I'm Just A Chick Whose Been On Spring Break

I didn't take a blogging break with any great intention. Last week we took Spring Break from school, and I made an effort to commit to providing fun experiences for the kids. We had lots of play dates and trips to the park. We didn't spend any money, but we had a ball enjoying each other. I wish I would have chronicled all that in photos and blog entries, but I either collapsed on the couch in a coma by 10 p.m. or settled in for some late night sewing marathons. I seemed to alternate between the two. Now spring break is officially over, and I couldn't chronicle it in detail even if I needed to, because last Monday suddenly feels like a century ago and my brain is pressed to remember what we did in a week's span. How is that?? My memory is bleak, but I can tell you we moved fast. Very fast. Here are a few things that showed up on my camera last week.

This chickie.
And his fuzzy friends. They are wandering in my neighbor's yard because she is "babysitting" them for a friend. All the neighborhood kids went down to play with them, and of course, I'm the biggest neighborhood kid of all when it comes to baby animals. Oh, what I would give to live in the country and have a little house where these darlings could roost. I'd feed them handfuls of cracked corn from my apron pockets and scramble up their little eggies for breakfast. Oh, what I would give.

Instead I live in the burbs with a very old dog who poops on my floor. Not the same vintage charm, really. But when my suburban neighbor has chickens in her backyard I can show up with my camera and dream a little dream.

Okay, I did indeed go to the quilt show, and I had a wonderful time with Aunt Lois and Mom and Hannah and my friend, Wendy. Wendy's sweet Mom works for a quilt shop and helped to run one of the booths at the show. It was a pleasure to meet her and have a chance to visit briefly. This was my exciting purchase from the event. It's a new pincushion pattern and her name is Henrietta. Just marvel at those swank Nicey Jane fabrics I picked out for Henrietta's shell. Now, I will tell you that I love to make quilts, but I'm not a seamstress AT ALL, and I'm not fond of making clothing. I came home from the show and took this pattern to bed with me to read through all the directions. It is filled with scary things like interfacing and matching dots and clipping and notching seams. It's like dress making. I felt completely intimidated and more than a little disappointed that Henrietta apparently wasn't going to make herself happen. The pattern has been on my nightstand ever since, and I've been beating a wide path around it. My pins may be staying in their little plastic box for a while after all.

I also bought a funky mini-ironing board from an absolutely adorable old man for $11. It has a bold and graphic cover and is just the right size to sit next to my machine. Five days later I found that exact ironing board at IKEA for $4. Good for adorable old men who know how to swindle quilters. He could see me coming, him with his bold and graphic (and Swedish, turns out) ironing board. Ha!

Spring Break did not disappoint in the weather department. We had some awesome park days and even skipped nap time one afternoon to hook up with a bunch of homeschool kids at a sports complex. Emma played so hard. I took my cue that it might be time to go home when she curled up in the bottom of a slide and started to close her eyes! :)

Friday night I met up with some girlfriends at a paint-your-own-pottery-studio. We had a ball together. I painted these owls on a platter and I'm anxious to see how it looks after it has been fired. I worked all night on those owls and leaves, then at the very last minute I added those big, fat swirls in a hurry. I really regret it. The lady at the studio told me to fill in my dead space, but I wish I would have left it alone. I'm having swirl stress. We'll see what happens.

Hannah took her sibs to a nature preserve while I was at the quilt show. They took a picnic lunch and played on the playground with Emma.

A highlight of Spring Break was watching this stunning bride exchange vows with a very lucky young man. At the end of the ceremony they shared their very first kiss - ever. Purity is such a beautiful thing. The bride and groom are competitive swing dancers, and I have never had such fun at a wedding reception! You should have seen that dance floor! Lots of fancy footwork, and plenty of white patent leather shoes too! :) Great big band music and old time classics from legendary crooners. It was just grand. Here are all the Bible Bowl girls celebrating in the moment. Bible Bowl has become an extended family to us, and participating in this big event together held great sentiment.

The day before the wedding I was wearing flip flops and shorts and enjoying the gorgeous weather. When the bride and groom left the church (on the first day of spring!) there was a blizzard. Wind was howling and whipping in every direction and snow was pouring from the heavens. Friends and family lined the stairs outside the church and held sparklers for the couple to run under. What a sight!! There could not have been a more magical moment. Sparklers and snow in March!

The next morning I woke to this.

Hannah got an e-mail joke about how Texas is the bipolar state. True!

We had a great spring break, and settling back in to the "norm" is always bittersweet. It gets harder and harder to buckle down and stay on track as Spring Fever sweeps in with a vengeance. This is always a fun time of year though, and I look forward with a rested soul to the bustling weeks ahead!