Spring Break 2013

Merry Christmas to Happy Easter :)  It's been a while since I've posted here.  Life has been very busy.

The kids are both getting so big!  And acting like it too :P  Rebecca walks around the house trying to read things, pointing out sight words, making crafts and singing in Spanish.  She now has her two bottom front permanent teeth mostly in.  And the top two are quite loose.  She passed her kindergarten assessment with flying colors and had a great report at parent-teacher conferences.

Abram is little Mr. Independent.  He wants to do EVERYTHING by himself...walk to the car, climb in his car seat, take off clothes/put on clothes, brush teeth, eat (he must use a utensil for everything...even finger foods :P).  He even practically changes his own diaper (yes, he's getting ready for potty training...he's gone once so far...he may be our fast trainer).  He also has to help Mommy with everything.  If I'm in the kitchen, he is either in my arms or on a chair or stool and trying to do everything possible to help make dinner, bake, etc.

His vocabulary is really taking off too.  He's getting close to talking in full sentences.  He often leaves out a word here and there yet.

Last week was spring break.  We celebrated Easter with an egg hunt on Saturday and then church on Sunday.  After lunch on Sunday we left for Indianapolis for a few days.

We got to the hotel Sunday around dinner time.  We just looked around and got settled.

Monday we went to the Indy Children's Museum.  It's the largest one in the US.  And it is BIG!  So much to see and do.  Both kids really enjoyed it.  We saw dinosaurs (even some that Grandma Voogt's cousins discovered!).  We played in Mr. Bear's house (for kids 5 and under) with sand, water and art.  We saw super heroes and geckos.  The kids really enjoyed playing with Hot Wheels and racing them on the tracks.  We stopped for a picnic lunch.  Then rode the merry-go-round.  After that we split up.  I walked with Abram in the stroller so he could nap while Rebecca and Daddy visited some other parts of the museum, like ancient and modern Egypt.

After we got back from the museum we had time for a quick dip in the pool.  Rebecca enjoyed practicing all of the skills she's been learning in swimming lessons this year.  Abram liked splashing Daddy over and over.  We then went out for dinner.  Our hotel was connected to a mall, so we could walk to the restaurant without even going outside!

Tuesday morning we walked to the Indy Zoo.  It was a bit chilly but at least it was sunny.  It was a really great zoo.  We started in the butterfly house to warm up a little.  Then we saw all kinds of animals.  We took another little break for the dolphin show.  And then finished with the grassland animals, like rhinos and giraffes.  It was a little disappointing that the elephants weren't out.  But we kind of expected that since it was only about 40 degrees.

We walked back to the hotel and had lunch in our room.  After that our plans were altered a bit.  Abram threw up after lunch.  We thought maybe it was just from eating too much or something.  So we went ahead with normal nap time.  I walked with him in the stroller around the mall while Daddy and Rebecca did some more swimming.  He slept ok.  But when we got back to the hotel he threw up again.  So Abram and I spent the next few hours on the couch with him alternating sleeping and throwing up.

Thankfully Abram is our tough little guy.  He usually bounces back very quickly from illnesses.  He started perking up around 6 and even started eating a little again.  And slept fine that night.

While Abram and I were in the hotel Justin and Rebecca went to a percussion museum.  Rebecca got to try all kinds of instruments.  Then they got take out to eat in our room since Abram and I couldn't go anywhere.

We are thankful that our trip home Wednesday was pretty uneventful.  Abram wasn't quite himself yet, but that allowed him to take 2 naps...and made for an easier trip for everyone :)  We stopped around lunch time at a mall to walk around and do a little shopping.  We got home around 3:30.  Just enough time to unpack, have dinner...and have Rebecca and Justin come down with the flu.

I held down the fort most of the day on Thursday until I got sick in the evening...just as Justin was starting to feel better and could take over.  Justin was able to go back to work on Friday since I was feeling better.  But then Sat. I got worse again.  And Rebecca was on and off sick the whole time, throwing up again still Sunday morning.  Thankfully we are all healthy again.  And hopefully we are DONE with the flu since this is the 4th time we've had it this year.

During the few hours of calm between sickness waves we celebrated Justin's birthday on Friday.  Abram and I made a rich chocolate/coffee cake and chocolate ice cream for him.  And we did gifts.

It was quite a crazy week.  Lots of highs and lows.  Easter, fun on vacation, birthday...long car rides, flu, adjusting back to normal routine.  We are thankful for the good times.  We are thankful for getting through the rough times.  And we are thankful for our risen Savior.

Now it's back to life as usual.  We are looking forward to next week when we will celebrate Rebecca's 5th birthday with lots of family.