Spring Break 2012!!!!!!

I think the whole world should get a spring break. 

But then again I'm glad I'm no longer in school.  

And BYU doesn't even have a spring break. 

Anyway, I had to make a SPRING BREAK DAY for myself and my boys. 

I didn't exactly plan it that way. 

Dylan needed his 6 year check up;

Isaac needed his 4 year check up;

and Tyler needed his 6 month check up-

they were all due in February. 

I like their pediatrician, but the only day I can take my boys w/o other kids is the day that she takes the afternoon off.  So I made an early appointment with the plan to take Dylan to school afterwards.  

Then I had a better idea - SPRING BREAK DAY!

 We still got up way too early for no school or work.  We went to the doctor's office.  All 3 cried at various times, Tyler cried the least amount.  Then we were off to the beach!!!!!!  We went all the way down to Pass-A-Grille Beach because there's parking right next to a pay station which is right by the cement patio area which is right by the water.  I leave our rolling cooler and stroller up on that sea wall and we don't even need an umbrella with the shade of the palm trees in its planter.  It's so convenient.  I don't think there were any spring breakers there, but there were lots of locals getting their morning coffee and breakfast at the concession stand there.

 Dylan's friend Dawson met us there first.  He is moving away soon so we're sad, but happy for them. I feel like I didn't really get to know his mom and could have been good friends if our kindergartners could have stayed in the same class.  Devon is brave and a good example to me. I can tell that she lives a Christ-centered life. Do you know how you'd like to be able to pick your kids' friends for them? Well we picked one another's kids. They'll have to be pencil pals now:)

 We stayed in the shade for a while,

 but the water was so tempting even though it was pretty cool.

 It looks like this pelican is cleaning something out of Dylan's ear.

 And this looks like Isaac popped up right from his little rear end:)

  I could watch them all day - I love Spring Break.

 I kept Tyler off of the sand for a while.

 He met a little friend!  Isn't she the CUTEST in her swimsuit with her matching bow and long eye lashes?! She's a little older than Tyler. I met her mom, Diana, recently and we became friends on Facebook because she had on a headband I loved by Sew Swanky. We started talking, then I saw her cute kids on Facebook and we agreed that we needed to get them together. I'm so glad we got to already!

 We saw dolphins!  A couple of times.  This set swam right by some people and it startled the girl b/c they could have reached out and touched them - they were like a foot or two away.  This is my friend Dori in her stylish hat, swimsuit and skirt.  She has it all together.  It's good to have friends who I'd like to grow up and be like some day:)

 Here are our kiddos.  They finally all played together.

 Dawson and Dylan.  Dylan said the best thing about his first day of this kindergarten was meeting this friend.  (Of course it was the day that Tyler was born, so that's the other best thing.)  So funny.

 Speaking of his baby brother, I let him sit on the sand.  I didn't fight the inevitable.

 He's been trying new foods lately, so why not some salty sand too?!

 If only he liked pacifiers, I could prevent a little sand.  I piled the toys in front of him as distractions, but he would just dip them in the sand.

 Nap time!

 He was still sleeping, so we dropped the cooler off at the car and walked down 8th Ave to shop and went on to the boardwalk on the other side of Pass-A-Grille.

 Isaac always picks his outfits.  I love them.

 Even after our walk, Tyler transferred to his car seat well.

Then I got to take a nap at home too.  Those were the only two things on my list for the day - the beach and a nap.  Bonus: Steven grilled chicken and sweet potatoes and I went for a 2.5 mile jog. The day would have ended beautifully, but do you know that the Ice Cream Man's truck is as slow as my jogging pace?  It almost ruined my perfect day because on my home stretch, he turned behind me with his annoying loud tunes.  It is creapy too b/c it was almost dark. He was staying right in my blind spot area. I had to stop to stretch to let him pass. When he did, I remembered my perfect spring break day. I walked in and had my little ducks follow me outside to the pool. I sliced our tree's oranges by the pool and we ate them 'til it was dark.  Happy Spring Break!

