Crash, cry and play

We are in the midst of Spring Break.  Yea!

I love it when all the kids are home.

Free labor.

Actually it's not free.  I have paid for it a million times. I have to make lunch for eight people every day.  I can handle breakfast and dinner but lunch just stinks.

Today I'm having a hard time convincing the kids that my plans to spring clean the back yard count as an awesome break activity.  I just keep repeating my favorite vacation mantra--"this is a break from school not from life."

We just  got home from a trip to Wyoming to visit Jim and Heidi (Rustin's sister) and their seven awesome kids.

Our kids love each other.  It is so fun to be able to turn everyone loose.  The weather was perfect.  Sunny with no wind. Everyone was happy and none of my kids complained a bit about cleaning up leaves from their cousins' lawn.  Go figure.

Jackson had a few complaints about the 19 hours spent in the car.  It definitely could have been a lot worse.  We discovered a few tricks while driving.  Jackson likes grape pop in a sippy cup.  Yes.  I'm an awesome mom.  He also likes to play (look at) a Nintendo DS--he cried almost as much as Austin when we tried to take it away from him.

This weekend Dallin discovered that he is indeed mortal.  He wrecked on the motorbike.

He wasn't injured any more than usual but I think he realized that the bike can fall over and he can get injured.  He admitted to me that he said a lot of prayers on the ride back.  I think it was totally good for him.  I'm hoping Landon and Austin can learn by watching Dallin's wreck rather than from personal experience but I'm not going to hold my breath.