Spring Break Chronicles 2013 - Day 5

Wednesday was day 5 of spring break and it was decided we would take a little outing in nature today.  Day 5 started off with the usual breakfast, morning movie, and playtime.  There was a slight break in the morning routine this day because my oldest had a dentist appointment.  I took him to his appointment while the other two stayed home with daddy.  I am not sure what they did while they were home but I am sure they had a good time.

When we got back home I noticed that the boats we made the previous day were in the trash can.  I guess a day of floating around in our bathtub was enough.  We spent the afternoon in the typical Gambles fashion: lunch, playtime, reading, and a little bit of Pokemon.  After awhile we made the younger two get dressed so we could go to the park.  The park of choice today was one that is more situated in the woods.  The kids got to play on the playground and then we went for a walk on the trail.  This park's trail is a little different because there is a bridge that goes over a small body of water.  The crazy thing is that before you step foot on the bridge there is a sign that states there was once an alligator spotted in the water so be careful and it warned you not to feed an alligator if you saw it.  Now I don't know about you, but I seriously doubt that I would come anywhere close enough to an alligator to feed him unless he was drugged, tied down, and certified knocked out.  He won't get me or my babies.  Although I suspect that my boys would have the urge to inch as close as they could get if they saw one.  They are already talking about being like the Kratt Brothers in Be The Creature and living in nature to study bears, and other animals.  They have even taken to eating pieces of the wheat grass in our fridge.

While we were on our walk we saw turtles in the water, the reason we went to this particular park in the first place.  I forgot the cereal to feed them with, but had some other snacks in the car I was willing to part with so we could give the turtles some goodies.  It was interesting seeing them all head towards the food once it was dropped in the water.  There was a little competition with some of the fish, but for the most part the turtles got the bulk of it.  While gazing at the turtles we even saw a fight.  One turtle was flapping their flippers at another trying to turn them in a certain direction.  Not sure why, but that was a first for us.  After feeding the turtles we continued on our walk.  Unfortunately it got cut short because we felt it start to sprinkle so we headed back towards the car.

On the walk back to the car we noticed some trees right next to the parking area bearing fruit.  I have never known what these fruits were called, but I remember when I was younger having a tree by the street almost in between our house and the neighbors that we used to pick them from and eat them.  We did the same thing with this tree in the park.  It was a nice sweet little treat before departing.  We went home and enjoyed the rest of our afternoon and evening together in the typical Gambles fashion.    As spring break rages on we will continue to enjoy every minute.  As stated in previous posts, the Gambles are as thick as thieves and I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Spring Break Chronicles 2013 - Day 4

By now it is safe to say that each morning of spring break starts off the same way.  We all wake up, get our bodies going, we eat, maybe a morning movie, and then perhaps play a little bit before lunch and an afternoon of fun.  Tuesday was Day 4 of spring break and it brought out the crafty side in all of us.  Last week I purchased some paper plates for the sole purpose of using them for crafts and today we used some of them.  First the kids cut out holes in the middle of some plates and made hats for everyone in the family.  The youngins wore theirs for a little bit while I wore mine all day long.  Next we made pictures with the plates.  After we all made pictures the kids decorated some plates that would be turned into tambourines.  Once decorated I placed dry beans between the two plates and stapled them together so the kids could become musicians.

After the crafts with the paper plates myself and the boys made some boats using egg cartons.  Each one of us had a different kind of boat and they were tested in the bathtub.  They floated pretty well.  It was a lot of fun.  It may seem silly to some, but we enjoyed using our creative minds and just letting the well of ideas flow.

Malcolm II showing off his boat with a mast made from a pencil, a flag sail made from paper, and a wheel made from cardboard and a Popsicle stick.

Malik showing off his motor boat that has a shell for the seat and an x-shaped motor on the back

The family boats floating in the bathtub.

After crafts we just let the rest of the day flow as it wanted to.  We didn't make any plans.  We played outside, we watched movies, we read books, and fell asleep in our usual way by watching movies together as a family.  Every minute that I have to spend with my family is a blessing.  I have learned from my husband to try and let the day flow and just be free.  I don't always listen, but when I do the best things happen and the greatest memories are created.  The Gambles Five continue to enjoy our spring break together and we will continue to look back on the memories for years to come.

Spring Break Chronicles 2013 - Day 3

Monday, day 3, and the Gambles are still going strong.  We are as thick as thieves and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Our day started off a little bit earlier than the last two as we woke up before 8:30 am.  Cereal was the breakfast choice for the morning as I did not feel like cooking.  The morning was filled with playtime, movies, and games.  After lunch we had a field trip to the library.  For those who do not frequent their local library you don't know what you are missing.  Our local library has books, movies, CD-ROM games, books on tape, computers for internet use, and more.

I decided that we would stay at the library for an hour because my youngest did not have her nap and it was a little bit later in the day.  The boys were given 30 minutes to play on the computers in the youth section while I took my toddler to the book room for kids her age.  We looked at books, took a ride in the rocking chairs, and played with a few of the toys that were in the room.  Finally the 30 minutes was up and the time had come to try and tear my little one away from her favorite place in the library.  Mind you it was a challenge to get her back into her stroller.  Ultimately I had to bribe her with the chance to hold my car keys.  When I told her that she got right in her seat without a fuss and we went to go collect the boys.  As usual they didn't want to get off the computers, but I did not want to stay there all day for them to play games.  It was a library after all so it was time to look for books.

