Spring Break at Red Butte Gardens

Spring Break is OVER! 

(Hurrah!  I survived!)

While I understand the need for teachers to have a much-needed break, does it have to be at the time of year when the weather is the most unpredictable and the incidence for ear infections and flu is the highest? 

Spring Break came just after I had finished up a four-days-in-bed Eleanor flu, ear infections for both her and Wimmy, and then four-days-in-bed Jeffrey flu.  Having him home with the flu for four straight days was a trial; he is the most high-maintenance (whiny) of all my kids.  We finally figured out how to keep him entertained on Day Four: putting the “Making of Lord of the Rings documentary in my laptop and letting him watch it all he wanted without driving the rest of us crazy.  I don’t know why my six year old has such a high tolerance for the endless natterings of Peter Jackson, but he does.

 So, needless to say, after two weeks of feeling isolated and lonely due to sickness, it was difficult to take on three bored kids snowed in with cabin fever.  Arrrgh.

At least on Monday the weather was good.  We got to go to Red Butte Gardens and see the pretty flowers.  I made an attempt at taking portraits of the kids, like we used to do at the Phipps Conservatory every spring in Pittsburgh.  Here are the results:

Eleanor is learning how to “look cute” for the camera (i.e. mugging):

I actually got Jeffrey to look at the camera AND smile.  Kinda:

William found a seat just his size under a willow tree in the children’s garden:

This picture is just darn springy:

Monday was the only day of the week that we had sunshine.  By Wednesday, the ground was once again blanketed in snow and I threw myself onto a pile of mittens and boots and did some screaming and kicking for a while. 

But now school is back in session, and the sun has returned.  Happy days.