Sunday, April 12, 2015

Spring Break 2015

Our Spring Break had a bit of an upside bell curve to it - it started out great, the middle really stunk with the boys and I catching a stomach bug, but the end of the week shaped up nicely. 

And of course, there are a while bunch of photos to help tell the story of Spring Break 2015 for the Hawk family…ENJOY!

Wednesday night RF and I stayed with Papa Tad and Lola. RF got to go swimming in Lola's bathtub and found some treasure during our walk through the woods, including this bird's nest. 

A bird nest RF found during our walk...

Swimming in Lola's bathtub...

RF put treats in eggs for his friends at school and is ready to share the Easter eggs at his party…

Ready to hunt eggs, mama...

Last Thursday, after RF's Easter party at school, he and I headed to GA (RA and Ellis were already there). Unfortunately, a 5 hour drive turned into a 7 hour drive as we were stuck in stand-still traffic for 2 hours due to a wreck. 2 hours of traffic stand-still with a 2 1/2 year old wasn't the most fun thing I've ever done, but we made it through and arrived in GA late Thursday night. 

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was full of outside time at Nana and Babu's house and a whole lot of fun on Sunday for an Easter egg hunt with some friends of RA's. They own a farm (with lots of tractors  --- heaven for RF) near Nana and Babu's house and our two boys had a BLAST playing and searching for eggs. 
RF reading the Friday morning paper...

Mr. Happiness and his security detail, Gracie...

Nana found bunny race-cars recipe and RF made them to take to our egg hunt at a friend's house...

Ellis covered in BBQ sauce from a rib his daddy gave him...

Told ya…Ellis was happy as a lark while gnawing on the rib...

Robert drive the tractor, mama...

Happy as can be...

Big tractor, mama...

Riding another tractor...

RF found some toys inside while we waited for the eggs to be hidden by the adults…

And he's off...

On the hunt for treat filled eggs...

I found one, mama...

RF managed to hit the outskirts of the egg area getting a good amount of eggs right off the bat...

His idea to climb the fence to see if there were any eggs in the fence posts...

Smart little dude, because there were eggs in there...


Robert found one, mama!

Little stinker then continued to climb and check EVERY fence post to be sure all the eggs were found…the fence was probably 100 feet long with 10 or so fence posts. He didn't give up until each and every one was checked...

Giddey-up, horsey...

My cute little man...

Exploring the grass...

RF found tractors inside, too...

I'm telling you, he was in heaven...

He rolled these tractors back and forth for probably 20 minutes…back and forth, back and forth...

Ellis found toys, too...

The farm has a pond with ducks in it, so RF and daddy walked down to see the ducks. RA told RF to tell the ducks hello, so RF said, "Quack-quack. I speak duck, daddy."

Inside the jungle-gym….

Ellis passed out in his carseat (highly unlike him) within two minutes of being in the car on the way back to Nana and Babu's house...

Monday, RA and I headed out for a few work meetings for RA and lunch with a friend in Athens only to find out that Ellis had come down with a stomach bug, so we cut our day trip short and headed back to our boy. Tuesday was spent at Nana and Babu's house recovering for Ellis, but unfortunately RF came down with the bug Tuesday night. 

Working on recovering from the stomach bug with some dog-therapy...

Lounging on the couch with daddy...

Wednesday RA and I decided that we needed to get the boys back home in case things got any worse for either of them we would be near our doctor, so we loaded them up and started the drive to Mobile. Everything was great until we were about half-way through our drive when RF and Ellis (pretty much simultaneously) got sick in the car. We spent a good half hour at a pulled over at a gas station trying to clean everyone (and our car) up. RF was feeling crummy still, but thankfully was able to sleep the rest of the way home while Ellis continued to remind RA and I just how much he hates his carseat. Ellis does not like to be forced to sit when he doesn't want to. Even when we sit him on the floor at home he will fuss sometimes because he wants to GO, not sit. We joke that he is going to walk before he officially crawls because he wants to see and do whatever his big brother is doing ALL. THE. TIME. 

Homemade dumplings to help get my boys on the road to recovery...

Thursday was a pretty crummy day, too as I came down with the stomach bug and was in bed all day. RA managed to take care of me and wrangle to active boys for 24 hours while I recovered --- SUPERDAD! 

Friday came and brought with it relief for me and lots and lots of cleaning in the Hawk house. Seriously, I'm not sure my house have ever been more sanitized. Every single surface that we did/could have/might have touched was cleaned. Hopefully this stomach bug is gone for good. 

Feeling well enough for some sandbox time at home...

Mr. Happiness in the tub...

Mr. Sweetness in the tub...

Charlie protecting his baby brother...

This little boy LOVES his daddy...

Mr. Happiness, pre-stomach bug...

Tons of fun swinging at Nana's house...

This face melts my heart...

Brother time in Nana's sandbox…RF spent more time outside in the backyard/sandbox than he did inside…

Ellis learned what sand tastes like...

Growing up so quickly...

RF found a horse-ride thing in Nana's garage…

"Your car has bugs on it, mama. Robert and daddy wash it." 

Ellis supervising the washing of the car…

RF wants to do everything his daddy does. It makes my heart happy that they love spending quality time with each other. I came outside at one point and they were in deep conversation. What about? I don't know - it was their moment, but I am so thankful that RF has such  good role model in RA. 

One of the saddest photos from our trip, to me. This is the dog sandbox at Nana's house. Gracie and Lucky always laid in this sandbox together when they were at Nana's house - Gracie on the right and Lucky laid on the left. Gracie is in her usual spot and she left Lucky's spot vacant. She misses her friend...

More sandbox time for RF...

Digging, digging, digging...

Burying the tractors in the sand...

Pretty GA sunset...

RF opening his Easter basket from the Easter bunny...

Ellis exploring his Easter loot…

Being a silly boy...

Baskets go on your head, right, mama? 

Playing with their new airplanes from the Easter bunny...

RF teaching Ellis how the airplane flies…

Spring school pictures - March 2015

Such a big boy...

Saturday was much better for everyone with all of us feeling back to normal. Mrs. Margie and Mr. Joe came in town as Mrs. Margie is hanging with us to watch Ellis for the next two weeks. 

Saturday night, RA, Mr. Joe and myself had the privilege of attending the Mobile Symphony's performance of the works of John Williams and what an amazing concert it was. If you are local and haven't attended one of the Mobile Symphony's performances, you are missing out. They are spectacular. 

Sunday was full of prep work for the work/school week - laundry, lesson plans, grocery store - loads of fun, fun, fun (sarcastically said). But, the REALLY good news is that there are only six more Mondays of the 2015 - 2016 school year before a summer of fun awaits us.