It’s spring break, that magical time of year when the kids get time off from school to spend with family while the flowers are just beginning to bloom. It’s the perfect time for day trips, picnics, vacations, or just a chance to snuggle away the afternoon reading books and eating cookies. I’m kidding, of course. For most of us spring break is a disaster. If you’re a working parent you have to either take the week off, find someone to watch your kids, or spend a gajillion dollars on childcare. If you live in stupid Alaska, spring isn’t even close to being here. Thanks to Mother Nature’s little sarcastic streak the weeks prior to spring break were glorious (by AK standards) but as soon as the kids walked out of school the temperature dropped 10 degrees and the skies filled with clouds. That means most of the break has been spent with the kids squeals reverberating off the walls of a house that gets smaller every second.
I tried to take them to the indoor play place on Monday. Jackson got in a shoving match with a boy half his size and wound up getting a gash in the back of his head. We watched Wreck It Ralph twice that day. On Tuesday a bunch of us took the kids sledding. That turned out great, but only lasted a few hours before the teenager kidnapped my vehicle for eight hours. That afternoon was another double-Ralph viewing. Wednesday a bunch of us met up and hiked to a frozen waterfall. It was fabulous and wore the boys out.
Today Dallas was off work too so we went to the zoo. It was 21 degrees. We only lasted about an hour and a half, incidentally that’s all the time you need to see the entire Alaska Zoo. It wasn’t nearly enough time to wear the boys out, but we needed to warm up. I figured we could go for a walk later in the day. Shortly after we got home Taryn came upstairs and said, “My friend M is babysitting her brother all day. Her Mom said it was ok to bring the boys over for a play date.”
Can you say awesomesauce? A play date that I don’t have to attend. The little boys all know each other and I totally trust the teenagers. Both Mom’s get a few hours off of six-year-olds. Woot frickin’ woot!
John left to hang out with his friends too – it was an amazing couple of hours. When Taryn got home with the boys she told me M’s Mom had been there the whole time. She said she must have misunderstood. I felt like a huge jerk! The other Mom probably thought I just pawned my rotten kids off on her all afternoon. How rude!
I texted and Facebooked her my mea culpa, totally blaming the teenagers. She was fine and we joked about which one of the teenagers was actually to blame. Then she told me that Jackson had told her, “if you drink too much water you pee clear.” Great.
Taryn reported that M asked Reese if he had to go to the bathroom because he was grabbing his privates. Reese said, “Nope. Your dog just licked my nuts.”
What is it with my kids are the wiener obsession and why can’t they contain it just to our house? I hate spring break.
All boys have wiener obsessions. Actually, scratch that: all MALES have wiener obsessions.
Its almost over!
Oh boys and their wieners! We’ve watched Wreck-It Ralph 8 times last week before I finally mailed it back. Guess the Easter bunny will be bringing that. On a good note, at least it’s not Cars!
Hahaha!!! Noah has never done any of that embarassing stuff thank goodness, so I love living vicariously through you. It hurts less. My spring break will mean not having to miss a second of work to make breakfast/lunch or drop off anyone at school. BUT, when he isn’t at Gramma’s with his cousins from out of town he will be right below me in the living room watching “Suite Life” and “Phinneas and Ferb,” which I’m pretty sure they’ve stopped making since I’ve heard every episode thirty-twelve times.
Oh, boy. My kids haven’t learned the other meaning of nuts yet. They would have called them “nuggets”…. not sure if that is better.
. You are freezing and we are sad because it is already almost 90 and we never got Spring. In a few weeks, the 100+ with 40% humidity will begin for 5 months. We stay indoors for that!!!
OH dear heavens I feel for you.. Mine have it the first week of April. Thankfully we have family coming in so they will have entertainment woot woot.. Yeah FYI all boys are fascinated by their genitalia.. they just are.
Oh, it’s not that bad….says the teacher.
Spring means something truly different in Alaska. We’ll see “spring” in May.
Oh, Bridget! Major mama faux pas there or WHAT??! Good thing M’s mum is a good sport. Either that or she reads your blog and knows that you could totally do with a break, anyway. I think this whole wiener obsession starts young, yes? My are sick at the moment and so favourite past time is double viewing of Cars and playing with themselves while watching…
it was 62 and sunny here…i think Columbus was 65 and sunny. Hurry up. we’re waiting on you.
Hahahaha! Now I am going to feel a little guilty posting pictures of watermelons and seashores, now that summer’s here in our part of the world. The frozen waterfall picture is a beauty though.
Seriously – I love Reese. And if you think Spring Break sucks for you, try being sick on top of that. I’m coughing globules of disgusting phlegm and don’t know which germ bag to blame for it! Then again, it’s not snowing here.