Holy Week... filled with sadness, tears, triumph, love, excitement, wonder, joy.
Our Spring Break... filled with the same, but not necessarily the same order.

The highlight was probably our impromptu trip to Forest Hill Park. The big boys rode their bikes on the trails, on and off road!



Joaquin even wanted to ride across this bridge! I had to say no way. Am I the only voice of reason in this family?


Meanwhile, the rest of us enjoyed Mother Nature's spring show.


I think other people love this park, too.


Oh! And Isabela got a haircut...first she did it herself, then we took her to the shop. I actually liked what she had done on the soccer field with a pair of scissors, but somehow it morphed into something scary later on, so we had to get bangs. Bangs make her hair so much easier!


WORLD OF MIRTH. If you haven't been here, it's definitely the funnest toy store ever. Make sure you don't bring your purse if you don't want to buy anything, or else everyone will come out with a bag.


Then we headed across the street to The Byrd Theater which was playing Gnomio and Juliet. The whole family got to see the movie, eat a huge popcorn and a drink for only $17. Definitely a deal these days.

And that was just Day One.

A FUN BUY.

I came across this typewriter in a thrift store...the same kind my mom owned when I was little. The kids have been fascinated with it...and while I had great ideas of them practicing their spelling words and writing to their penpals on it, it turns out the C, E, P, J, and R don't work. Some of those letters are pretty important. (Som of thos ltts a tty imotant...see what I mean?)

So instead, Isabela just types up "prescriptions" as she calls them, super fast typing with whatever keys her little fingers hit first. And that's how I learned, too.


Day Two, we headed out with friends to Pocahontas State Park.

Our walk around the trail was slowed for some reason. He insisted on pushing. He's getting quite insistent lately.


Isabela got to be big sis' to a little sis' for a day. So sweet.


And the only sign of the beavers was this tree. Pretty cool, but a little too far away from the lake to do them any good, in my opinion.


I was wary of letting Diego get too far off by himself, but I was able to bring him back by yelling "bichos!" (it means bugs in Spanish). He's not that scared of them, actually, but likes to be near just in case.


Day Three, our Aunt Leah Ann came to visit and put on the best Easter egg hunt of all! I told her to make it hard for them, and she complied. They were stuck up the gutters, in the watering can, under bike seats.


I loved the rosaries she included in some of the eggs. And she even explained how to pray the rosary. FYI, they are not necklaces....only gang members wear them around their necks.


Yes, I need to cut those weeds.


And just so you don't think we always eat healthy...homemade donut holes: canned refrigerated biscuits, cut and rolled into balls, fried, then dipped in cinnamon/sugar or powdered sugar. There's something about sugar and bread that I just love.


I did a little sewing...I was trying to make a dress for Isabela that took me over a month, with stopping and starting and figuring it out. When it was done, she didn't like it and neither did I. So I whipped up this skirt in thirty minutes, and that's what she wore for Easter. The instructions are here. And anyone can make this.


CRAFTS: Mostly they involved dye and vinegar, but this bird nest wasn't too messy and turned out so realistic! Unfortunately, I can't remember where I saw it to link back.


CANDY: Way too much.....

...but so good.


EASTER on PARADE:

Definitely HOT. It was our first time going. While it was fun, I'm not sure it will become a tradition.


People, dogs, and even yard ornaments were dressed up.


These birds put on a good show.


And Joaquin caught a short line for an inflatable. But again, it was hot and snow cones were $3 each!


We ended our Easter break up all night with a screaming Diego...that can only mean one thing...an ear infection. And when I say up all night, I mean I finally went to Walmart at 4:45am to get some Children's Tylenol, only to come home to a silent house. I caught a few winks on the couch before the cat started meowing to go out. Then it was time to start the day.

I think I'm ready for a vacation.