"I need a napkin" (Happy St. Patrick's Day)

I was in the kitchen. 

Isaac called to me, "I need a napkin." 

Had I just taken a sip of water, it would have spewed out of my mouth all over the kitchen.  

But I just laughed instead.  

 The day before St. Patrick's Day, we started out eating green foods like smoothies and I mushed some avocado for Tyler too.

It actually was only as good as it looks - as in it probably doesn't look that delicious if you're not used to seeing a green smoothie.  I used frozen chopped spinach, which is yucky in smoothies.  I usually use water, a whole bag of baby spinach, then some lime juice and honey (I've used pure maple syrup before) and fill the blender up the rest of the way with frozen fruit.  (Berries are the best frozen fruit, but we just had a bag of mixed fruit.) I put half of an avocado in it the other day and was planning on putting it in this one but forgot.  I'm glad I didn't waste it.  The avocado makes it a little smooth, sorta like a banana would, but I dislike bananas.  It's usually delicious, this one wasn't that good.  That's probably why I just laughed when Isaac wasted his.

 That evening, I ran in the City of Largo's Shamrock'n Run 5k.  This little girl's mom invited me.  I saw 2 families before we started who said to their girls, "that's Tiffany, remember her? She took your pictures."  So cute.  I saw them at the Say No To Drugs run too.

 Here we are - the church group of friends, cool shirts, huh.

 We're running - the 10min/mile two.  Rachael went ahead of us and won her age group.  The funny thing, is that she won a beer mug similar to the one pictured above containing my green smoothie.

 Here's Jeffra's husband and baby cheering us on.

 Another church friend, husband, and baby raced up and ahead of us even though they got there a little late.

 And another family passed me.  These girls' mom also echoed, "Remember Tiffany?  She took your pictures."

 Here are the dads and kids again on our 2nd lap.

 Two of my work friends came and met up at the end of the race and ran in even though they got off of work late.  I have such good friends from church, work, my business, and past jobs.

 The Sonny's and pizza was free afterwards, my sandwich was bigger than Savannah's little head!

 I should probably start another post, but I probably won't get around to it, so here is where the actual St. Patrick's Saturday Day started.

 We had the first day of Soccer.  Not everybody gets into holidays like I do.  I pinched my little nephews' cheekies - so cute.

 Steven and I took turns with this chunky sleepy cutie.  We had to separate because our kids are on different teams.  What're we going to do when Tyler starts a sport too?!

 Noah and Isaac are going to be on the same team.  Raphael might be with them or may be with Dylan, Malia, and Olivia.

We joined this soccer league b/c of Dylan's Kindergarten friend, Dawson. 

He's moving away though, so he won't be on Dylan's team. 

He came to see Dylan anyway! 

 We came home and the kids cleaned the play room while I took a nap with Tyler.  (Bliss.)
Then we went out front to look for a 4 leaf clover. This was as close as I came.

 Then we decided to go to the beach!

 Isaac donned his mask, then was quite dissapointed that we stopped for dinner.

 We ate at Ted Peter's famous smoked fish place and ordered smoked fish spread and Steven got a whole smoked fish!

 We made it to the beach with lots of green still!

 I love this picture Steven took.  Notice my green nails with the pot of gold ring fingers? And the birds, and my boys, and the BEACH, and the sunset lighting. And the relaxed happy day, and Tyler's big belly? I'm loving it. It's my facebook profile photo now.

 I like this one because Steven is in it too, but I like the above one better.

 Then the boys went to the bathroom.  I took the pictures of the sunset and of my baby up high on my feet.

 Then we went to get snowballs.  I got "The 4 Leaf Clover" flavor. It was deliciously green. Yum.

I don't edit photos on this blog, but here's one I did edit a bit for fun, my little 6 month old leprechaun.