SPRING BREAK!

Spring break has come and gone - no crazy parties in Panama City Beach or Hawaii for us this year, just hanging out at home (VERY BORING.) But still fun - we had a lot of times with friends and family, for sure, to offset the time spent by the children playing Minecraft, and talking to me about playing Minecraft.

Monday afternoon we did our annual pilgrimage to see the Easter bunny and eat a delicious lunch with Mimi.

How are these children so giant? They still believe in the Easter bunny, but aren't scared of him anymore, which is a pity. I miss the old days of weeping in his lap, because I am the meanest mommy.

Ellie looks especially sporty in the picture (even sportier than her brother sporting his muscle tee and farmer tan) because every morning of the break from 9-12 she was in a basketball camp at a nearby school. She'd expressed her interest in trying basketball a few weeks ago and then a sign up email came through and I thought that was pretty perfect.

The coaches were REALLY positive, the other kids were nice, and she had a great five days. She says she likes it better than soccer because there's less running. I liked it because it involved less sitting around soccer practices for a kid who can't be bothered to put in any effort on game day. Kids sportsball, sometimes a bit of a circus.

It was nice when things ended at noon because then we got to go and have lunch with various friends and fart around through most afternoons. One day Grizz warmed up the spa so the kids could splash around, they got to play weekday video games with their dad, and we had sleep overs with various friends, because small children love sleeping in different places so they can be extra tired.

Meanwhile, we ALL had a sleep over at Mimi and Poppy's house on Saturday night. Tim and I had a play in Los Angeles on Saturday night and it seemed to make the most sense that we could sleep there, get up and search for Easter eggs and roll right into brunch in our bath robes.

The kids actually stayed in their jammies all day, as one sometimes does on a holiday. We went over to Gigi and Grizz's for dinner, but beforehand they busted out the new stomp rocket they'd purchased to ensure that someone gets blinded in the street (just kidding, no injuries occurred.) The kids had a great time fighting over whose turn it was to do the stomping, and yelling at Tim and I to jump on it with both feet.

Earlier in the week they also decorated Easter eggs with Yogi Bear, craft assistant, and his enormous tail.

Grizz grilled swordfish for dinner on Easter Sunday, and was ready to go to battle with the kids over eating what was served. The funniest part was that they both were willing to eat the fish, but only if they could dip a beautiful piece of grilled fish in a glorp of ketchup, Grizz's least favorite condiment. But what can you do, right?

Meanwhile, this was my outfit for dinner. Sometimes, you have to be the grandest lady in the Easter parade.

Oh Ho Ho, It's Magic... You Know

NEVER BELIEVE IT'S NOT SO!

As the Focker Christmas Gift of Spending Time Together, last year Eileen proposed we all go to the Magic Castle to see Johnny Ace Palmer. The timing didn't work out last year, but it did this year, so we did it up big!

And lo, it was very magical. The only other time I've been was the last time the five of us went, shortly before Tim and I got married. This time felt extra fun - the magic shows we caught were better, and we got a really nice tour from one of the member knights. No pictures from inside, because it's AGAINST THE RULES. Per Cary Grant. And some of the many other famous people who like to see magicians and practice magic. Sadly, we didn't see former Magic Castle president Neil Patrick Harris. Or Harry Potter. But we did see Johnny Ace Palmer throw an actual rabbit out of a hat.

Our cousins were here for their spring break earlier in the month, which was awesome. It's so fun to see the four of them together, goofing off.

We also went and met some baby goats. Many kids for the many kids. Ellie was especially taken with the baby goat that fell asleep in her lap.

This week the kids' school did their Open House, which they have renamed the Showcase and gussied up as we're in the final weeks of the school choice period, where you can make a big stink to find the perfect special school for your perfect special child (our kids go to their school because it's less than half a mile from the house, and I didn't move to the burbs to do private school.) There's a much bigger song and dance this year, with lots of stuff prepared for the whole school to see. However, we mostly got our food trunk dinners (burgers and tacos) and visited their classrooms and then let the kids run wild around the grounds with their friends.

One of the things the school does is called Chalk Fest, where the kids draw a chalk picture of a book cover. It sounds very overwhelming, but they really break it down - one person grids out the squares, one person draws the outline using the grid, and then the kids are assigned a square to shade appropriately. I signed up to draw the outline for Ellie's class, and I'm amazed at how it all came out.

Then, just for fun, I also drew this tiger!

Quick Funny

Last week I took Adam in for his six year wellness visit. These one a year visits are fun because the doctor actually asks the kids the questions directly, so fun to see how they answer (please note: Ellie loves to sell me out given the opportunity. Like, asked if she always rides in a car seat, she's quick to reply that ONE TIME in Wisconsin she got to just ride in the back seat.) When asked if he slept well at night, if he had nightmares, Adam was like "I have nightmares every night!" He doesn't. I mean, maybe he does - I don't sleep in his room, I don't know what goes on in his brain, so maybe he does have bad dreams from time to time, but he almost NEVER comes in our room at night, and if he does, he wants us to come and adjust his bedding, find Lamby, or give him some water. It's NEVER that he's been in mental agony.

We also did the hearing and eye test and he's perfect. This is the funny part - so they had him read the eye chart with both eyes opened, he did great. They had him cover one eye, he did great. Then the nurse told him to cover his other eye, which he did. Without uncovering the first eye, so he goes "Oh wow, this is going to be HARD!" And indeed, I did laugh so hard (his second eye was also fine. Also, he's in the 90th percentile for height, so I guess I should stop saying "he's tall, but not super tall." He is indeed super tall.)