Spring Break???

Spring Break?? Huh. I'm not really sure about the "break" part, as I definitely worked harder last week, during my vacation, than I do when I'm working!  But what a great week!  I have reflected all day today about what an amazing week I had with my kids.  I spent a lot of time trying to plan in advance some activity to do each day with the kids. So here is how our week played out once I picked them up from their Dad's Monday at 1:00:

First up, the Aquarium:
The kids just loved the sharks. I think they were the favorite, of course Molly and Zach LOVE the movie, "Jaws", so no real surprise there!  The albino alligator was a pretty big hit too, as well as the touch tank.

Then we went for some ice cream. Zach and Bethanie chose Bubble Gum Ice Cream, with real bits of bubble gum. Ick. But, I believe it was, at one time, my favorite, too.  What a perfect end to our first day of vacation!

Next up, Papa's visit:
My Dad came down to hang out and see us. It was a big treat since we hadn't seen him since Molly's birthday in January. We took the kids to McDonald's for a quick lunch and play time (and of course, more ice cream).

On Thursday we decided to take it a little easier and we stayed home. But, we played in the yard in a little kiddie pool and yard toys. The kids stayed in the yard almost all day!  Then the girls and I indulged in a little pampering with some manicures and pedicures.

Friday was our trip to Magnolia Plantation.  We were a little worried because as soon as we got out of the van it thundered so loudly that we jumped back in the van! We decided to go get some lunch at Moe's and wait for the storm to pass.  By the time we got back out to the plantation the rain had stopped, momentarily.  We were able to enjoy the petting zoo between showers.  The kids were even able to hold a little bunny rabbit, a big hit!   The petting zoo at Magnolia has deer, chickens, rabbits, peacocks, snakes, owls, ducks, you name it!  Then we loaded on the "train" and took our tour of the magnificent plantation.  The kids were thrilled we were able to secure front seats, until it started raining! We got soaked! But we just laughed in the rain and relished in it.  We stopped at the house on the plantation to visit with Nana (she is a guide in the house) and one more trip to the petting zoo before leaving.  It was so much fun!

Saturday was probably everyone's favorite.  We first made a quick trip to Walmart and then the farmer's market. Then it was home to dye eggs and make a carrot cake before lying down for a bit of quiet time. Finally we loaded up and all of us went to see "Rio". It was the cutest movie, but my favorite part was when Zach fell asleep in my arms. For dinner we went to CiCi's Pizza. Now, obviously, it is not my favorite place to go eat, however, it is very cheap (right at $30) for a family of 6 and the kids love that they are able to go up to the bar and get their own food and drink. We always sit close enough that they are able to feel a bit of independence and it is good for them.

Sunday we awoke to a yard full of Easter Eggs. We gave Molly and Zach a bit of a head start before we let Bethanie and Abby out to scoop up and find all the treasures.  They came back in the house to find their Easter Baskets.  The biggest hit had to be the light up cups they all received.  Nana and Uncle Will joined us for a wonderful lunch of ham, mac and cheese, green beans (fresh from the farmer's market), fruit salad, jello and rolls.  We then enjoyed our yummy carrot cake that we made the day before.

Abby did corner me and ask about the Easter Bunny.  Seems my little girl has discovered that their really isn't an Easter Bunny.  We had a nice little chat about it and I believe she was ready to hear the truth as she had already figured it out.  She is quite excited that next year she gets to help hide the eggs!  Of course it was only a matter of time before she began asking about Santa Claus...sighs...I knew it was coming but it is a bit sad, too.

Today I took Molly and Zach to daycare and as I prepared to drop Molly off she hugged me tightly and her eyes filled with tears.   She didn't fuss or make a scene, but I realized she was displaying how I felt inside, so sad to see our week come to an end.  It was an amazing week. I was so fortunate to spend so much time with my kids.  They are all four amazing children and my heart just swells with love as I reflect on all we shared.  The hugs, cuddle times, laughs and stories.  I am so proud to be their Mom and I cherish every moment with them.

Our Toy Story 3 Adventure

The fourth of July weekend the kids and I had nothing planned on Saturday so I decided to brave 3 kids and the movies. Molly and Zach had never been to the movies before so I decided Toy Story 3 would be a good first experience that would, hopefully, keep their attention. Now Molly is a little over 3 1/2 so I didn't anticipate any issues out of her but I wasn't too sure about Zach, who just turned 2.

