Spring Break

The last two weeks have been spring break for most of us. It's been nice for me to have those 3+ extra hours free each day! I'm always amazed when we have a break from school at how we even ever fit school in! Life seems to eat up those 3 hours awfully fast! 

One evening recently the light was just incredible. I kept running to the front and back doors to check the progress and this photo captures it so well:

Right before spring break we finished up our homeschool group sessions. James was in a dissection class (and I was the helper!). They dissected an earth worm and a cow's eye. It was fascinating! I'm sure I learned more than any of the kids!

And Laura loves homeschool group! She gets to eat lunch with friends. Being nearly five is such an awesome age.

Hearing the birds chirp and sing has to be one of the best things about spring. I love nature!!! Just last night we had two fighting male cardinals on our back porch -- hoping to win the female who was quietly eating away at the birdseed. My mom and I saw this large bird on his nest on a recent walk.

We made our annual pilgrimage to a friend's house to decorate Lithuanian Easter eggs! This was David's first time and perhaps Laura's. Everyone loved it! Here they are sitting around the hot wax which is used to mark the eggs.

After the eggs are dyed, the wax has to be removed. That means playing with fire!

Laura got to use melted crayon to decorate her plastic eggs.

Our hostess has the most beautiful collection of eggs, most of which she has made herself:

Our own egg collection is growing!!!!

I spent one morning at my mom's having another painting lesson. I think I need a few more year's practice on flowers :) But it was fun and inspiring!!!

James has been begging me to make him a cloak. He's wanted a camo one for so many months. I hated the thought of how much that fabric would cost and then I remembered that I had a strange-shaped sheet in the closet that was camo! And James and I pieced together fleece scraps for a lining! Voila!

Rachel and I joined my mom and a friend to watch the new Cinderella movie. I loved it! We loved it! Of course two of our favorite characters from Downton Abbey are in the movie -- Rose and Daisy. Rose was definitely the perfect choice for Cinderella. I loved how positive and beautiful the movie was, with good messages.

I'm often despairing when I come home from running errands at what hasn't been done that should have been done while I was gone. However, one day I came home to find the kids eating their vacation-time mac-n-cheese and Rachel had so artistically fed them veggies as well!!!

Rachel got to go and spend a day and night with Grandma. And she got to eat at Wildwood Market.

It is so nice to have Rachel home full-time for two weeks!!! I love seeing all five kids interact together and love seeing Laura and Rachel get to spend more time together! And of course I love spending more time with Rachel too!!

 Michael's birthday fell during our break. Rachel organized the kids to make a surprise "trail of history" which began at our bedroom door and wound its way downstairs to a waiting breakfast.

There were stops along the way for every member of the family showing what life was like when they were born!

And here is the birthday seat! Michael and I were very impressed that the kids did this all on their own!

Here is the crowd reading the information:

One other thing the kids requested that we do during spring break is to play "post office". We did this once when we were all stuck home sick one weekend and they have always wanted to do it again.

Everyone sets up a station in their rooms and David plays the mailman, taking mail to each person. Rachel is the banker since people also sell things.

Laura writes letters and sells pictures.

David delivers mail and writes letters.

Andrew does digital designing of logos and pictures. And of course I have to play or otherwise it is not as much fun. I sit in my back studio and write letters as fast as I can and also sew little things to send in packages.

April Fool's Day! Can't resist a good joke! This year I wasn't the one playing them though! Michael thought of this and left it for the kids when he went out.

Andrew thought of this:

Rachel and I had a mom and daughter day. We got our haircut and then ran errands/shopped. Rachel had quite a few inches cut off her hair. It looks great!

Here we are with our matching haircuts.

I'm trying hard to make a family history wall. I started during winter break and had to leave it until spring break. I've now got as far as getting pictures I have framed and a few printed and framed. Now we just need to hang them up! I hope they aren't sitting on my bedroom floor until summer break!

And now spring break is nearly over. We are cleaning and cooking for Easter! But, I had time to run to Goodwill in the morning to look for needed clothes and I found these two cute Easter mugs for Laura and I to have tea in this afternoon.

Rachel decided to join us. Love watching these sisters!

A very happy Easter to you all!