Spring Staycation 2011

This year we had the unique experience of having all three of our Spring Breaks coincide with each other. At first Gina and I thought about taking a trip somewhere, but every place we wanted to visit either required us to fly or was too far to drive. So, after some thought, we decided to stay home and do some of the local activities we had been wanting to explore.

I was out of town on the first Saturday of Spring Break, so we won't really count it. I got back in the afternoon, but we spent the rest of the day just playing and hanging around the house. I think Gina may have also gone grocery shopping ... without the boys ... which is a vacation in and of itself!

I can't actually remember what we did on Sunday, but I know we went to church and came home and I watched a lot of basketball (March Madness, baby!). Monday was when the real excitement broke loose. We started the day by going to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. I had been there years before when I took my 4th graders on a field trip, but I had forgotten how great of a museum it is. They have all kinds of interactive exhibits and science experiments, and there is so much to see we only saw the first floor. Thankfully, we bought a season pass and will be going back again--and again, and again. Somehow I don't think this will be a problem for Sam and Nate. They also have an Imax theater, which will be a lot of fun. Anyway, we ended the day by going to Chuck E. Cheese Pizza. I knew this would be a lot of fun for the boys, but I was worried that the boys wouldn't want to eat because of all the distraction. We all know what happens when the Alexander boys don't get their food. Remarkably, they both ate a ton of pizza and showed no signs of slowing down until it was all gone. They spent the rest of the evening wacking moles, climbing in the tree house, playing games and riding rides. No surprise, Sam still talks about when we will be going back to see Chuck E. Cheese. Sorry pal, no season pass to that joint.

On Tuesday we headed back to Fort Worth to ride the train through the various parks along the Trinity River. I had no idea this even existed, and I have to say it is one of the best values in Fort Worth. The train ride is about 45 minutes, and the price is very reasonable ... even cheap. There is something calming about taking a leisurely open-air train ride. I can see why Pa Kelly liked it so much.

On Wednesday, Gina and the boys went to see Lisa, Ruby and baby Kara. They had a ball playing Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders and digging in the dirt. The only tantrum the whole day came when Sam didn't want to leave Ruby's house to come home. Ah, the unfairness of the toddler life! I got to go shop for new running shoes during the playdate, but I also found time to pull weeds and mow the lawn. We spent the rest of the day playing at home and relaxing.

Thursday was the event Sam and Nate had been waiting for all week: the farm! We left the house sometime after lunch, and we arrived at the farm just in time to play outside for a few hours. The boys flew kites, played in the dirt, threw rocks in the pond, and threw the frisbee to Sydney. We went to eat at Tony's Mexican Restaurant in Farmersville that night, then came home and called it a day. The next day, our cousin Callie Kay came out and we had more fun than two little ranch hands should be allowed to have. We started the day by taking a long tour of the farm with Uncle John and Callie Kay (and Diogi) on the gator. We got to see cows an calves and all kinds of beautiful country. After a lunch and pretty good nap, we met up with UJ an CK again, this time to go fishing. I had not fished in a very long time, but it all came back to me pretty quickly. However, one thing didn't change a bit: I didn't catch a thing. I guess my fisherman skills haven't improved with age. Sam and Nate lost interest pretty quickly, so they spent most of the time playing with sticks and getting a detailed lesson on worms from Callie Kay.

The next day we packed up and headed to Garland to see Big Daddy. He was doing great, and we had a very nice time getting to visit with him and hear some classic stories from the past. From there, we headed to Roanoke to have dinner with Uncle Tommy, Aunt Carol, Granny, Granddad and all the cousins. We also got a visit from Gina's Uncle John and Emma and Luke, who were on their way to Austin for their Spring Break. After some hard play and a good meal, we watched Kierra and Kendall open their birthday presents.

I would definitely consider the week a success, and I have to admit that I was pretty tired on Monday. We are looking forward to this summer, when we get to create even more memories and explore (or rediscover) other parts of Texas. You can see some photos from the week in the slideshow below, or you can see them on our photo page.

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