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?

Memorial Day

My family and I have thoroughly enjoyed our 3 day weekend together.  I cannot forget just who made this all possible.


                       THANK YOU

to those who SERVE this great country of ours!

Without you my family and many other American families would not have the luxury to:

Go for walks on sun shiny days

Express creativity with chalk on the driveway

Learn how to ride bikes with two wheels

Play with water balloons

Pay children back for surprise water balloon attacks

Enjoy the sunshine

Get in on the family balloon action (don't let her fool ya, she's just as sneaky as the other two)

Experience nature

See the simple beauty around us

Sit on the front porch

Play a good game of Candy Land

And last, but not least, paint my toes hot pink if I want to!

Please know that all that you do and all that you sacrifice is not overlooked. 

We do appreciate and salute you! 

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Spring Break Review

I managed to survive the first day back from Spring Break.  I have to be honest though, images from the time with my family were re-playing in my head and helped me through the day.

Here are some of the fun activities we did:

We went to baseball practice.  Read more details about what happened He got a Hit and I Missed it.

The weather was beautiful so we enjoyed playing outside with chalk!  B made this picture of the two of us.  He defiantly captured my good side.  Isn't it beautiful?!

We took a trip to the beach.

We even went to the moon.

Some eggs were colored.

I made a cake for a friend's birthday party.  Brent and I got to attend a a party without children.  Yay for adult time!

Eggs were hunted.

Finally, we celebrated Easter.

We didn't go anywhere fancy for spring break, but we did have a lot of fun!

Beach Day

This was us last spring break, at the most magical place on Earth! As much as we would have LOVED going to Disney World again, it just wasn't possible. So we improvised and created our own day at the beach.

B and G are making their tickets for the air plane ride.

B and G changed into the beach attire that Mommy picked out and prepared to board the air plane with their tickets.

Getting settled and buckling their seat belts before the take off.

The in flight movie complete with peanuts to snack on and a drink.

It's good thing they were wearing their swimming trunks because the plane brought them to the ocean! The ocean was green and fish and crabs were swimming in it.

Baby M woke up during the ocean play. Mommy had to feed her and then dressed her for the beach as well.

Time to play in the sand!

I found these bad boys on sale at Target! I just love sales :)

Finished products

Counting (Hey look at that we squeezed a little math into our day! Couldn't help it, it's the teacher in me) their loot after the seashell hunt (We didn't have shells so we used plastic eggs. (Whatever works, right? Bottom line, they had fun).

Now for a little seaside reading (We had some math practice we mustn't forget about reading.).

Nothing is better than eating lunch on the beach. Mylonni is patiently waiting for B and G to share with her.

Baby M enjoys a little 'water' play while the boys finish their lunch.

Time to head back home on the air plane. G is sad about having to leave.

While the kids had fun and played at the beach, Mommy put the SHARKS to work!

What fun family activities do you have planned for spring break?