Spring Break Wrap-up: Indoor Easter Egg Hunts, Glue Dots, and Zoos

Last week was spring break for our family.  The kids were off, my husband was off, and my daycare was closed.

Spring break always brings with it the relaxation of no working, no school prep, and no homework.  But also the added pressure to do the 1 million projects around the house that are always breathing down my neck.

The week leading up to spring break goes something like this:
Next week, I am doing ALL 37 loads of laundry.
Next week, I am deep cleaning these bedrooms.
Next week, I am making an effort to exercise.
Next week, I am taking all of that stuff that has been in bags for months and dropping it off at Goodwill.
Next week, we are painting that kitchen ceiling.
Next week, we have to get that attic cleaned out.

And it is my intention to do it ALL.

Then things get in my way.

Let's start with Good Friday.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  The new neighbors across the street had some trees cut down and the first thing I noticed that morning was the shadow that the telephone poll cast on the side of the house.  I took that as a good sign.  A sign of what?  I'm not sure.  But I thought it was really cool.



Then I got absolutely NOTHING done that day...if you don't count breaking up fights and giving empty threats. 

Saturday was more of the same nothing-getting-done song and dance...besides some Easter prep and a trip to Target resulting in me saying I WILL NEVER GO TO TARGET ON A SATURDAY AGAIN.  (And by Easter prep I mean taste testing the Reese's peanut butter eggs.)

After 2 beautiful, sunny days...it was only natural that rain was forecast for Easter.

Every year, the kids in the family have an Easter Egg hunt at my in-laws' house.  This year was no different...except it was moved indoors.  I have NO IDEA how they did it, but they successfully hid over 80 eggs in the house.  And the kids had a great time.

Then my mother-in-law, who is super crafty and creative, had a craft table set up on the porch for the kids to decorate big plastic Easter eggs.  Think little plastic eyes, pipe cleaner, glittery stickers and foam pieces, and such.  AWESOME.  When my mother-in-law told said to take the whole bottle of wine with us for craft time, I knew we were in for a treat.

The highlight of this was my discovery of glue dots.  They are awesome.  (I immediately realize how pathetic I sound as I typed that.  But that is the reality these days.  I am excited over some damn glue dots.)

Fast forward 3 days and all that got done was some laundry and vacuuming.  Not to mention me gorging myself daily on cake, strawberry and pretzel salad, ham, and deviled eggs.

Here's were things got exciting.  Hold onto your hats...

For two days in a row we hit up two different zoos.  I know.  Rock stars.

The first zoo we visited with my friend (the skinny one who always sends sweets to daycare when I watch her daughter) was the Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun, MD.  Very cute for kids...minus the overzealous goats looking for hand outs.  Actually they were pretty cute too.  The kids LOVED it and we will be going back in the summer. 

Note:  I seriously thought that the movie We Bought a Zoo was filmed here.  That's EXACTLY what it looked like.  But it wasn't.  I googled it.



The second one was our local zoo, the Brandywine Zoo.  In all honesty, you can be in and out in 7 minutes flat.  That how we roll here in Delaware. 

This trip was with my oldest's girl scout troop and it began with a guided tour of the monkey house.  Let me tell you now...I have NO IDEA how those girls stayed in that monkey house for 20 minutes without passing out.  I couldn't even enter and my 4 year old began dry heaving almost immediately so we waited outside.  That's how bad the smell was...

But the new tiger was out that day and he was putting on quite a show.  The kids loved it.  I didn't love the quick pit stop in the gift shop though.  The girls wanted stuffed kittens (although my 4 year old is still harassing me for the real thing.  We have a 15 year real thing that wouldn't be too pleased).  I had planned on getting them happy meals for lunch as a "special treat" for me them.  So I made them choose...and they chose the damn stuffed kittens.  Didn't they know I wanted a cheeseburger?  The nerve...

The rest of the break consisted of more laundry, some light (and I mean light) cleaning, a few play dates, an indoor pool birthday party, trips to the park, and TONS of arguing and whining.

But it was actually a great week.

And to top it all off, my neighbor bought me a 12 pack of Miller Lite...and my husband and I did get a few hours out one evening without the kids. 

So as far as I'm concerned, that's another successful spring break in the books. 

The only thing that could top it would be sitting on the beach in Mexico sipping a margarita.  Or sitting in a Mexican restaurant sipping a margarita.  Or hiding in my closet sipping a margarita. 

Anywhere sipping a margarita would do...