Everywhere But Home – Page 9

Everywhere But Home, Family Time, I Am Traveling, Lifelong learning

Spring Break

When we were planning Spring Break originally, Nick wasn’t taking time off. I’d thought about going to see my parents or staying here…and then at the weekend we had a Teen Regional Weekend for church. Plans changed.

Nick looked at the schedule and realized this was a great time to a) do our family vacation (a mini one this year due to other travel going on later in the year) and b) to go see the Magna Carta (on display in Houston). So we added that to the schedule.

Meanwhile I realized that my much postponed visit to see my bff needed to happen during that week, too.

So our break became one long car ride with interruptions here and there.

We started off our break with a Holcomb Family Dinner at Nick’s parents house.

Adults all talking about "boring stuff" (according to the kids) — Adults all talking about “boring stuff” (according to the kids)

Saturday, this happened:

There's free time! We should Bedazzle something! What do we Bedazzle? Our Phineas & Ferb shirt! — There’s free time! We should Bedazzle something! What do we Bedazzle? Our Phineas & Ferb shirt!

Then on Sunday we started the first leg of our journey… to College Station, where I spent a lot of time sitting around while the kids went exciting places, like the ice skating rink.

Ben & Greg start off pretty close to the wall.

Now Ben's got it going on. — Now Ben’s got it going on.

I did break free and run off with Steph for a while to do some catching up and shopping. My favorite thing we saw:

While I was gone:

Then on Tuesday we drove down to Houston to tour the Houston Museum of Natural Science and to see the 1217 copy of the Magna Carta.

At the Magna Carta exhibit, there were many good things for the kids to do hands on.

The chained books made the kids excited: "It's just like your Library screensaver!" — The chained books made the kids excited: “It’s just like your Library screensaver!”

The Writ of the Magna Carta (the instructions that travel with it)

The parts of this chair that look like wood are actually carved and polished stone.

Mineral that formed in the shape of a dragon

We had lunch nearby at a place that only did sliders and sides.

These chili fries taste weird. Yeah, that's cause they taste like curry! — These chili fries taste weird. Yeah, that’s cause they taste like curry!

On Wednesday, we drove back to Tyler, dropped Nick off, then the kids and I drove to Quitman to visit the cousins at the park near their new house.

Sitting on the cute front porch of the historical building.

That's a really tall slide! — That’s a really tall slide!

On Thursday, we did a bunch of laundry, repacked, and headed up to Colleyville to see Kay. Unfortunately, she was unexpectedly still in Houston. We spent several hours trying to amuse ourselves on our own before she made it back.

On Kay's trampoline — On Kay’s trampoline

Then the girls had to go to gymnastics class (and yes, at this point we were wondering why we were even invited up, and by the end of the visit there was unpleasantness), so we took the kids to the park.

The sleeping arrangements were weird because the bed was broken. — The sleeping arrangements were weird because the bed we were supposed to sleep in was broken.

The next morning we had a muffin cook-off.

Our plan for the rest of the day involved the ginormous amount of books to go through and then take to sell at Half Price Books.

These are the books I'm taking home. There were about 20 other bags & boxes that I didn't take home, but did dig through. — These are the books I took home. There were about 20 other bags & boxes that I didn’t take home, but did dig through.

After Half Price, we went to Cost-co to celebrate Pi day the cheap way.

Then we went back to the house for movies and a frantic search for my debit card.

Sometimes it's easier to take photos of kids when they are facing the other way. — Sometimes it’s easier to take photos of kids when they are facing the other way.

In the evening before bed we had one final bit of happy Pi-ness:

Saturday we got up and drove over to McKinney for the Dallas UCG Regional Teen Weekend.

We had church and a Bible study earlier in the day, then in the evening there were separate dinners for the pre-teens/families and for the teens. After dinner, the teens had a dance and the pre-teens/families were left on their own for entertainment.

This is so obviously my kid. We sat across from each other and read. People thought it was weird. ;) — This is so obviously my kid. We sat across from each other and read. People thought it was weird. 😉

Touring the Heard Museum in McKinney — Touring the Heard Museum – they were sweet and let us tour as long as we had enough adults to take all the kids through. Nick and I took some extra kids whose parents were chaperoning the dance.

Our hotel for the night. Ben thought it was beautiful — Our hotel for the night. The younger kids and I went back early for sleep while Nick stayed behind and waited for David’s dance to be done. Ben thought our hotel room was beautiful.

The next morning we got up and had breakfast back at the Heard Museum before going for a little hike on the nature trails.

The Heard Museum's Research Center — The Heard Museum’s Research Center

After the trail (which the kids didn’t go on because it was FREEZING!), we headed out to Garland to the Skatium.