I got online and checked ticket prices for my favorite theater and it was going to cost me over $35 for me and the 3 kids! So I checked another theater in the area (though not nearly as nice, still OK) and it was only $12 total for the matinée! Wow, is that a difference or what? So I ordered our tickets online, assuming it would sell out, and off we went.


I did not tell the kids where we were going (I love surprises, though I am hard to surprise I find it quite easy to pull one over on others!). We arrived at the theater and the kids were so excited! I was right, it had sold out, but I was safe since I already had my tickets.  I emptied out my life savings and bought the popcorn laced with gold and the sodas in the platinum cups (What? They aren't gold and platinum? I really just paid waaaaaay too much for them? C'mon, seriously?).  They were very happy and of course the popcorn was almost gone before the movie even began.


The kids did great. Zach was a little fidgety for a bit, but actually slept in my arms the last 30 minutes of the movie. Molly leaned over at one point and whispered, "that's a really, really, really BIG t.v.!" But the rest of the time she cuddled up with Abby and watched the movie.


I really enjoyed this flick. It has been a long time since I've been to the movies. I really just love the escape. The couple of hours of sitting in a (fairly) quiet, dark movie theater just focusing on the movie. I am hoping perhaps Julio and I can find where they are hiding babysitters these days and venture out to an adult movie at some point soon. It's been far too long. I also look forward to taking the kids to movies more often, especially since I've discovered this fairly (with out the popcorn and drinks) reasonably priced theater.


Oh, and I only shed a few tears, actually. I had heard it was a bit of a tear jerker at the end, not too bad...I didn't think. All in all a really cute flick, but hey, it's Pixar, what do you expect?!

Predictability

"If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor." -Eleanor Roosevelt


Predictability. Also called banality.

I think predictability is boring. Whether it relates to movies, books, or day to day life in general. I think this is one of the reasons I find I don't watch as many movies nor read as many books as I once did. Well that and the fact that I have three children and a husband that takes up most of my free time. Today, however, hubby allowed me about two hours to myself in our room to watch a movie. I decided to watch '500 Days of Summer' with Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon Levitt (I wondered recently why he was hosting Saturday Night Live as I didn't think he had done anything since Third Rock from the Sun). I quickly rethought my decision when I saw it had received awards at some film festivals, as those are usually not my types of movies. I was also afraid it was going to the be the usual, predictible crap, boy meets girl, they fall in love, they break up, they discover they never should have broken up and end up happily ever after...blah, blah, blah. However, this movie surprised me (which is a hard thing to do). There were some great one liners, as well. The following was a pretty funny exchange between two of the characters (one being the guy that plays Dr. Spencer Reid on 'Criminal Minds', fun to see him in something else):

Tom: Paul, seriously...
Paul: Did you bang her?
Tom: No!
Paul: Blow job?
Tom: No!
Paul: Hand job?
Tom: No, Paul, no jobs. I'm still unemployed. We just kissed.

Thought that was pretty funny. "still unemployed"...anyway...

Back to predictability. Although I say I get tired of it, I did find myself rooting for the two characters to be together and be happy forever. I guess that is why movies use that formula so often. In "real life" so often there is no "happily ever after". Or, if there is, there is a whole lot of crap in between. To say the least. Or, if you are going through a rough time it can be nice to escape for a couple of hours and believe, albeit for a short while, that things really can work out. That there really are happy endings. 

At the same time it is nice to have some unpredictability. To be surprised. To find the unexpected. Which is what I found in this movie. Although it didn't end the way I wanted it to, or expected it to, it ended happily and I was surprisingly quite satisfied with the ending. 

I have always had ideas and beliefs as to how my life would unfold. I guess in a lot of ways it has followed that pattern. Married, kids, full time job, house, 2 cars, etc. However in a lot of ways it is different, too. I work, my husband stays home (and I quite like working). My husband cooks, I clean. Life is comfortable, although not quite as comfortable as I would like (Hey, I'm a commissioned sales rep in this economy, it's tough!) still we live pretty well. 

I also have found the more "life experience" I have the more certain aspects and beliefs I've always held have changed as well. I am not nearly as uptight or driven to project a certain image as I once was not so long ago. I think as I'm getting older I am learning to be more true to myself. I thought I always had been but I have figured out that perhaps I was who I thought I was supposed to be, not who I really was. If you can follow me here. I suppose I have discovered the fun in not trying to control and steer everything. That if you just let things happen, enjoy the ride and be open to them, unpredictability can be quite satisfying and a lot more fun than predictability ever thought about being.