I love hobbies, and I love seeing how each of my children have different hobbies that they enjoy.

We do a lot of different things around here. Work pays the bills and can be very satisfying, but there’s something about a hobby that inspires people. Sometimes you are lucky enough to find a hobby that becomes your work, but even if you don’t, you still need a good hobby.

Hobbies are the spice of life. We have a wide variety, and I’ve noticed everyone has been very active with their hobbies around here lately.

3 hobbies in one pic: badminton, hanging out with friends, and RVing. I love it all.

Okay, no, actually, I think I’d be incredibly nervous on an RV. They look fun, but I don’t know. I’ve never done it.

He dressed up as a Star Wars character. I told him, “You might want to change because you have to go inside with me to pick up John David, and there will be lots of kids there. But you can wear that if you want to.”

“Yes! Yes! I want to wear this!”

….And then we pulled into the parking lot, and he chickened out. I had to stand and wait for him to pull the costume off. He had his regular clothes on underneath.

This is the same kid that went to a basketball game in full Batman costume, so I didn’t put it past him to wear the storm trooper outfit.

There’s something special about baking cookies with your mom. This was an activity my brother and I did a lot when we were growing up, and I’m so thankful we did because I was well prepared to spend my life in the kitchen feeding all these boys!

I found this shirt at the local farmer’s market. Does shopping count as a hobby? Well, supporting my favorite baseball player does, and I don’t mean Bryce Harper. I do mean my Daniel.

This is a hobby I was completely unfamiliar with until Caleb came along. I don’t even care to learn really, though I’m sure eventually I will, for Caleb and Daniel’s sakes. Amy was a good sport and played with the kids.

Reading has always been one of my personal favorite hobbies.

Testing phase of his parachute. No, he didn’t jump with it. He didn’t make it for a person, he made it to send down small things.

Caleb is my inventor. Does your family have an inventor in your ranks? He never ceases to amuse me with the things he creates with paper, tape, and staples.

When they put a suction cup on a toothbrush, this is obviously what that’s for.

When I see this, I know that my inventor is busy at work, and I’m also thankful that he hasn’t lost my tape yet. I can never find my tape. You see why.

My stapler was also missing for like 2 months.

Dynamite

They are so different from me. I have never invented a single thing in my life. When Joshua came home with that diorama book report assignment, I wanted to cry. April doesn’t make things, at least not inedible things.

50 worms. All made by him

We had an agreement. He can play Playdoh as much as he wants as long as I don’t have to make things. He makes the things.

Chalking Woody

Drawing on his toys is his passion in life. I kid you not.

Now this is a hobby I WILL be joining them on this summer. Yes, I can’t wait. Totally serious.

a Caleb creation. This wasn’t even a set. He designed this himself. He is a Lego and video game genius, in my humble, motherly opinion. Haha!!

And oh, how I love to sit or walk and marvel at the beauty of God’s creation. Stand in awe of God. Creation restores my faith when I am down.

That photo was taken at Yosemite. Every nature lover needs to eventually make it to California.

What about you? What are your hobbies? Any other slip-and-sliders out there? 

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What to Expect at Legoland Discovery Center in Atlanta

There are a few Legoland Discovery Centers around the country now. We went to the one in Atlanta during spring break. These are a fun way to spend a few hours together as a family.

If your kids have never been to Legoland Orlando or Legoland in Southern California, you should totally just tell them this is Legoland and never have to book the larger vacation. They’d probably be totally satisfied.

Of course, we actually did go to Legoland California, and I wrote about that here. Our boys are obsessed with all things Lego, especially our younger 3, so these vacations were the perfect fit for us.

This year we saved $$$$ by staying local for Spring Break, and Legoland Discovery Center Atlanta was the perfect fit.

The boys knew going into it that this was not going to be like the theme park. It’s more of a play center, and they saw a commercial for it on one of their Lego movies, so they were all happy.

We are firm believers in managing expectations. Give them low hopes and over deliver. That, my friends, is the key to spring break happiness.

Legoland Discovery Centers are scattered throughout the country, in many of the bigger cities, and this was our first time to visit one. This particular one is located in a large shopping mall, deep into Atlanta.

By the way, Atlanta traffic was not nearly as aggravating that day. We miraculously managed to keep our car moving forward, not sitting still, the entire time we were on the road.

We booked in advance because that saves you a few dollars on each ticket.

When you are a party of 6, a few dollars on each ticket adds up fast. Sometimes you can find coupons online too.

When you book in advance, you also choose a time to arrive. We did that because we didn’t want to drive all the way over there and then the place be full and have to wait in line. We waited in no line to get in, and we waited in the shortest lines ever to go on the rides. That makes this non-line-waiting-Momma very happy.

As soon as we got in, JD began to ask to build Lego men.

JD’s interest in Lego is pretty much limited to just the men at this age. All of our 3-year-olds have been that way.

But JD took the request to the level of whiny, repetitive begging that will put your teeth on edge. All the building stations are for bricks, not tiny men.

After listening to his tale of woe for a solid 10 minutes–I mean it could have been 5, but when you are listening to a toddler in despair 5 minutes feels like 45 minutes—-Alan said, “Well, I wanted to wait to give them their men until we get home so they don’t just lose them.”

“What Lego men? Is that what’s in that yellow bag? Our admission tickets came with Lego men???”

