Spring Break 2013

This was our first "real" spring break with the kids and I wanted to make the most of it.  We decided against taking them out of town, but I think we did a pretty good job of entertaining all week long.  After this week, I'm bound to be qualified for Activities Director on a cruise ship!  Thank goodness spring break is only seven days:) 



We started off the week right, eating breakfast at IHOP.  Dad even came, too!  Jackson found his perfect dish--the pancake platter.  It has two pancakes and four slices of bacon.  They really should just rename it the Jackson Platter.

 

Later that day we got out lots of Play Doh...



and then played Headbanz with Maddie.  It's a really cute game for kids where they have to ask questions to be able to guess which card is on their forehead.



On Tuesday, Jackson's buddies came over to play.  We only get to see Cason and Chase while they are in town visiting their family, so this was a fun treat.  Even better that it was 70 degrees outside and these maniacs could play until their hearts were content.  They started with a basketball game, moved on to soccer and ended with baseball.  We even got out the pitching machine and each boy had two turns batting.  Such a great way to spend an afternoon:)



After two days at home, we revved things up quite a bit by taking a journey to the Dallas Zoo.  After sitting in lots of fun traffic and being rerouted around to the back parking lot, we finally got there.  Thank goodness there were camel rides at the entrance!  My kids were pumped to take a spin on Matthew the Camel.



For some reason, Lila was all about finding the crocodiles.  Gigi very sweetly read the map with her and we set out to find them.



Before we went to the crocs, though, we wanted to see the Giants of the Savanna.  Hayley and Sawyer were the only other friends brave enough to go with us that day and we had fun on our second trip to the zoo with them.  The other time we all went, this part of the zoo was closed.  Thank goodness it was open this time.  We had worked so hard to get there!


 

We got to see the elephants in one area.




Then ostriches, gazelles...



giraffes...

 

and zebras, too.  Jackson remarked on how there were four different kinds of animals all in the same area and they were all getting along so nicely.  Good point, J man.



We really, really wanted to feed the giraffes, but the week of spring break is just not the time for it.  There were SO MANY people in this area.  This was as close as we got to these beautiful creatures.



"But, mom, I want to feed the giraffes!"




A little later we looked hard for the cheetah...

 

and found him lounging in the shade.



After lunch, we bought the kids snowcones.  Jackson's highlight of the day!  Go figure.



Then we let the kids monkey around with these guys...



which was very popular.

 

Can you tell?



By the time we made it to the flamingos, little sister was down for the count. 




We still hadn't seen the monkeys or tiger yet, though, so we trekked on in search of them.  Thank goodness the monkeys were in full swing.  They were so fun to watch!  After over four hours at the zoo, we were ready to pack it up.  The kids had fun, but their mama will NEVER be going there again during spring break.  Lesson learned.  Just go on a weekend.  Trust me!



The next day we picked up Madison and Gigi and headed out to Grapevine to go tour Legoland.  We wanted to have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe first, but there was over an hour wait, so we passed.



I spent a few dollars in change letting the kids try to "feed" the crocodile and they were just as happy.

  

Lunch ended up being in the foodcourt, which also had this fun carosel!




We want to ride!



Then it was our time to go get in line for Legoland.  We bought tickets online and had a thirty minute timeslot to be there.  Thank goodness, because the line for people just walking up and buying them that day was 3 hours long!  Spring break strikes again!  Can you sense my anxiety about this week??! 
We waited about 45 minutes and finally got inside where we learned how Legos are made.  After the little tour, they let us loose inside the park.  We went on a ride where we got to shoot the bad creatures with our laser guns...and then saw this really cool room with everything made out of Legos.



They had built the Dallas skyline, including the Ballpark in Arlington, Cowboys Stadium and the giant ferris wheel from the State Fair.  How cool!




While the girls were checking out all of that, Jackson was having a blast inside this 3 story jungle gym.  It was a little crazy in there and he fit right in.  Thank goodness the girls weren't big enough to go in--they are too sweet for all those rough boys.

 

Dirk loves Legoland, too!


 

Jackson and I waited quite a while to ride Merlin's Apprentice...




and the girls had fun in the little ones play area.

 

After that, Maddie and Jackson got to drive go carts...



and then we ended the day with a really neat 4D movie.  As we were standing in line, Lila fell asleep on my shoulder.  I didn't know any better, so I took her into the the movie and let her keep snoozing on me.  Then the movie started.  It was all good until the water hose from the screen started spraying us with REAL water!  Then the wind machine came on and it was super windy, and pretty cold!  Sweet girl would flinch every time the water hit us, but she never woke up.  Meanwhile, a row behind us, the big kids were having a ball.  It was a great way to end our day, just maybe don't take sleeping children into it.  Thanks, workers of Legoland, for the heads up!




Friday arrived and we packed up our car and headed north to the ranch.  It was a gorgeous weekend and the kids and I were so thankful to be able to spend it outside.  We fed the horses and checked out the llamas and just had a great afternoon with Hayley and Sawyer.



While waiting for our other friends to arrive, the boys squeezed in a little baseball.  There's always time for baseball!

 

After welcoming Matt, Emily and Riley to the ranch, we all hopped on four wheelers and the polaris to go see the horses.


 

Matt was such a good sport and offered to ride in the back of the polaris.  Little did he know that Sawyer was unknowingly holding down the dump button.  He came close to dumping Matt out of the back, too!



First, the big kids got to ride...



and while they were doing that, Jackson was catching up with his buddy, Mr. Dub.  Right after I snapped this picture, Mr. Dub had had enough and took off super fast!  Thank goodness they were so close to the rail, because Jackson had to think fast and grab the fence as he rode by it!




Matt hadn't been on a horse since childhood, but he did great on Princess.  For some goofy reason, though, she just sat down on the ground with him still on her.  I guess she was done!

 

The Cowgirls of Denison, Texas.  Yee haw!




After all the little kids napped, it was their turn to ride.  Emma made many laps around the corral!





We ended the evening with a good ol' fashioned BBQ dinner. It was the only way to round up these 5 wild indians.



 

Case in point, Riley spilled juice on his shirt so he had to take it off.  While he was shirtless, Lila saw him and decided to join in the fun.  Then we couldn't get her shirt back on her!  They ran around and around and just laughed their little heads off.  Fun with friends...makes this mama's heart so happy.