Spring Break Fun

We had a lot of fun over our Spring Break last week.  I'd searched and searched for somewhere fun for us to go and stay (resort-type places), but was overwhelmed by the prices and underwhelmed by what we'd get for those prices so we stuck around town.

First off, we took the kids to their first Cirque de Soleil show as my early birthday present.  Sydney loved it.  Liam thought it was just OK.  Evan was asleep by the end.  So now we know to only buy three tickets to that sort of thing and find a babysitter for the other two!

The boys spent some time with my parents while Syd and I took in a movie and dog-sat for my sister.  Max was not too thrilled to have company, but I did find it hilarious that my sister's dog, who is easily twice the size of Max, kept giving him "you are such an idiot" looks.

Then the kids went to Ryan's mom's house for a couple of days so that I could paint the bathroom (pictures coming soon).

And the real fun began.  Ryan took off a couple of days and we drove out to the Blue Bell Creamery (along with everyone else from the area).  We'd taken the tour a few years ago, but the boys didn't remember it so we decided to take it again.  We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but we managed to still have some fun outside while we waited for our turn:





And there was a "free" sample at the end:



We went on to play at super cool park in the area and have lunch at the tiny airport's diner.  There's nothing like eating and watching small planes take off and land.

We finished off our week at Kemah, which is definitely a tourist trap, but still lots of fun:










(Their very first Icee's!)

And my favorite pictures from the whole week:






We had a great time, but now I'm worried that they're going to expect this kind of fun all summer long!

Semi-Green Thumb

Generally, my house is where plants go when they want to die.  When the allergist said that we shouldn't keep plants in the house to alleviate Liam's mold allergy, I almost laughed out loud.  I can't even keep a plant alive outside, much less inside.

However, this year, we are attempting to plant a garden and I decided to whip our little herb garden into shape.  

I stained two old grass pallets to match our deck:

Ryan drilled a few holes in the bottoms of a couple of new aluminum buckets for drainage and I painted them a little bit before planting the herbs we use most often:

Here's hoping I can keep these poor plants alive!

 

Letters

Dear Snooty PTO Mom,

Thank you for reminding me why I don't volunteer up at the kids' school more often.  The next time I see your name on the sign-up sheet for an event, I'll be sure to look for something else to help with.

Hope You Don't Drown the Next Time it Rains,
Not a Stepford Mom
__________________________

Dear Nice PTO Moms,

Thank you for demonstrating what true volunteerism looks like.  Maybe most of you aren't so bad after all.

Sincerely,
The Mom Who Sporadically Volunteers
___________________________

Dear Old Man in the Crappy Pick-up Truck,

I realize that our morning routines are similar enough that one of us is stuck driving behind the other most days of the week.  I'm going to make sure, however, that it is you stuck behind me from now on.  There is a fine line between having an opinion and looking like a lunatic; you crossed that line about 18 bumper stickers ago.

Tired of the Visual Pollution,
The Minivan Behind You
___________________________

Dear Uterus,

Thank you for your service.  You've carried three beautiful kids and I appreciate it.  However, your job is done.  Please stop torturing me each month.

Miserably,
An Ibuprofen Lover
____________________________

Dear Kindergarten Teachers,

You have my respect for dealing with five and six year olds all day.  May I suggest a change, however?  If a little boy has a hard time getting his work done, making him miss recess to finish it is a bad idea.  I promise you, if you'd let him go outside and run off some of his energy, he'd finish his work for you.

Slightly Frustrated,
Liam's Mom
____________________________

Dear Girl Scout Cookie Buyers,

Thank you so much for making this a great fundraising year!  However, I'd like to point out that the girls have no control over how much the boxes of cookies cost.  They also don't control the ingredients.  If you don't want to eat trans-fats and GMOs, then you probably need to bake your own cookies.

Just Sayin',
A Thin-Mint Lover
_____________________________

Dear Girl Scout Council,

I realize you set the price for cookies.  But at $4.00 a box, it is beyond ridiculous that the troop earns only 60 cents a box.

So Ready for Cookie Season to be Over,
A Tired Mom