Garola Gang

Spring break is such a tease! It gives you just a little taste of summer. Enough to get your mind off of school/work mode for a few days, and then you just have to transition right back! I'd almost rather work right through and get to summer quicker! We had a GREAT week, though! We got some things done at the house (my front doors no longer don Valentine's Day wreaths), tried lots of yummy new recipes (thank you pintrest), and did lots of fun play stuff! Here's a run down of our week (if you care, or even if you don't!).

SATURDAY
- While Rob coached a baseball game the kids and I headed downtown to support our pediatric cancer friends at St. Baldricks where our friend Morgan Webb shaved her head to raise $ for kids cancer! You're awesome, Morgan! And beautiful even with no hair!

- We babysat baby Sloan for the first time Saturday night, which was a bit of a flop considering she cried until she passed out, but she sure is cute! We're definitely willing to try again!

SUNDAY-
- church
- cade, cora, and I went to see SCPS's musical "Annie" in the afternoon! It was so great and we loved seeing all those familiar faces on stage. Such a great story, that I watched probably 100 times as a kid. Love that I got to share that with my kids. Cora was a huge "hard knock life" fan and I've been able to get her to clean or pick up anything ever since simply by handing her a rag and screaming at her with a NY accent! :)

- Rob and Clara then met us downtown for dinner.

MONDAY-
-painted raised garden boxes and got them looking pretty prior to planting

Clara was the ~~messiest~~ most enthusiastic painter!
- took winter clothes out of kids closets, and put summer clothes in
-Clara and mommy went swimming at the aquatic center while cade had GCAT practice and Cora had a swim lesson--- NEWSFLASH!!!! After 5.5 years of trying and unsolicited fear, CORA LEARNED TO SWIM at her second lesson! She just jumped in and did it!!!! She's so proud!
-Dinner was this yummy recipe for Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Skillet, http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/02/spicy-parmesan-shrimp-skillet/ of which everyone approved!

TUESDAY
- Stayed in our pjs late Tuesday morning. I actually made an oven baked pancake for breakfast.
- I then took my 3 favorite kiddos to see The Lorax. It was Clara's first movie, and I was hesitant because she's so ~~nuts and defiant~~ high energy, but she did better than expected! She loved the Low-wax and the singing beers (bears).

- When then ventured over to watch Daddy's IHS sharks smash the Johnson High Atom Smashers! GO SHARKS!
- Then home for a late dinner, Crispy Cod and broccoli with multiple dipping sauces, http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/crispy-pacific-cod-parmesan-butter-dipping-sauce-broccoli-10000001707802/index.html?xid=dailyrecnews-05-15-2011in front of another movie, the newest Harry Potter of which I can never remember the name! We didn't burn a lot of calories on Tuesday, but we did have fun!

WEDNESDAY
- Started with a bike ride and exercises led by yours truly! ;) Couldn't let Tuesday catch up with us!
- We then went shopping and bought Cade and Cora a few spring/summer things. Clara has enough clothes to clothe quintuplets.
- We ate lunch with Lala and Baby Sloan.

- We made new fun wreaths for the front doors using and old burlap oyster sack, scrap fabric, and 2 $4.99 styrofoam wreaths from Michaels!

- Swim practice

- Dance class

- Dinner was Black Bean Patties with corn relish from this YUMMY blog, http://penniesonaplatter.com/2011/12/26/black-bean-patties-with-corn-relish-and-avocado-cream-sauce/
They didn't earn the approval of all of the gang, but mommy and daddy are HOOKED! LOVED THEM!

THURSDAY
- cleaned the house (all play and no work, makes for one messy house)
- lunch at Chic-Fil-A (yes, we did a lot of eating this week!)
- fun afternoon play date with our neighborhood friends that we don't see nearly enough that include a trip to our neighborhood, Isle of 'Yo for a frozen treat!

- On the menu for Thursday was shredded chicken and spinach stuffed shells (my own recipe). We made 3 batches. One for us and two to share with friends.

FRIDAY
Yet another morning play date followed by cleaning inside and out! Cade found out how much fun it is to use a blower!

- Abuela and Abuelo got here late in the afternoon and we went to ~~watch the biggest rip off in the history of baseball~~
support the Sharks once again!

- Dinner was Pizza in Sandfly. (even on spring break mommy can't cook EVERY night!)

SATURDAY
- We donned our green early Saturday morning and ventured downtown for the craziest parade in the history of the world with friends! Fun, but exhausting!

thanks gran for the green tutu, perfect for our tutu lover on st. pattys

seriously, how funny is the leprechaun posse?

abuela and abuelos first st. pattys day in Savannah where it's more celebrated than Christmas!
Don't worry, in our book the birth of Jesus still ranks WAY above green beer!

snaggle tooth parade watcher

leprechaun tractor!

OUR RAIDER BOYS on their championship football float!!! See the HUGE handsome boy in the center with his arms folded, I taught him FIRST GRADE!!!! Sweet Donnie! Yes, I am that old! GO RAIDER NATION!

the gang in green!

rotten girl- her cuteness is what keeps her alive!

SUNDAY
Even God rested on the seventh day, we plan to do the same! :) or maybe we'll transplant the plants into the garden!

Happy Spring Break 2012!
love, the garola gang

Clara's two buddies from Nonni's house (her babysitter) are Katelyn and "the other Clara." There birthdays are literally weeks apart. They're very cute together and it's sorta like they have their own little personal 2 year old preschool at Nonni's. For their birthdays Katelyn's smart mom bought them all unstuffed build a bear bunnies. Last weekend we all went together to Build-A- Bear Workshop to stuff the bunnies! Here they are registering their bunnies online!