Spring Break 2015

Three and a half days spent with my parents...at their house.

Upon arrival we ate lunch and got started playing right away.  It was a beautiful day outside.  Sarah brought this new pink and purple rocket launcher (that she got from a friend who came to her birthday party) to try out for the first time.  She strategically placed it in the front yard, after talking about where in the yard to place it, so that the rocket wouldn't fly into the street or onto the roof, and stomped on the launch pad.... WAIT for IT... It went straight onto the roof and got stuck in the gutter!  Not too worry though, Popee (who is just a wee bit afraid of heights) came to the rescue... flexing his muscles while on the roof, and showing off his "Super Popee Will Always Save the Day" skills.  (I actually just made that "Save the Day" skills part up, but if those were real skills, and I think they may be, my Dad/Popee has got'em.)

Next up that day was a trip to the Emporia Zoo.  Too bad none of us knew that it closes at 4:30 pm.  So, our arrival time of 4:26 pm was not well planned.  We walked in, looked at some turtles and ducks, and then exited as they locked up the gates.  From there we headed to "Village park" (Village School playground) to let the kids run some more energy out.

The next day, Wednesday, started off and stayed rainy, so we did some inside activities... coloring, cookie and muffin making, and Wal-Mart shopping.  Then that evening we got to go swimming indoors at the Rec Center with Uncle Matt.  Yay for swimming and jumping in off the side and diving board over and over!  And, a Big YAY for an Uncle who goes with us every time we go swimming in Emporia and helps with all three kids and plays with them.  I love it that we have our own personal lifeguard, and we love you, Matt!

Thursday, raining again.  The girls and I had a hair appointment with Kathy.  She gave us all a trim and I got some color too.  I had started to notice that maybe, maybe I had some grayish/glitterish strands of hair and I just am not a glitteryish sparklyish kind of girl, so I may have had Kathy and Nicole try to cover that up just a little.  Maybe. (Mission accomplished.)

It stopped raining in the afternoon, so we headed out to some friend's house out in the country and fished in their pond for about an hour.  Sarah and Silas caught some of the biggest Perch I have EVER seen caught on their little poles.  All between 8-10 inches long and fat! Silas wasn't wanting to touch any fish that day, but was all business when he and I hooked them and he was reeling them in.  He and Sarah sure kept Popee busy taking fish off, throwing them back, and rebaiting their hooks.  I am so thankful for a Dad who has always loved to fish.  And, he has always loved having me and/or my children right there along with him, helping us and teaching us about fishing and fish.  Thanks Dad, for always baiting my hook and taking the fish off for me, and now for my kids.  You really do have the "Save the Day" skills.  For real.  I mean it.  

BEST.  POPEE.  EVER.

Sarah, oh you silly girl... Here are just two of the many fish she caught.  The one on the left was the only one that she tried to kiss though.

Note: Notice the funny, but VERY WARM, hats.  It was still cloudy out and was chilly!  Hats are great for laughs from the people around you, but even better for keeping you warm.  Also, Note: the great puffy coat with fake fur lining the hood that I am wearing below... this was my Mom's school recess coat that she always wore when she was still teaching school (Yes, she still has it.  Maybe for these such occasions) .  It is a super warm coat, with a super warm hood, which made it super great for wearing outside on super cold days while she watched kids playing at recess.  Also, super great for wearing fishing on a chilly day a lot of years later after your mom has retired.

Below... There he is... The man with the "Save the Day" skills, a warm hat and rubber boats.  Love him.

Friday, our last day there.  Finally sunshine again! And, now that we were aware of the Zoo hours, we headed there with plenty of time to look around at all of the animals.

Oops! I caught Popee with his eyes closed.  I think the warm sunshine, while we were at the Zoo, combined with three days of grandchildren who Do. Not. Stop. may have made him a little more sleepy than usual.  I promise he was not asleep in this picture, just tired, very very tired.

Thanks for letting us come visit you and entertaining us, and feeding us, and reading to us, and playing with us, and driving us around, and baking with us, and fishing with us, and most of all just to sum it all up... 

SPENDING TIME WITH US over Spring Break.  We love you, Popee and Nanee!