“Yeah, but I mean it’s just like this policeman. I don’t know…”

“Alan, pleeeeeaaaase, I cannot keep listening to him saying ‘where’s the Lego men? I want to build Lego men.’ over and over again. I can’t.”

So we went on our first ride, a really fun one where you shoot the Lego bad guys with a little light that blinks, just like at Disney World, and that kept him completely distracted.

After that was over, we gave him the one Star Wars Lego man in the bag. He doesn’t even care about Star Wars, but he was so happy to receive a Lego man it didn’t matter. He was content the rest of the day. Yay!!!

And the little boy who started the tower in the first place (JD) was long gone, up in the pirate tower shooting a cannon over and over again.

This is why family outings and vacations are so important.

You get out of your house, away from your screens, away from your friends, away from your JOB, and you have no choice but to focus on each other for a little while. You have fun together, which strengthens your bond as a family.

I hope you all get to go on a few good family outings or vacations this summer. We did this and we did Calloway Gardens this Spring break. I’ll tell you all about Callaway on a future post. Did you know that Alan actually proposed to me at Callaway?

We also spent a ton of time chillin’ at home, with a lot fewer cares than we normally have. I wrote about that in Part I and Part II of my Spring Break 2017 series. We enjoyed those days too. Who can go, go, go ALL the time? That’s plain exhausting.

We did everything there was to do at Legoland Discovery Center, except for eat at the snack stand.

Instead, we went to Johnny Rocket’s right across the hall.

We did everything in 2 hours, and everyone left happy. Everyone. Oh, and of course, we made time for the Legoland Discovery Center Store.

I zipped through the store picking out a little box for their Easter baskets, yeah, it’s going to be an awesome Easter, and then I parked myself on a bench outside the store. Anytime I go to Lego anything with Alan and the boys, I spend time sittin’ on the bench. I don’t see how they manage to fill up that much time gazing at Lego sets.

This was a perfect family day out for us.

It was such a breeze sticking to day trips this Spring Break, rather than a big vacation. Come back this weekend for Spring Break Part 4: Callaway Gardens! My new favorite spot in Georgia!

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This week is our Spring Break. Wahoo! That’s something to celebrate! I have about 5 billion goals to accomplish and all of 5 days to do it in. Mostly, we are prepping for the big move. It’s three months out, but hey, that’s like three weeks in Mom years.

I could tell you what’s been going on around here, but I thought it’d be more fun to show you, so today’s blog is a photoblog:

My Raynaud’s syndrome has been acting up lately. 

 What happens is that the blood vessels constrict when you’re cold, cutting off blood supply to the extremities. First, the finger tips go purple and then they go white and extremely numb. I suppose I should start wearing gloves. This would happen to you too if you were freezing in Alaska or something, but this happens to me if I’m even in a building with too much air-conditioning. My cold threshold is crazy low. No worries. We’re moving back to the land of sweat and mosquitoes. 

The other day I put Daniel down for a nap. He’s five now, and he rarely ever naps, but sometimes he gets so sleepy and grumpy that I deem it a must. This was a must-nap day. However, once he was upstairs all quiet and alone, he got down and had a BALL playing in the hallway with cars and who knows what else.

As I came up the stairs, I heard that classic boy-running-to-bed to pretend to be asleep sound. Because apparently he thinks I’m deaf.

Now that Caleb and Joshua are too tall to fit into any of their costumes, they have taken to putting these size 8 superhero costumes on JD and Daniel. Who needs pets when you have little brothers?

This is a Velociraptor.

Woody and Buzz.

Because finding gluten-free pizza was one of the happiest things that happened this week. It is a big deal.

Don’t tell Daniel these are weeds. I think he is the sweetest thing in the world, always bringing his momma flowers.

One of my neighbors gave the boys a bag full of snacks, from the “Easter Bunny.”

Dan painted this at Cubbies this week. He even said, “I put blue on this side, and red on this side, and put it together to make purple in the middle!”

Daniel made this “shapes” bird-house at home-school this week. We do preschool at home two days and regular preschool three days.

Dan took his new Star Wars ships everywhere the last couple of days.

Actually, he’s already broken one ship. He explained, “Mom, that’s because he was shot in battle. Mom, that’s why he’s broken. He’s supposed to be.”

People are always giving us stuff! Our homeschool umbrella school director gave this set to Daniel, and he LOVES it.

But someone really should follow Dan around all day with a vacuum cleaner.

Guess what I did yesterday…..

Oh, yeah, I took my birthday money shopping. It was GRAND. (No, I did not buy a cooler. I keep that in there to hide the large amounts of Easter chocolate that I’m saving for some special people.

And guess what I found near the stores??? SONIC!!! I didn’t know these existed in California.

That afternoon I also took Caleb to a Star Wars-themed birthday party. She themed it out so well, y’all. They got to fight Darth Vader, hop on a tree-stump obstacle course, shoot a Star Wars ship with Nerf guns, and last but not least, they threw pine-cones at these clone troopers:

I totally wanted to play this party game. The kids were not able to pop them all, so the adults DID get a shot at it. It was fun!

close-up

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend as well. We have basically zero plans for Spring Break, other than to catch up on all the work we have to do, but that’s okay. Even work can be fun when you tackle it with the right attitude, with a little happy music playing, of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAsG__XjU8Q

(Enchanted move clean-up scene: You gotta watch it.)

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