How I spent my Spring Break, 2014

So if you've ever wondered how teachers spend their spring break when their kids have a different week of break..here you go--I seem to have done a lot of dishes and laundry.  And didn't grade the things I should have. Oh, well.

Friday afternoon--leave school an hour early (after arriving an hour early for a meeting, teaching two classes, doing two sets of IEP paperwork and grading a stack of essays), stop at grocery store, get home before house guests arrive, do "one last load of laundry" and vacuum one last time.  Grade some papers, look over an IEP.  Greet houseguests, play with baby nephew, cook and serve dinner, run dishwasher, run clothes washer and dryer, giggle too much, send children to bed, go to bed...

Saturday--Supervise The Boy making pancakes.  The Boy grew tired after the first batch (or maybe he was hungry) and wandered off.  Run dishwasher, do laundry, let dogs out and in and out and in.  Feed pets. Vacuum while everyone else showers.  Google  activities to do with two tweens, four adults, and a baby...decide both zoos nearby are ridiculously expensive.  Remember free historical museum, convince family to go...wait for Mr. Ranch to get home from track practice. Play with baby.  Pack cooler.  Lunch at Jimmy Johns.  Afternoon at historical museum then dinner at Hibachi restaurant.  Home....more giggling...watch Despicable Me, bed for all!

Sunday--Church with entire family followed by donuts.  Home to do more laundry and dishes while visitors went to outlet mall and to the Uncle's house for awhile.  Vacuum, again. Dinner from the grill (hamburgers, yum!) and early bed for the Ranch children.  Snacks packed, clothes laid out, bags arranged in "usual" spot.  Watch Sunday night tv shows while doing nothing. (Ahhh).

Monday--Up with the children and the house guests.  House guests leave for an 8 am appointment with the passport people, children and Mr. Ranch leave for school and work.  I sit at the kitchen table with my coffee and ponder what I should do this week (other than grade papers and work on IEP's).  Phone rings, house guests are done at passport office...what can they do free inside in town?  Ummm..how about the mall?
Shower, meet a friend to see Divergent.  Between her movie passes and coupons we see the movie, have a gigantic popcorn, a large water, a ginormous soda, and two candies for less than $6---score!!!!  Movie was good...still mad about the ending of the 3rd book though...but I'll get over it, right?  Find a sunny spot with car near kids' school, read a novel for an hour.  Pick up kids. Take Girl home, put her to bed to fight icky sickness.  Take Boy to guitar lesson.  Come home to find Girl eating cereal and doing homework.  Warm up leftovers, let dogs in and out, feed pets, do laundry, do dishes, put children to bed, watch Monday night tv shows while folding laundry.  Read book, fall asleep.

Tuesday--Up with kids again, shower, take car to shop for service.  Call Enterprise, get rental car.  Stop at library to pick up book that is on hold. Go home, read book, pay bills, (wait for it) do laundry and dishes (seriously...who keeps using dishes and wearing clothes?).  Start a bunch of seeds for the garden.  Lay out a bunch of seed packages that can be planted in the garden as soon as I turn the soil.  Decide I don't feel like turning the soil today, go inside, read a book for a few minutes. Drop rental car, pick up my car, pick up kids, go home, cook dinner, give dogs heart worm meds.  Supervise homework, supervise lunch packing, supervise bedtime, read a book...fall asleep.

Wednesday--Up with kids, shower, take Liberty to vet for bordatella booster.  Find out they now charge for an office visit, even if you were just there and even if all you need is a vaccination booster.  Grrr... Think about looking for a new vet.  Take dog home, load coolers with ice into car.  One is empty for Costco run, one with dinner food in it for dinner/snacks.  Go to Costco...get dog food, dog bones, dog treats, trail mix, and some really yummy pea pod chips.  Stop at grocery store, get sandwich meat for dinner.  Have lunch (chips and drinks) with another friend. Realize I'm "late" for volunteering at kids' school.  Arrive at school, navigate new security features (seem to be less stringent than old security features, but whatever).  Sell some used uniforms...children arrive at shop.  Supervise their homework and snacks--send The Girl to change for volleyball.  Meet a new family from the Chicago area--talk about Chicago, school uniforms, and little girls.  Load children into car.  Listen to book on tape in car....sigh that we are NEVER going to get to the end of this crazy story! Find school where volleyball game is happening...ask random person outside if this is the right place for volleyball (it is? yay!).  Make sandwiches in the parking lot.  Eat.  Supervise The Boy who is playing Avengers in the Peace Garden (I know, I know) while I read "Thrift Store Saints".  Find my coat because it is suddenly very cold.  Round up The Boy, find the other parents in the gym, watch the girls win! Drive home without getting lost (excellent!).  Supervise snacks and lunch packing.  Supervise The Girl starting laundry.  Watch the end of Revolution...wonder what happened in the first 20 minutes that meant I was so lost during the last 40.  Watch some other Wednesday night tv, send children to bed, read in bed until I realize I'm asleep.

Thursday--Woke up when Mr. Ranch's alarm went off.  Told him I'm sleeping in because it is snowing.  Drag myself out of bed long enough to tell kids to have good day.  Go back to bed until 8:23!!!!  Get up, make coffee and breakfast.  Let dogs in and out.  Watch the snow fall.  And fall.  And fall...Deal with some family videos on youtube (uploading, sharing, etc.)  Write a couple blog posts (including starting this one). Answer several phone calls for "Stacey".  Wonder who is using our home phone number and why.  Remind self to put number on do not call list again...apparently the list is not working. Open dishwasher...discover "clean dishes" are not so much.  Start dishwasher.  Start laundry.  Drink coffee.  Chat on messenger with Mr Ranch about a possible piano and what we would do with this piano if my parents give us theirs someday.  Decide we will take this piano for now and give it away or sell it or give it back to its current owner if my folks give us their piano.  Call music school, get recommendations for piano mover and tuner.  Take video of Liberty playing in the snow.  Decide maybe it was a good thing I didn't plant those seeds after all.  Worry about fruit trees. Do laundry. Read a book for a few minutes. Pick up kids, take The Girl to the orthodontist for a retainer check then home to do homework.  Take The Boy to Cub Scouts.  Home.  Pack lunches, do homework, clean kitty litter, empty trash cans.  Read...sleep...

Friday--Sit at kitchen table with cup of coffee after sleeping in until 6:45 am.  At 7:30, receive phone call from The Girl that she forgot her homework for a class that only had 3 grades last quarter.  Take a quick shower, take Girl her binder.  Take an old TV to the recycling bin at Mr. Ranch's office, pick up his paycheck, to to the bank. Shop for bday gifts for parties in next few weeks, pick up kids, meet friends for a movie (Winter Soldier, which by the way was very good!).  Eat more popcorn and soda..yum!

Saturday--Do laundry again, take kids to library, Subway, then Girl's volleyball game (they won again!).   Go home, everyone change clothes, take kids to a pool (indoor) birthday party, have dinner with Mr. Ranch and a friend, pick up kids, fall into bed...And that is all for my spring break this year...How long until summer?