Spring Break

Many months ago, Nick and I had the conversation regarding, "Do we go away for April break or not?"

We had not done anything BIG for our 10 year anniversary back in September with the thought that we would do a family vacation this year, but flying anywhere on school vacation week just seemed so expensive that it never happened for February break and then come April when we started talking about it, we kept going back to the thought that April break is usually SO nice around here, that why do we want to go away during that time... so no vacation was booked and we were looking forward to enjoying the week off from school in Spring weather loving being outside... maybe getting some yard work done, but most importantly, just being together outside and loving it! For at least the past 3 April breaks, the weather has been amazing... 80's and sunny. I didn't think that we would get that lucky again (seeing as there is still spots of snow on the ground) but I was totally psyching myself up for 60's and sunny.

Well this year we learned a lesson that I won't soon forget.... ALWAYS GO AWAY FOR SPRING VACATION!! Instead of 60's and sunny, we had 40's and snowy. It was an awful week of weather. Totally depressing... and unlike February break when it is cold, there are winter sports and outside activities to do in that weather, there was NOTHING to do in this weather, but to be inside and be pissed off at the people who were smart enough to go south for the week.

Every day of spring vacation, starting around 7am Colin would begin asking to go outside. With frost on the grass, rain pouring down or hail falling from the sky, we would have to think of reason after reason to explain to our 3 y.o. why he couldn't play outside. With nothing really planned for the week, the days were spent with nothing to do and trying to be creative with whatever we could.

Around Tuesday of spring break, Nick started to convince me that we should just leave immediately and go start our spring break... maybe drive to Virgina or Washington DC... but I panicked not having time to plan those trips and seeing as we haven't been on a family vacation, I didn't want to "waste" that trip with a vacation where we didn't really know what we were doing.

I think hourly, I would check weather.com to see if some miracle had come upon us and the weather got better... no such luck till Friday of vacation when we had a cold, but sunny day. We made the most of it!!

The funny part of it is that although I had what I thought was a horrible vacation week, as I was prepping for school on Sunday night... I realized how much I was dreading going back into the crazy routine we call life and thus started to really appreciate the week we had just had - even if the week was kind of boring and a bit depressing, it was still OUR week... not filled with making lunches, setting alarms, doing homework and chasing our tails keeping up with all that is going on. Then I realized that although Nick and I complained plenty about the week, the kids never did. I think they thought the week was great... I guess it's good to get a little perspective!

Happy 3rd Birthday Colin!

Happy Birthday to our little man!

And little man, he is! We can't believe the difference between boys and girls. After experiencing "toddler hood" with our 2 girls, it has been so fun to watch and be part of Colin's. He loves sports, construction, "working with dad" and makes the funniest boy noises when he is doing all of these things that he loves. I can only explain them like that... boy noises. They are kind of like a working man's grunt, or something similar. He makes these boy noises as he is working or playing sports. It is so funny, it almost seems as if he studied how men walk and move and is copying them. He struts his stuff around the house and is just so fun.

Most of the time, he is a delight. A happy boy who is just happy to be around his people, doing his thing. He is a man of routine and loves the predictions that come with each day. He ends each night asking us if tomorrow is a "Mommy, Daddy day or Nannie day or Jeanne (our daycare lady) day" and then after he learn what kind of day he will be having, he quickly moves into asking what he will be having for breakfast and so on and so forth.

He has made huge gains this year. Not counting potty training (which he did on his own at 2 1/2) the biggest is probably his speech - he talks all the time and says absolutely everything! He speech is understandable most of the time and he surprises us with the words he can say - just this week, he told my mom that he likes "new vehicles" while he was pointing out new cars on the road!

He has been taking (and loving) sports class at the Y with Nannie. He is mastering soccer and basketball and we are expecting the college scouts to be knocking on our door any day! He continues to LOVE, LOVE his bike and does an amazing job. I really wonder if he will be riding without training wheels by the end of the summer. He tears up and down our road on his bike with no trouble at all... he even with stand up on his pedals to try and ride faster!

Recently, we have started to see little glimpse of the horrid three year old tantrums... but we are working hard on ignoring them and are praying they won't last long - no boy can be perfect, right?

Regardless, we love this little guy and are so sure that he completes are family in the most perfect way.

Happy Birthday Colin!

Showing us his man face while riding on his bike. Buzz and Colin! The birthday donut that has become a tradition in the Giumarra house.

Currently, Colin wants to be outside ALL the time. Regardless of how cold or windy the day is, Colin thinks it is a perfect day to be outside.

Colin and his very favorite froggy!

WRT

Western Reserve Trail, or more commonly known around our neighborhood, WRT - is the name of the street that we live on. The WRT is a small street with only 12 houses and like most neighborhoods, there are some cranky folk and we can't be friends with everyone... but for the most part and for most of the time, I feel incredibly fortunate to live on the WRT. A sweet and special friendship among the WRT kids has formed over the past several years that we have all been here. Because the street is so small and dead ends, there is little traffic on the street and seldom is a car here that isn't one of us... so the kids have been able to overtake the street as their own. Chalk usually starts at our driveway and goes out into the road, paths are made between the houses and the kids seem to have a 6th sense for when the other kids are outside playing. We have been truly fortunate that the neighborhood kids all seem to be about the ages of our kids and thankfully, most of us grown ups seem to enjoy each other's company as well. Spring and Summer days are spent with the kids playing in the yards, biking on the street, swinging in the many swing sets and the grownups all circled around each other in one of the driveways enjoying it all.... We, WRT residents, have a special bond. I think it comes from that the WRT is a new construction neighborhood and outside of the most recent arrivals, we were all here from the "beginning." We have felt and endured the growing pains that came with being amongst construction for too long and all have a common enemy - the builder!! I remember growing up in our Maryland neighborhood were my brother and I would walk around the block to friends house and friends would end up in our yard and together we would find adventures and fun. I am thrilled that my kids have found that here in our neighborhood. Sure... it's not perfect (although I would have to say that my house is perfect - thanks to my ever-so-talented husband) but I feel very blessed to be able to have friendships at our doorstep.

Some of the WRT kids on one of the 1st "spring" days.