We looked at the movies and books in the junior section.  The boys found several movies and books they liked.  The book selections on this day were:

- The Revenge of Ishtar, retold and illustrated by Ludmila Zeman
- Langston's Train Ride, by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Leonard Jenkins
- Dogs on Duty, by Dorothy Henshaw Patent
- Rain & Shine: A First Look At Seasons, by Sara Lynn & Diana James and illustrated by Joe Wright
- Highlights High Five Magazine: December 2012
- Henry and the Cannons, by Don Brown
- Groundhog's Burrow, by Dee Phillips
- Chipmunk's Hole, by Dee Phillips
- Noah Webster & His Words, by Jeri Chase Ferris and illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch
- Stardines Swim High Across The Sky: and other poems, by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Carin Berger

Obviously my kids really love reading and that is great.  The best part about it is that we get to experience all of these new stories together because I believe in knowing what my kids read so if I don't read it before them I am sitting with them when they read it.  I never knew there were so many stories and adventures within them until I had kids.  As for the movies, they each got a couple of Pokemon DVD's; which they are crazy about, and a few other choices.  Each one also selected a nature movie because we love to learn about nature and a couple of random selections.  Needless to say our library adventure was a lot of fun.  After we returned home the boys started to dive into their movie selections while I cooked a simple dinner consisting of chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, and fruit.

The evening ended the same as the night before...falling asleep to a movie selection.  It was another fantabulous day (yes I know that is not a word I made it up).  I continue to look forward to the adventures that await us the rest of the week.  As I stated in the beginning, the Gambles are as thick as thieves, and by being so we have great fun together!!

(Top Image Credit: http://hadassahsabomilner.com/2010/03/15/wwyd-lost-library-book/)

Spring Break Chronicles 2013 - Day 2

Sunday was day 2 of spring break and it started off pretty much like day 1.  We relaxed, we ate breakfast, and we did a few things around the house.  I had some grocery shopping to do so I took care of that while the kids played outside in the backyard.  It was St. Patrick's Day so I made sure to bring home some green marshmallows that were flavored like key lime and some cupcakes.  We all completely forgot to wear green, but we did have something green to eat; including some green beans, broccoli, and spinach with dinner.  It was decent weather outside so we made the decision to go for a walk before the rain started to fall.  We got our daughter's Power Wheels jeep out to ride on and took a stroll around the neighborhood.  As usual she ended up getting off the truck and wanting to walk, and eventually carried, so the boys rode around and had a ball.  There is a pond towards the front of our sub-division and we went up there and played for awhile before some drops started to fall and we went home.  Once we got home we ate lunch, the boys fixed their leprechaun trap, and we settled in for the the rest of the evening because the weather would not permit us to go outside the rest of the day.  That evening we watched Wreck-It Ralph for our family movie selection.  After that movie was over with the kids went in their room to watch some movies on old school VHS tapes (yes they still exist), and the adults watched the movie Looper.  At the end of the night we all fell asleep while engaged in one of our favorite past-times; movie watching.  It was another great day because any day that I have to spend with my family is fantastic.  Don't waste any moment and cherish every memory you make with your loved ones no matter how big or small.

Spring Break Chronicles 2013 - Day 1

The first official day of spring break for The Gambles is counted as Saturday because it was the first full day.  It started off great as we were able to sleep in, or at least rest in the bed until after 10:00 am.  That is the latest I can remember staying in since I have had kids.  It was wonderful.  We took it easy on the first day.  After eating breakfast the kids played in the backyard for awhile.  The boys, as pictured above, continued to work on building their caterpillar nest.  Finally, we decided that it was time to go somewhere just to get out of the house.  So we all go dressed, hopped in the car, and went to explore our hometown.  The first stop of the day was to the flea market.  It wasn't our intention to really spend anything, but just to walk around and see what they had.  We decided to give the kids an allowance of about $3 each; which to our kids is like a million dollars.  The boys made the decision to each chip in $2 so they could get a Scooby-Doo movie they saw that cost $4.  Then as we walked a little bit further they each saw a small toy and used their remaining allotment to get something.

After our brief trip to the flea market we went to Lake Ella to walk around the park and feed the ducks.  As usual we used cereal that was given to us that we never ate to feed the them.  They must have been full that day because they just weren't eating anything.  Perhaps all of the ducks got full from the people that had come out before us feeding them nice pieces of bread.  Who knows?  After we made it all the way around the "track" at Lake Ella we got to the point where they have the big tree that kids always love to climb, and our kids are no different.

Malik high up in the climbing tree at Lake Ella.

Syann playing with the rocks around the pond at Lake Ella.

Malik and Malcolm trying to sneak rocks from the park into their pockets.

The next stop after Lake Ella was the Gambles Residence.  Our youngest did not have a nap yet and nobody ate lunch.  Once we got home the first thing we did was eat lunch.  After that the boys wanted to watch their new movie and make a craft.  They discovered some paper bags in the pantry and got the brilliant idea to make robot costumes with the boxes.  This is not the first time they have done so.  This is the second year for that craft and each year they are different.  This year there were no helmets and the decoration was simple.  The pictures didn't come out quite right, but it was really cute.  Our kids have a very creative mind and for that I am thankful.

The first day was wrapped up with dinner and a movie before we all knocked off to sleep.  The first day of spring break was simple, but it was still one of the best days ever because I got to spend time with my family and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Stay tuned for updates on the rest of the week as Spring Break Chronicles 2013 continues!