extended stay-cation

Let's see....so last we met we were living the high life

double spooning frozen yogurt 

like there was no tomorrow.
Because there wasn't

There was only impromptu gatherings with kindred gigglers

and beautiful birthday girls.

There was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, new parks, bikerides

and breathing in the new spring air.
But there's only so many slices in the chocolate cream pie before you have to get your kid back on the school bus.  Luckily for us, an extra slice of pie arrived on United Airlines just in time for us to pretend it was still spring break.  Hi Amy!

We pretty much ran around like we owned the place.  We ate boar collar at eleven in the morning.  We let our kids rummage through waterfalls and barely blinked when they shimmied down a ravine.

When they got dirty we stripped them down to their skivvies and hit up the closest goodwill for new pants.  We called it Portland chic and then turned into Powell's for a two hour bookfest.  We went for broke, left the kids in the brave hands of the hubby and shopped through Nordstrom Rack like it was a two am rager.  It was only three-ish days but it was a wild time and further sealed the bonds of some good kid-friendship.  And sometimes, ok, all-times, it's just nice to have someone in the passenger seat. Because life is messy and every mama needs some backup.  We miss you guys already!

But this week we're back to dentist appointments (eh), job-interviews (yay! ahh! yay! ahh!), meal planning(eh), long nights of Ben coaching track(boo!), viruses(boo!), Italy planning (yay! yay! yay!), grad school(yay!), and church work(yay for spring pedicure money!).  It's the familiar last stretch until June.  Eight weeks of the inevitable arm-wrestle.  The searching out of joy in the routine and living in the now and not in the countdown of summer break.
So, at the crack of dawn (ok, it was 7am, but in my defense I have a nasty cold and had to get up with Ava twice due to a nightmare involving yo-yo's and "growing pains") the sound of little feet stirred me just enough to peek out and see Ian tip-toeing towards my bed.  He kissed me straight up on the lips and whispered, "I yuv you Mommy."
I figure it's a pretty good start.