Nov 10, 2012

2 weeks + Fall Break = AWESOME

My school has moved from a Traditional Calendar to a Balanced Calendar schedule this year.

Basically, what this means is that we have extended breaks.  Fall break is now 2 weeks rather than 2 days.  Spring Break is 2 weeks rather than 1 week and Summer Break is 6 weeks rather than 8 weeks.  Christmas Break has remained at 2 weeks.  Students still attend school for the required 180 days.  The breaks are just manipulated from their former length.

Switching to this calendar seems to be the common trend for schools around our area.  You will hear both positive and negative opinions about the change if you talk with parents, teachers, and students.

So far for me I have found it to be rather positive!

For the 1st week of the break we took it easy because of Baby M's surgery.

Brent took the second week of our Fall Break off  from work so we were able to all spend time together.

It was so nice to be able to use the time to enjoy some local family fun activities, such as going to the pumpkin patch.

Here B is telling G that he will go in the maze with him,  if G goes first . . .  such a nice big brother! 



Oh look at that brotherly love . . . don't be fooled, it's only for the picture.  They're really good at looking good for pictures.



Would you look at these animals I live with!?



Baby M's first hay ride to pick out pumpkins. 



This was Baby M last year at the pumpkin patch {Don't ya love how the pumpkin is covering my big 'ol baby belly}.



And here she is a year later at the same pumpkin patch!



Picking out her first pumpkin.



No trip to the pumpkin patch is complete without seeing the pumpkin eating dinosaur!





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The next day we carved and decorated the pumpkins.  Decorating pumpkins with a 10 month old was, well let's just say interesting.

I mean in this picture she looks all innocent and everything, but don't let her fool you.




This little girl thought it would be a good time to have Mommy chase her while she crawled off of the blanket and onto the yucky garage floor.


She also thought stickers were for eating rather than decorating.  Once we gave her her paci she was more focused with the decorating.





Now these 2 little boys, well they are pros at this pumpkin carving thing.  This year they even touched the pumpkin guts.  I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that Brent told them that they couldn't eat pumpkin seeds unless they helped to dig them out.



EWWW look Mommy, I found seeds!




B is a bit more meticulous than G.  He's making sure to scoop up as many seeds as possible.



Their final products!



And there you have it some of our Fall Break fun!

How about you, do your kids have Fall Break?  How did you spend it?