Spring Breakin'

Yup, even us homeschoolers took a spring break with the district around here....including Autumn's school.  It was nice.  Jason and I took turns sleeping in.  We were extra lazy.  Lovely.

But we did enjoy a few special activities. 


First things first:  Monday was a day of movies.  Seriously.  We watched Frozen (again) first thing in the morning after a friend gave it to us when they came for a play date!  Then we put on Star Wars Episode II. 




Then we were invited to join Gramoo and Lauren for the Muppets Most Wanted.




On Tuesday Jason headed to Canada.  You know, just for the day.  He had a meeting.  The rest of us took Autumn to dance.  The boys and I ran to Walmart while she was at class:




Then we all hit the library.  We were there for quite some time.  Our local libraries are amazing and this one is right by our house.  We meet there for playdates all the time and the kids love to play there without extra friends as well:




We did run into a former classmate and her mom which was fun.

Over lunch, I let the kids start the first Harry Potter movie. 




We've been doing the book as a read aloud and they're super into it (yay!!!) so I let them watch up to where we were in the book (right after Harry nearly swallows the Snitch!). 


We didn't do much on Wednesday.  I had an appointment in the afternoon and Jason played guitar at church that night.  The rest of us didn't go.  We very rarely go on Wednesdays but Jason is often asked to play if he's not already scheduled for that Sunday (and sometimes when he is).


Thursday we met some friends at the park in the afternoon. 




Friday we initially had plans with some friends from our old school. We were going to have a picnic lunch at the library but they are notorious last-minute cancellers. So I made sure not to tell the kids. Sure enough, when I touched base the night before, they cancelled. So, instead the kids entertained themselves with their Build-a-Bears.  It was pretty cute.  They also played Build a Bear on the Wii.  And looked at Build a Bear stuff on the computer.  And planned the next things they were going to buy at Build a Bear.  

Saturday was my day to sleep in.  I didn't open my eyes till 10:46 a.m.!!!   This is previously unheard of.  Like, seriously, not since becoming a mom and maybe not even before that.  Even when given the chance, there is no way I can sleep for, like, 11 hours.  But I did.  Bless my family for staying quiet for me.  And there was coffee ready when I woke up.  I was in a great mood! :)

Further more, it was an absolutely beautiful day and the five of us set out for our very first EVER family bike ride.  Yup.  Ever.  For the longest time, Jason and I didn't have bikes.  Then I got one with a baby seat on the back but J didn't get one till last year.  Then Dalton didn't quite have the endurance and he didn't ever try (or care to try) to ride a two wheeler till January. We hadn't been on bikes since the summer.  But back in January, right before the AFC Championship game we took off his training wheels and he took off.  No running along behind him, no helping him get started.  He just rode.  Guess we waited a little long on that one!  Anyway...  back to our first ever family bike ride:












I like how I cut off Jason's head and the pile of dog poop takes center stage. :)


Look at my Dado go up there!


After that pic, Dalton let me know he didn't think that was very safe of me to selfie and drive.


We stopped at the neighborhood park towards the end:








Then Jason and Easton took off on some faster, more challenging terrain that Dalton's just not quite up for yet and I took the little two home.


After lunch and showers for J and me, we headed down to a mall we don't go to often.  I was in need of some new jeans and wanted to hit the Banana Republic outlet (as opposed to the regular BR in our regular mall).  No luck at Banana Hammock but the mall has a Lego store:








And a Build a Bear store.







And there was a guy in a bunny suit:




We came home for dinner and showers and some more Harry Potter reading:



Sunday was the second week in a row that we were all able to go to church together as a family of five.  Most weeks Jason has to report at 7:00 a.m. for worship.  Or other weeks I have to report a little early to teach the 4 year old class.  But somehow two weeks in a row we've all been able to go together:



We came home for lunch and Gramoo and Lauren came to get Dalton for his special outing.  Around each of their birthdays, Gramoo has started a fun tradition of taking that kid to a unique activity.  Autumn has done tea and the toy and miniature museum, Dalton's gone to a monster truck show.  Most recently, Easton went scuba diving and this time Dalton got to go to Disney on Ice:



When they brought him back home, Lauren and Moo joined us for dinner and cookies and headed on their way. It was so nice to have a break but it was back to school for everyone this morning. 

Budget Gift Idea

Jason's birthday was earlier this month.  He's a map guy.  And a family guy.  And a frugal guy.  So, when I saw this on Pinterest, I knew I had to make one for the guy.

Here's mine:




You should be able to click on it to see it larger, I believe.

Tour of Our Not So New Anymore House. . .Finally!

Oh man, we've been in this "new" house for nearly a year and a half now but never have I shared any of our "after" pics.  It's not like I'm a big decorator...not at all.  That's probably part of my hesitation to finally do this, there's just not much to show off.

But it's home all the same. 

So, for those who wondered what we did with the blank canvas you saw here.  Well, here goes nuthin'! 

So, I guess we'll go from where a guest would walk in to our house. Here's the living dining area before...

And now:

And once you're in the living room a little better, here's the before:

And here's now:

And the front door area, before:

And now:

The dining area before (that fixture! ew!):

The dining area now, as seen from the kitchen:

My kitchen comes next... here's the before:

And after:

Kitchen sink before:

And now... maybe just a little less clutter:

The eat in area before:

After:

Here's the laundry room before:

And my laundry room now...

Look at my tall cabinets!  And that armoire/wardrobe there on the right.  We use that as a "hall closet" for our coats and shoes because that's where we actually enter the house, not the front door where the actual coat closet is.  :)

The other side of the room before:

And after:

Identical to the old house. We had just redone it before we decided to move.

Heading upstairs, here's the master bedroom before:

Before:

And now:

Master bath before:

And now:

Still now:

More now:

The sinks as seen from the throne room:

Leaving the master bedroom, you next hit the kids' bathroom. Here is before:

Shower curtain:

The towels before:

Here is after:

Next up around the hall is Autumn's bedroom. Here's her room before:

And now (well, last Christmas):

Before:

And after:

A closer look:

From the corner by the closet and window:

Inside one half of her closet:

We hit E's room in the middle. Here's before:

And last Christmas:

Different part of the room before:

And again last Christmas:

At the end of the upstairs hallway is Dalton's room. The before:

And last Christmas (Autumn's carriage CD player is back in her own room):

And now (from roughly the same angle near the door):

Standing in Dalton's closet:

This was how it was last Christmas, you can see the little table near the door:

This is how it is now, with the black Expedit bins and a silver CD player:

This is on the wall right when you walk in, the opposite view if you were laying in Dalton's bed, a fish tank now instead of the humidifier we saw last Christmas:

And on the outside, I indeed had a garden.  We grew bunches of zucchini and tomatoes (cherry and regular sized ones).  We grew spinach, cilantro, green onion, and leeks.  Snap peas, a few cukes and carrots (none of those did real well).  I tried strawberries (too late in the season).  Bell peppers both red and green. I forget what else.  But here was my garden and the gnome I so wanted:

And the porch swing happened as well:

We love this house. We have lots more we'd like to do, we just ran into budgetary issues. But that's how it is here now. Come see it for yourself, if you like!