her head is stuffed up and sinuses sound very snot-filled.

The Boy is in his natural habitat...in front of the Xbox playing some war game, and generally rotting his mind.  I keep telling myself this week is his vacation too.  And he doesn't usually get to play much on the Xbox on a school day. 

I feel very lucky to have had them to myself, essentially all week.  Sure friends come and go, but the three of us have done things together each day.  I haven't really had many complaints--unless you count The Boy's "not another store" comments on Monday,  But he survived that just fine.  They have cooperated with me in the projects I have had them do each day.  We made some progress on our backyard and clean-up projects, so far as the weather allowed.  And they do get along quick well with each other.  That is very nice.  In fact, at one of our "other store" stops the clerk commented on how well they got on together, and she mentioned that it was quite unusual to see siblings act like that.  I know. I am very lucky that way.

I  think this will be the first school break that I will be sad to see them go back to their schedules and classes and activities.  Usually I look forward to having them all go back to normal.  But I thoroughly enjoyed this break.  Too bad all our school breaks were this enjoyable.  Maybe that is because I am realizing there really aren't that many more I will have with them both at home.

Stay-Cation Fun!

So the first day of Spring Break  (and much of the second day--for that matter), was spent doing regular stuff.  I love that!  One of the "regular" things we did was prep the garden areas I want to use.  Our wonderful neighbor loaned us his tiny rototiller so I had the kids help me dig up the dirt.  It is so soft and fluffy.  I guess that is good?!  It looks rich and warm and ready for plating.  If the weather will just cooperated for a longer than one day at a time.



This is why I had children...anyone else find that true?!  The Boy loves power tools.

The Girl did her half of the rototilling on the retaining wall.

Big Plans

Spring Break for the kids begins today. We have a week off of school and swim practice, and really anything else that we otherwise have to be doing.  Sadly, Genius Golfer's schedule doesn't accommodate a week of fun and frivolity.  He is working really long hours, seven days a week lately...I just hope this project is worth all his time and effort.  Since he can't play with us this week, the kids and I are planning a Staycation.  Each day I'd like to do something out of the ordinary to make it seem more like a real vacation.
Today, The Boy kicked things off with another walk with his buddies to our favorite local Gas 'n Sip for their free drink day.  (Each month on the 11th a local company pays for all the free drinks--one per customer--to celebrate their business' anniversary!  Nice, right?)

The Girl has a planned hair appointment with a friend who is going to give her a "feather".  I'm not sure what that means yet, but I trust the friend and think The Girl is capable of spending her own money.  So we'll see what that ends up being.  Then she has a meeting for the spring Splash into Summer swim clinic the high school team does a as a fund raiser just before the summer swim season begins.

Other than that, we have a half hour of Laser Tag scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.  Each kid get to bring two friends.  (I got a screaming deal offer on this so I ended up paying half price for this outing.)  Then they have a game of glow-in-the-dark mini golf after that.  So a fun filled afternoon is planned...especially since it is supposed to snow again on Wednesday.

And there are a couple of movies I like to go see with the kids at our local $3 theater here in town.   Oh, and a run to Costco is on the list...but that is hardly vacation-worthy.  I guess that isn't too bad for a stay-cation.  We'll see how it goes.  Just wish GG could be home with us for this week...even if that meant we'd be working in the yard all week.

Schnikes, It's Cold!

We stopped by to see the Kolob Canyons corner of Zion's Park before we came home. The wind was blowing and the snow started falling just about the time we were ready to go back home. Spring in Utah. You never know what you're going to get.

A Tisket...A Tasket

Skipping Rocks Together


Weeping Rock


This photo can't evendo the canyons justice, in size, color or majesty.


The Virgin River winds through Zion National Park.


From the Lower Pools Trail you can see the scope a little better.

We ran away from home for the Easter weekend, and spent the weekend in the southland...St. George. The boys immediately wanted to golf, so The Girl and I stopped by to see our dear friend Karen, who used to live across the street here on the circle. It was great to sit and visit with her.

The only other thing I wanted to do was some sightseeing. I have lived in this state now for many years and had never been to Zion National Park, so we went. Along with everyone else that didn't make it to Disneyland for Easter.

Actually, the park was lovely, and the weather cooperated with us most of the day. The storm started to roll in about 2 PM and it got colder quick. The second day was raining and we had an inside play day--bowling and a movie. Then The boys played golf yesterday while The Girl and I shopped--if you can call it that. We did a lot of looking. And drove home. To find snow.

Some days the weather fits the season, and sometimes not. Let's hope it warms up this week. Or I may go AWOL looking for the sunshine.

On Rounds

Just wanted to leave an update on every one's health. Apparently, and I am knocking on wood as I say this, apparently, we are all going to be well enough to go after all.

The Girl's fingers are healing very well and the almost sore throat has not been mentioned again since Sunday.

The Boy didn't even sniff this morning before he left for school.

And I am sure my issue was allergy related. We have a storm that has blown in for today and it stirred up a lot of dust and junk in the air. I am pretty sure that is what my problem has been. Today I am just depressed that it is starting to snow, again.

I need this short vacation more than I realized. That, and spring must trump winter and soon!

Plans Are Made to Be Foiled

The kids have spring break next week. We are planning on taking off--but it is still a surprise to the kids. Well, just to The Girl. The Boy cut a deal and for his payoff he wanted to be told where we were going. But they aren't supposed to know where we are going.

