We went back and forth quite a bit this year on what we should do with the kids' Spring Break. It was a tough choice between the family ski trip to France and a week in St George. In the end, St George won out, so we packed our things for a
We drove down on Monday, played at "the twirly park" and settled in while the kids played in the pool.
If it had been up to the kids, they would have played in the pool all day, everyday, but we felt it was important to expose them to a variety of activities, so on Tuesday morning, we got up and went to Snow Canyon to hike around and play on the rocks.
Some of the hiking
Adam demonstrates lightsaber moves on top of a rock.
The kids getting in position for...
a group portrait.
On the way back from Snow Canyon we stopped at a new park that, though not as twirly as the twirly park, does have some twirly bits.
The kids in their favorite twirlies, the "tea cups"
and here they are in action:
The park had some other nice attractions, but the kids agreed that it wasn't as nice as the twirly park.
And then we went back and the kids played in the pool.
The next day we headed out to Sand Hollow with some of Peter's cousins and their kids to play in the sand.
Adam uses the force to raise his drip castle.
Zuzu gets a ride on a 4 wheeler with Peter's cousin Bonnie.
The wind really picked up in the afternoon, so we abandoned Sand Storm Hollow and went to the twirly park to play and do some ice blocking. Thanks to Bonnie for providing the ice.
After the park, despite hurricane force winds, Jane and Zuzu swam in the pool while Mary entertained Adam and Ellen.
The next morning we headed out to Zion where we drove through the tunnel and hiked the Canyon Overlook Trail.
We spent a lot of the trip watching and waiting while Adam climbed all over.
Then we drove back to St George and the kids swam in the pool.
On our last day, we went and tested our fitness at "Fat Man's Misery"
Adam, no problem.
Zuzu, no problem.
Ellen, no problem.
Peter, experiencing some misery.
The kids had a great time on the trip getting re-acquainted with their second cousins.
Ellen setting fashion trends.
Next we stopped by St George's new feature. Ellen danced with the waters...
while Adam fought with them.
And then we went back for one more swim in the pool before heading for home.
We had a wonderful Spring Break thanks to the beautiful places and fun people. Oh, yeah, and the pools.
When Jane and I got in the car to run an errand tonight, some very odd techno/classical/jazz (?) was on the radio. I tuned it to the classical station. Jane said, "We could turn the radio off and listen to the beautiful music of [makes her two hands into little mouths facing each other] . . . chit-chat!"
On the way home, she said, "Mom, tell me the funniest thing I don't already know." And thus I came to introduce her to Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey.
I don't know which was cuter, the way she giggled uncontrollably, or the way she would explain to me why they were funny.
Some of the old favorites I was able to remember and share with her:
"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason."
"It's sad when a family can be torn apart by something as simple as a pack of wild dogs."
"Children need encouragement. If a kid gets an answer right, tell him it was a lucky guess. That way he develops a good, lucky feeling."
After I told her that last one, she said, through her giggles, "It would feel good to think you were lucky, but not as good as to know you knew the answer."
Jane, in the Alice the Fairy costume she put together for
"Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character Day" at school.
Adam loves to cuddle and snuggle with me, and his affectionate embraces are usually accompanied by his original expression, delivered in baby-talk accent, "No more den love." I've asked him what exactly "no more than love" means, and he says, "It means I love you more than anyone."
"More than you love anyone else or more than anyone else loves me?"
"It means both."
My brother and his girlfriend recently became engaged, and the day after we shared the good news with the kids, Adam came up and put his arms around me, snuggled in, and started his baby talk:
"Mmm. . . We get . . . engaged."
"Well, see, I'm already married to your dad."
"Me get bigger, Daddy get un-invorced from you, we get married. Mmmmm. No more den love."
