So a year ago....

...we were all chilling outdoors on patio furniture, soaking up the sun and basking in warm hot balmy temps. Not a flake of snow to be seen.  Winter a long distant memory. Spring was here. Before it was officially supposed to be here. And believe me, around here, no one was complaining about that.

Let's refresh our memory, shall we....

Playing in the school yard during March Break...

Chalking on the driveway....

playing with cousins outdoors all day long....

Catching a $5 flick at the Princess Cinemas and afterwards NEEDING to go to the mall to buy sunglasses because it was that bright outside...

Yard work at night when Keith got home from work....cutting down those messy ornamental grasses...

Working on/building the marble maze for Max's grade three marble maze project...

Barefeet? Check!  Shorts? Check!

This little leprechaun was outdoors all St. Patricks Day just like this...

It's a good thing we have pictures. Otherwise, it would be hard to prove that it actually happened. Especially when we look outdoors at the landscape this year at the same time. I'm so done with this winter. Above and beyond done. It just needs to be finished.  I think that somehow I need to trick myself into believing that we're still in the middle of January. That way the weather is par for the course and spring will be arriving in a few months. For sure... that's what I think I need to do.

Last week, Max was home sick for....drum roll pleeeeeease......his third round of being sick with a high fever and headaches this winter. THIRD TIME. Which of course means, I am now teetering on the edge of coming down with something. It's the sympathetic side of me always coming out and not wanting him to feel singled out, I guess? So Wednesday to Friday last week he was home here. He is now on the mend and we are thankful and glad. But I am afraid....that if spring does not show her head around here soon....we could even get a fourth rounder in. knockonwood.

He spent lots of time reading...

and watching squirrels. A day earlier he had scattered some leftover birdseed in the backyard. Didn't take long for the squirrels to find it. It provided lots of entertainment throughout the day....All you can eat buffet for them!

 

 

  

 Friday morning he was feeling good enough to eat pancakes for breakfast and some freshly squeezed OJ (Thanks for dropping by with the oranges grandma!)...."This is a breakfast for kings!" he declared.

Indeed.

Now if we could just get rid of this snow.

March Break - in a big big big nutshell

Last week was March Break (March 9 - 17). 

(Duck Dynasty anyone?!)

Friday, March 8: 

• Braeden & Isaiah came over to play after school for most of the afternoon. 
• At night Keith and Max went to Boys Club at church. The event was Tobogganing at Finks Hill and then back to the gym for hot chocolate, snacks and dodge ball.

Saturday, March 9: 

• No sleeping in for him. Up with the birds reading a book from his newest favourite series - 39 Clues.
• At 12:00 noon Max had his final hockey game of the season in Elmira against Woolwich. Unfortunately, they lost with the final score being 4-0. (Thursday night they played the same team and Max got a goal...final score of 2-1.)
• In the evening, Gary, Leanne and family came over for dinner and a visit.

Sunday, March 10

(This is what happens when they are waiting on me, while I'm still getting ready. Max found my glasses and wanted a photo of him and dad being twins. )

• Church (I'm teaching grade 1 & 2 Sunday School for Nancy E. while she recovers from her illness.)
• Yummy lunch at the Gerber's in Linwood
• In the evening, Kyle and Kurtis came over for a sleepover

Monday, March 11

(Max, Kyle & Kurtis all requested "the usual" for breakfast...pancakes with whip cream, sprinkles and fresh fruit.)

This is what the aftermath looks like of Max's room when he has a sleepover...

• Kyle & Kurtis left at around 10:30am.
• Max had a dentist appointment (checkup) at 11:00am.
• Stopped at the movie store afterwards and picked up some fun movies to watch. After all, the weather was less than stellar for March Break. Snow anyone?....YUCK.

Tuesday, March 12

• A rainy rainy rainy day....
• 8:30am Isaiah arrived for a morning playdate with Max.
• Max went over to feed Stella. :)
• 11:00am Vanessa arrived and hung out with us all afternoon.
• We ran a few errands and stopped by the river down by the library. Lots of water flooding the banks...

• 7:00pm Keith and Max went over to the arena to watch the Firebirds Hockey game.
• 9:00am Vanessa arrived (again) and decided to stay overnight at our place.

Wednesday, March 13

• Vanessa spent the day with us.
• In the morning, there was some (dreaded) homework to do (seriously...why homework on March Break?)...

• Late in the morning we headed to Waterloo to the Princess Cinema to watch a $5 March Break movie. Heather met up with us there. This year, the only one that was remotely suitable and that we hadn't seen before was Wreck-it Ralph. It sucked. Ugh.

• 6:00pm - last session of winter powerskating at the arena for the Maxter.

Thursday, March 14

• Science Camp at the U of Waterloo Stratford Campus - with Kyle. 8:00am - 4:00pm. They both loved it and had a blast. Conducted germs experiments and came home with a buzzer/morse code thing, a grabber, and telephones (cups)...

• At night, we all chilled in the basement and watched Johnny English and Duck Dynasty. 

Friday, March 15

• Keith took the day off work to spend with Max. Max had big plans. He wanted to build something.  So the two of them took off to Home Depot in the morning and came back with wood and various supplies and got right to work...building a treasure chest...

(The men sign sure made me laugh!)

(It's only partially completed. The next steps involve decorative trim and staining/painting.)

• At 2:30pm Max took a break and went over to the arena to play shinny with some bigger kids and his friend Keith H.
• In the evening, we had all of Keith's siblings over for a visit and singing practice (for the 40th anniversary party for Keith's parents)...James & Donna, Jon & Sheila and Shawn & Charlotte and all the kids too.

Saturday, March 16

• Keith & Max went to Fergus to watch a hockey game - a coworker's son.
• In the evening, we had Keith's parents 40th Anniversary Party.

Sunday, March 17

• Happy St. Patricks Day!

• We went to church and then over to the Gerber's for a delicious lunch.

("Mom, why do babies ALWAYS cry when I hold them?!")

• I attempted to take some baby photos of Mr. Big Eyes...Dylan. He is CUTE!! He is getting to that nosy stage where he wakes easily and doesn't want to miss a thing and is always waving his fists and arms. So it was tricky tricky tricky...

In the evening we went home. Watched the Amazing Race. Went to bed. TIRED. March Break DONE.