Sunday, The Girl stayed home from church with a scratchy throat. Strep is going around the schools at the moment, and I was afraid that is what she'd end up with, just before the break, or course.

Yesterday, in what I hope was an allergic response, I was sneezing and blowing my nose and wiping my eyes all day long. This weekend get-away is primarily a change of scenery for me. I need to get out of town for a little while.

And this morning, The Boy was sniffing a lot and, like many 12 year old boys will do, refused to blow his nose. I hope he isn't coming down with something too.

Maybe none of these tiny ailments would have settled in here had I not made plans to run away for Spring break. We could have all spent Easter weekend in bed, recuperating. Where is the fun in that?!

Day Five of Spring Break

Hey, yesterday was my 300th post. Crazy. I didn't even realize I was that close. Yea, for 300!

Today is Friday and as such, essentially the final vacation day for Spring Break. We have nothing on the calendar for the day and the weather might actually cooperate with us today. The snow we got yesterday is nearly melted away (there is much rejoicing for that) and the sun is up and shining so far. Perhaps we can invent our own fun and do something different today.

Yesterday I spent a little part of the day with Dear Friend Tammy. She is suffering with ALS and is completely bedridden and unable to move. Two weeks ago when I was there she was miserable and in and out of awareness. She whimpered and moaned as if she were in pain. Yesterday she was much improved and even had some volume in her voice. She would doze off occasionally, but I know she will close her eyes and listen longer than she looks like it. Two of her girls were home with her and they were acting normally, so I heard all about lots of things they were up to. I suppose from here until she passes it will be an up and down pattern. A lot depends on her medication and breathing, but I love being able to help her family, even if it means just sitting with her and shifting the position of her legs for her.

Day Four of Spring Break

The big rainstorm Monday and Tuesday brought us 1.5 inches of rain. Then we got 2 inches of snow that afternoon. This morning we woke up to this:

You can just see the Durango shivering...because Genius Golfer has wood stacked inside the garage...no room for the Durango in the inn, Sad Durango.

If it were February, I might think it was pretty.

But it is mid-April and spring supposedly sprung last month!

Stern, is the word of the day.

Day Three of Spring Break

Today is still soaking wet--holy rainstorm, Batman! But I haven't seen any snow fly, as yet. But the day is young.

On the up side, my sister's day in court was postponed to May 6th, so I don't need to go to Ogden for court (I guess that is an up-side for me only). I don't have to drive in the rain/snow and I don't have to sit through yet another useless motion by the toothless system. It is very frustrating to go up and witness, when nothing is ever enforced against her Ex.

On the down side, The Girl had a camp-out in the neighbors' pop-up trailer last night with about 5 friends. That may mean that I will be paying for her late night and not much sleep and probably not much warmth all day. I told her that this will never happen again if I do have to deal with her attitude or if she gets sick.

The boy, meanwhile had a late night with another friend here. They were funny. A lot of nerf darts and movie watching. Boys are easily entertained. These two were, at least.

We do have a clean and purge project on the docket today in the kids' rooms. It is harder to feel the Spring cleaning vibe when it is raining buckets outside. Gas 'N Sip, here I come. Gotta jump start the day.

Day Two of Spring Break

As we begin day two of our spring break here on the Circle, I just want to tell you how much I enjoy the fact that my kids are able and willing to find their own fun.

As a girl I remember killing a day doing completely wasteful things. Not wasteful in a resources kind of way, but just with our time. I would get my jobs done and then be off, not to be seen again by my mom for hours or until I got hungry. I rode bikes, I played in waist high weeds, made dirt-clay pottery, took animals for walks, climbed trees and built forts.

Kids these days, mine included, have way too many things to occupy their time. So it always thrills me just a bit when they figure out what to do with themselves all day long.

The Girl began her free time yesterday working on a beading project--an anklet, if I am remembering right. We spent almost an hour at the craft store looking fro the EXACT bead her booklet called for...much to The Boy's disgust. But as she was working on it outside int he front year, a gaggle of teenage girlfriends came by to collect her and the gang took a walk to Macey's for an ice cream cone outing. Then helped to clean out and organize the neighbor's pop-up trainer.

I love that!

The Boy, meanwhile, had some lunch with Genius Golfer for a minute and then his buddy could play, so he went to play boy stuff at Sir Christian's place. They have so much fun when they are together. They come up with outrageous projects--digging bugs, worms, creatures of the deep-- and with outlandish imaginations--playing on dirt hills, soccer at the cemetery, with dogs, and on the tramp--The Boy revels in it. Many thanks to Sir Christian's mom for putting up with and/or allowing all their fun.

The weather agreed with us yesterday...sun kissed my forearms as I chatted on the porch with a neighbor, in fact. I don't think we'll be that lucky the rest of the week, but with imagination and free time, fun can happen in any type of weather.

Spring Break '09

Spring Break is here, and so far we are enjoying the sunshine and getting stuff done around here. I am sure this won't least. We are also enjoying (?) an Easter treat hangover. I have a huddle of girls in my front lawn, a boy waiting for a friend to come and play, and laundry going as fast as my washer and dryer and go. There is yet much to do, but we are off to a good start. Check in later this week and see if I still think that.