Spring Break 2017

We are not officially in the public school norm, but my employer is employed by the schools and my two kids are in preschool, so this year Spring Break was definitely welcome and a real thing for us. For my kids the most major difference was Trent and Tori didn't come over and there was almost nothing scheduled the whole week. It was AWESOME!! I totally intended to have no other children over during that week, but I watch a little boy on Monday so his mom could go get a CATscan and then we had Jensen and his mom over on Tuesday, but other than that it was just us and it was so great.

Our major news and event for that week was new bikes. We got the girls and Gaupo brand spankin' new bikes. Kylee's is bigger it has 16in tires and is kind of sea foam green color and she loves it. She does not love that we make her wear a helmet, but luckily she loves her bike enough to do it. Tia got a bike that was the same size as her last one, possibly smaller and she didn't really like it at first (painful let me tell you), but she has since gotten to were she really likes it. Both tires run true on this bike. Its a little lower to the ground, so she is able to get started on her own more easily and it is bright colored, so I know where she is. Gaupo got a new bike because his old one was worn out and had a bent link in the chain and so it was catching and almost throwing him over the handlebars. We looked into fixing it, getting a used bike, or new cheap bike, but alas we decided that this bike he got really was great and that we would get it. He LOVES his new bike. I think it is a toss up between him and Kylee as to who loves their new bike more. Gaupo has rode it almost everyday. Today he rode it even though it snowed last night and threatened to when he left. He actually had to ride home in some, but he was so pleased with himself. You could tell it made him very happy that everyone thought he was crazy to ride his bike today. We didn't do any grand bike riding adventures last week, but we did ride them everyday the weather was good around here. I think they will be super fun as the weather continues to improve. Plus it was so fun to watch the girls (especially Kylee) look forward to something they really wanted.

Kylee on her bike.

Tia on her new bike.

The bikes were fun, but my favorite day of Spring Break was Friday. The day flew by. I was seriously running behind. I did start out the day on time. Tia and I had a great time at OT. The OT really did a good job of helping Tia stick to the schedule they made together, picking things that were fun and challenging, and then ending with some down time. It was a really good appointment, much better than the first. Then we came home and picked up Kylee at Tori's house. Kylee was so excited to go over there and I think she had fun, so it worked out really good. Then we came home for a bit and went grocery shopping all over town. that took way longer than I thought it would, but it is kind of crazy to go shopping for trip food, conference food, and regular food, but we got it all and got home. It was so late by the time we got home that by the time the girls had lunch and got down for naps it was like 2:30. So, I let them sleep and texted Gaupo, "Can our kids stay up and watch a movie tonight?" Gaupo is usually always a fan of this, so he called me and we discussed movies and he said he would bring something home. So, he came home as I was finishing up cleaning my bathroom. We had cleaned the other's earlier in the week, but I had to wait for Gaupo to cut his hair, so I was cleaning it Friday because after he cuts his hair it is really bad. Anyway, I got it cleaned about 5:30. Then made pizza for dinner. Then we had popcorn and  the movie Planes. The girls (especially Tia) really like this movie. It was really fun to have Pizza, Pop, Popcorn, and Planes all together as a family. It seemed like such a good finish to the week.

To put the frosting on our week it was General Conference weekend. I loved it. The speakers brought a really special feeling into my home when conference was on, and I loved the talks. I have a hard time focusing with the kids around, but I loved what I got and am excited to read them again and again. Also, our Aunt Kitt came for a visit. She came Saturday morning just before the first session. We didn't do a whole lot besides watch conference, until we sent Gaupo to Priesthood session. We had really big plans, but then at dinner when we were having Kitt's birthday meal of greasy taco's Kylee got sick. Like throw-up sick. It is so awful because not only does she feel crummy, but it exhausts her. So, we cleaned up dinner and then all she really wanted to do was watch TV, so we watched one episode of Bernstein Bears. Then she started feeling good, so we hurried and went up stairs and filled the tub with some water and some special foot bath salt my friend gave me and had a foot bath. She made it through most of that before she threw-up. Then she felt okay again and she really, really, really wanted to have her piggies and fingers painted. So I painted her fingers, and then she was so exhausted that I let her lay down while I painted her toes. She stayed awake for awhile, but she eventually crashed right on the kitchen floor while waiting for her pedicure to harden. Tia did her nails to. Kitt painted her toes and fingers pink with sparkles. Then Kitt and I painted ours. before we were done Gaupo got home, but he just chatted with us while we finished and then helped get the girls to bed. It was a pretty fun girls party. We would have done way more, but you know throwing up kind of hinders that, so I am super glad we got to do what we did.

Kylee sleeping while her piggies dry.

Sunday was Kitt's Birthday and true to our traditions the party mostly centered around food. We had waffles with toppings: bananas, blackberries, strawberries, raspberry pie filling, and whip cream. They were so good.

The waffles.

Gaupo at breakfast.

Me and my true morning self.

After breakfast Kitt opened her gift from my mom and dad and we video chatted them for a bit. Then it was General Conference. After conference, she tried to get ready, but chatted with tons of people. I did get dressed and then took the girls for a much needed walk. They get pretty antsy on conference weekend with all that quiet-ish TV watching. When we were done with our walk we came home and had lunch then I got the girls down and had time to read scriptures before the second session. It was so great. We watched the second session. Gaupo made Brazilian cheese rolls during that session so we had a super good snack too. Then after that session I made monster bars, so Kitt could have a 'cake' with candles. We made chocolate crockpot cake the night before, but that would have been too hot for candles, so we did both. Anyway, then we chatted with Grandma for a bit and then had dinner of crockpot potatoes, carrots, and roast finished off by monster bars. Then it was Bryce family chat time. We stayed on until Oma made Kitt go home. It was fun to see her and I am glad she is coming tomorrow.

Me, Tia, Kitt, and Kylee with the monster bar 'cake'

We are silly.

Tia, Kitt, Kylee, and Gaupo.

Our Spring Break wasn't epic like some peoples, but boy was it great to just be here. I loved that when Gaupo's bike came we could go get it, have a short picnic with him and then go back and play for a bit. We could do that because I wasn't waiting for kids to come and I just know my own kids limits, and our families limits so it is easier to make exceptions to the schedule. I loved playing Frisbee again. My first set of games was Thursday night. I loved hanging with my friend Bethany and letting Kylee figure out how to play with Jensen and Tia without Tori. I loved that we could do chores after breakfast even though it was like 10 or 11 o'clock. I loved that I didn't really have any schedule but my own to worry about it was AWESOME!! I loved loved Friday night. It was my favorite to cuddle up with my favorite people and watch a great movie, have great food and know that it was special for us. Sometimes more than getting out I need a vacation from schedules and commitments and norms and that is totally what I got.  It was perfect, plus it helps I am going on a leaving Longmont vacation really soon too.