Spring Break 2016

Paula in sheep's clothing, holding a homemade lightsaber

I hardly noticed Spring Break before, when Ramona and Mika were at school fewer hours each week, but this year I really felt the impact of having all three girls home with me for that many consecutive days (mostly in a good way). 

Also, I had a considerable amount of time freed up in my schedule this Spring Break due to lesson cancellations. Unlike my students, we didn't have any glamorous trips or excursions planned--I was feeling a pretty urgent need to stay home and get some projects and extra cleaning done before popping out another baby. So, my poor children were stuck at home with their slightly deranged nesting mother for a full week. But I think we made the best of it (and I got a lot of cleaning done, too!). Thank goodness for libraries, St. Patrick's Day, NCAA basketball brackets, fuse bead crafts, piano, and neighborhood egg hunts to help keep our girls busy!

1) Library.

We visited both of our local libraries that week. At the Windsor Library the girls played with prisms, made rainbow necklaces, and fashioned their own kaleidoscopes.

We also came home with big stacks of books to keep all three girls entertained. Ramona recently started reading chapter books, so a lot of the time she was happy to sit quietly on the couch with one of these. Reading is truly a life-changing skill--for both children and their parents!

2. St. Patrick's Day.

Poudre School District's Spring break almost always seems to fall on the week of St. Patrick's day. I am fairly certain we have minimal Irish ancestry, but somehow our family has still developed the traditions of eating green food and building a leprechaun house to celebrate this holiday. 

Pictures for the leprechaun

Green pancakes for the Leprechaun

A note from the Leprechaun

A bagel with green cream cheese

3. NCAA Basketball brackets.
Even though Illinois did not qualify for the NCAA tournament this year, the girls were still happy to fill out a bracket and choose their own champion.

Ramona helping Paula make some bracket picks

Ramona chose the University of Colorado Buffaloes,

Mika chose the Notre Dame Leprechauns,

And Paula chose Vanderbilt University (twinkle little star).

(none of their brackets did particularly well, but they didn't seem to mind)

4. Fuse bead crafts.
Ramona and Mika are getting pretty good at these things.

5. Piano.

It is probably not the girls' favorite activity, but both Ramona and Mika have made considerable progress on the instrument this year. Being home all week with a music teacher mom meant extra practice time for them.

6. Neighborhood Easter egg hunts.

A local church has started hosting an egg hunt at the neighborhood park each year around Easter. Unfortunately, a snow storm blew in the day before this year's hunt, but we bundled up the girls and went to find some eggs, anyway.

Even without all of these extra things to occupy the girls' time, for a good portion of the week they were happy to just play together. I am pretty sure they love being each other's sisters.

We've had some birthdays . . .

It's birthday season at the Dixon household--with my birthday at the end of February and Forest's at the beginning of March, our girls really get into the birthday spirit (and start planning their upcoming birthdays, as well).

On my birthday, Paula was so excited to give me a gift bag--and carry it around all over the house.

Ramona and Mika were excited to throw packing peanuts and pop bubble wrap.

Everyone was excited to get a visit from Moses for Family Home Evening that night.

I enjoyed lots of birthday flowers that week-something about being pregnant and getting older must scream: "Send me flowers!"

To celebrate Forest's birthday, we organized another pick-up basketball game the Saturday before . . .

. . . and topped off the event with some doughnuts.

The night of his actual birthday, we took a family outing to Chick-fil-A . . .

. . . then had a little party at our house.

Ramona was thrilled to give him a Star Wars T-shirt and Mika was equally thrilled to give him some Albert Einstein socks.

I think we were all thrilled to dig into some birthday cake.

One of the cutest parts of our birthdays this year were the adorable little notes made by each of our daughters (carefully tucked under their beds until the special day).
Ramona's thoughtful artwork:

Mika's pictures, plus a "pepperoni tomato sandwich" made out of paper:

Some scribbles by Paula:

We feel so loved.

Queen(s) of Hearts

Celebrating Valentine's Day seems to come very naturally for our three little girls. Their closets are full of pink and red, heart shapes are their favorite, and they are always so full of love.

Ramona's nails

Mika's thumb

This year there were a total of three Valentine Parties to go to: Mika's preschool party, Ramona's first grade party, and a neighborhood party!

I was in charge of a little heart walk at the preschool party.

Preschool Valentine bags: Mika's is the fourth from the left

Mika's favorite party craft ever: a spy bottle with pink rice

Paula and Mika walking with me to Ramona's class party (Finally, Paula has started agreeing to wear coats again)

Ramona was kind enough to share some of her Valentine bounty with her sisters.

Valentine Jenga: Ramona's group got their tower the tallest before it fell with a huge crash!

Walking home from the neighborhood Valentine party on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon:

Valentine Sunday, before church:

My red velvet, sparkly girls.

Here they are wearing their new purses/scripture bags from Teresa.

Mealtime had some heart-themes that day--lunch was waffles with pink whipped cream and heart-shaped strawberries: 

Dinner was heart-shaped pizza (with some artichoke hearts as a topping)

More heart-shaped strawberries for dessert.

Between Paula's sugary face, Mika eagerly sharing chocolate with me, and sweet little notes from Ramona, these girls were decidedly the queens of Valentine's Day at our house!