Spring Break Boy-venture 2011

This past Sunday (aka the beginning of Spring Break week), my parents came down to help out with the kiddos and help me maintain a bit of sanity while Brandon was out of town.

Mandy-Brandon+Four Kids-School=CHAOS. It's the new math.

My dad took Dane and Aidan on a bit of a Spring Break Boy-venture. What does a Spring Break Boy-ventrure consist of? I'm glad you asked. Sunday afternoon they headed down to the Battleship Texas, arriving about an hour before closing. Clearly my dad had big plans of making a quick jaunt to the ship to let the boys look around for a few minutes before heading for the next destination. The boys had different plans. Plans that included trying out every bunk bed and aiming missles and navigating narrow ladders with a broken arm and taking cute pictures.

Surely they could not be expected to leave when the ship closed to visitors at 5 pm. Surely that voice on the overhead speakers at 5:45 pm telling people to GET OFF THE BOAT is not meant for them. There were still bunk beds to try out.

(Sidenote: At church Sunday morning Aidan got ahold of a bunch of red heart stickers and stuck them all over his face. Apparently he left them all over his face all day.)

Please don't tell the orthopedic (whose cell phone number is on my phone at this point) that Dane is up here:

A Boy-Bedroom Makeover is in the works for the next couple of months, and bunk beds are in their near future. I think they'll like them. We'll have to make Dane sleep on the top, in case he falls off at least he's met his deductible for this year.

After the Battleship Texas, the boys loaded up and headed west, young man, for a hotel near San Antonio, where, as best as I can tell, is the only time they brushed their teeth the entire time. I'm still not sure if they showered or not the whole time they were gone. Perhaps they're just preparing for their days as junior high boys at church camp.

Monday morning saw my boys remembering the Alamo...

...with some souvenir weapons that they convinced Pappy to buy them.


I asked Aidan if he had fun in San Antonio, and he told me "They have Davy Crockett's raccoon hat at the Alamo. They had to scoop the brains out and dry off the blood from the raccoon before he could wear it." I'm usually left a little speechless learning about what goes through Aidan's mind at times, and what he remembers about a place days days after he has visited.

Texas history at its finest, folks.

After their visit to the home of Davy Crockett's hat (I have no idea if the actual hat is at the Alamo, I think Aidan's assessment is based on the bin-full of Davy-Crockett hats he saw in the gift shop), they all headed to the Riverwalk to chase the ducks.

Not content to just experience the battleship, a hotel stay, the Alamo, and the San Antonio Riverwalk in a 24-hour period, my dad headed a bit north to take Dane and Aidan on a glass-bottom boat at Aquarina Springs, which would prove to be one of the highlights of the trip. I have heard over and over again about all the turtles and fishes at the "boat with the glass in the middle". Pappy reported that both boys were very interested in learning about all of the animals they saw swimming around, raising their hands further question the boat staff about the animals they were seeing underwater.

After a BBQ lunch, where Dane ate his weight in sausage and Aidan ate Saltine crackers, they pressed on, driving up to Pappy's house in the Dallas area.

The plan for Tuesday was for the boys to help Pappy take pictures of a baseball team. Tuesday morning dawned bright and early with the realization that it was chilly outside, and a certain mommy had not thought to pack jackets for the little boys. A quick trip to the WalMart was in order. Unfortunately, the WalMart in spring time only carries Dallas Cowboys or UT sweatshirts, much to the chagrin of Brandon's sons. They left the store, Cowboys sweatshirts in tow, Dane proclaiming, "Well, I guess it's better than freezing to death." Brandon has ingrained an irrational distaste for both the Dallas Cowboys and UT into my boys, and my sports-loving sons were horrified to be seen on a baseball field wearing Cowboys sweatshirts. According to their Pappy, they recovered from their embarrassment just in time to flirt furiously with a little girl who was tagging along on picture day also. I'm glad they didn't let the Cowboys gear hold them down and crush their spirits.

Pappy had one last surprise up his sleeve for the boys on Tuesday night when they pulled up to DFW airport. Aidan tells us almost weekly that he is the only kid who has never been on an airplane. Dane flew from Dallas to Houston with Pappy when he was about a year old, Harper flew with MoMo last year, and of course Emerson is our airplane queen with a trans-oceanic flight under her belt. Aidan has never let us forget that he is the only. one. who has never been on an airplane. Ever. So Tuesday night Aidan got his turn, along with his Pappy and his big brother Dane-o.

Despite the weird expression on his face, this was his favorite part of the trip.

Thanks so much for the Spring Break Boy-venture, Pappy! We had a great time!