Roller skating in Garland — Roller skating fun

After the skating, we had one last meal together before we left for home.

And that was the end of our Spring Break. 🙂

Everywhere But Home, health, My Own Personal Weirdness

Apology

Dear Scout Pack 369,

I’m sorry I brought my 101 degree fever to your banquet. I didn’t know I had one after I baked the brownies and fed them all to you and rubbed my germy hands all over your scouts little fuzzy heads. So sorry. :*(

Love,
Me

Everywhere But Home, The Past Comes Back to Haunt Me

How I Spent My Day

Everywhere But Home, Lifelong learning, Parenting

Cub Scouts at Camp Ford

Nick and I took the Pack 369 Tiger Cubs up for a tour of Camp Ford, the largest Prisoner of War camp during the Civil War this side of the Mississippi.

One picture of one sign. No, really, I took pictures of ALL of them. If you want to see them, let me know and I'll post more. :) — One picture of one sign. No, really, I took pictures of ALL of them. If you want to see them, let me know and I’ll post more. 🙂

Nick starts his lecture on Camp Ford while the Tiger Cubs and their families listen intently.

At some point Greg injured himself and had to be carried for a while. This did not deter Nick in the slightest.

Apparently I lied. I like pictures of signs. Whee!

Greg finally gets down when there's a sign with labels that mean something to him in real time. — Greg finally gets down when there’s a sign with labels that mean something to him in real time.

This really cool cabin/tent combination that prisoners built themselves (this is more than likely a recreation, but still). Basically they were just left out there to their own devices. If they wanted shelter, they had to make it themselves.

Inside the cabin/tent. It's kind of cozy. — Inside the cabin/tent. It’s kind of cozy.

Everywhere But Home

SAHM’s never stay at home

I had that day where I only had one appointment on the calendar, but managed to have to be away from home all day long. Attended PTA Council meeting, signed up for Fit City Tyler, tried (without success) to join my husband’s gym, got children necessary 2nd semester supplies, and finished my critique of a friends screenplay. Tomorrow there will be laundry and my own writing done. It will be good.

Everywhere But Home, Parenting

Scouts trip to see the Lady Apaches

Last night while I was at work, Nick took the Tiger Cubs of Okee Tuklo Pack 369 to a Lady Apaches Basketball game at Tyler Junior College. The gym there is very nice and they let scouts in to the game for free.

Tiger Cubs watching the game (Greg is so not amused that his daddy is blocking his view path).

Everywhere But Home, Family Time, Friend Time, Lifelong learning

Is it International Night or Variety Show?! IT’S BOTH!

At Nick’s church there is definitely a “more is better” philosophy going on when it comes to events. If a chili supper for the whole church is fun, adding a sing-a-long is better. If a potluck isn’t quite enough, a game night makes it even better. So therefore if there’s an International Dinner, a Variety Show must follow. (Not that this is all bad…I’m just a one-thing-at-a-time kind of gal.)

Nick and his mom getting ready to help serve at the Greek table

Everywhere But Home, Family Time

Merry Christmas!

...from Lisa and the boys — …from Lisa and the boys

Everywhere But Home, Family Time, Friend Time, Parenting

School Winter Program

I had hoped to include a video here, but I can’t get them to play the sound, so all you would see is dancing, which is cute, but not as funny as the singing going along with it.

Ben and his friend Amy — B and his friend A

Around the House, Everywhere But Home, health, My Own Personal Weirdness

Stuff and Nonsense

I never feel like posting anymore. I’ve been cleaning house and going to church and cleaning house and doing PTA stuff and more of the cleaning house. I haven’t been subbing, because there is apparently a three-strike’s-you’re-out policy behind the scenes at the elementary school and I said no three times last month (one doctor appointment for me, two days of sick kids). My friend M has a brain aneurysm and had to have surgery, one of our parents (I can’t say who; I’m not allowed) turned up positive for a kind of cancer. All three of my kids have had Fifth Disease this month at various times. I saw my doctor for my annual physical and the answer to most of my questions was “weight loss would help with that.”

So… yeah. I’ve started several little projects: I’m uploading all my CD’s to iTunes. I’m taking advantage of Library Things free month thingie and uploading my library again and trying to update that. I’m letting Picasa identify all the people in all the photos left on my hard drive and tag them. I’m back to some scrapbooking again, trying to use up all of the already pre-printed photos before I start just putting together photo books online in the future. I’m selling stuff on local sales sites on facebook and using the money to spruce up the house, since I’m not getting substituting jobs.

Sorry I’m full of the grump today. I think this year is getting to me. Or maybe it’s all the beginning trumpet music from the next room. Who knows. I am just so tired.