Saturday w/o Hockey

Spring Break has started for us. The boys had a 1/2 day of school yesterday, coming home around lunch time. So, since yesterday was my first Friday where I took off work (typically I just work Mon-Thus) and I didn't have any hockey travel - I gave myself the day off too!!! Yahoo! While the boys ate lunch, I made banana bread (when you have rotten bananas...you make banana bread) - I had them help with the measuring, egg breaking and so on, making it a team effort. After popping that in the oven and the lunch dishes were in the dishwasher, the boys went up to veg on the computer and I took out my stitching (working on the "Wish...Dream" project). When the oven timer called out "Banana Bread is done"...we all ran down stairs to take it out and cut it up. They both love banana bread out of the oven. The rest of the afternoon, the boys played either computer games, board games or outside...I continued to cross stitch (no picture today...I will post one tomorrow).

I am not sure what we will do today. This is the first Saturday - the first weekend in fact - that we don't have any hockey to go to...No practice...No games...No hockey team parties...NOTHING. This can be a good thing or it can be a stressful thing. Remember the buzzards from the movie "Jungle Book". These guys sit on the branch of a tree, "vegging out"...one looks at the other and asks, "What do you want to do?"...and the other responds, "I don't know. What do you want to do?"...and then the first one responds, again, "I don't know, what do you want to do?" And it continues a few more times, until they realize the conversation isn't getting them anywhere...only to go back to it again. Well, this is how our household behaves when we don't have hockey and don't have any official plans.

One thing that we have enjoyed doing on Saturdays like today is going to our local farmer's market. When we moved here from MN, the farmer's markets were a real exciting thing for us because several local communities have them and they are not too far from our house. Most of the time we hop in the car and drive down to Main Street in Pleasanton, CA or, if we are really ambitious we ride our bikes 12 miles to the one in Danville, CA. It is fun to walk up and down the street, looking at all the wonderful fruits & veggies...smelling the warm breads that the bakery stands have out. The vendors typically have samples of their ware out on their stands...which makes for a good mid-morning snacks (and is very economical). This was a great way for my boys to try new fruits and veggies when we moved here and continues to be fun for them. One of Robert (older son)'s favorites are the English Peas. You just open the pod and pop a plump pea in your mouth - great to snack on while walking up and down the street. Matthew (younger son) loves the fresh bread; he will end up getting a warm bagguette and munching on that while we walk. My DH loves the Kettle corn (but since he is now on a diet, has informed me that I will need to make him some air popped corn to munch on if we go to the farmer's market). So that is one option.

We also have a list of things we need to do this weekend:

1. I need to finish my on-line traffic school (yep, got a ticket several months ago and opted for the traffic school so that it doesn't get on our insurance record).
2. We need to finish up taxes. I think that we will be getting a refund, but we are just procrastinating because it isn't a fun thing to do (DH and I usually end up arguing about something)
3. I need to get an idea of the number of projects Robert has to do over Spring break and what the requirements are
4. I need to give Matthew options of things to do so that he isn't mesmorized in front of the computer all day long
5. I need to weed and clean up the garden - get the strawberry bed ready to grow and get some tomatoes to plant
6. Need to mow the lawn, fertilize it and get the sprinklers ready to run
7. Need to sit and stitch as much as possible to enjoy my time & spring break!!!!

Not too much to do :) Oh, yah, I will also need to make sure that all the Easter things are prepped and ready for the Easter bunny's visit! I still have boys in this household (13 yrs and 10 yrs) who still believe (or at least don't want to give up the dream).

Have a good Saturday...remember to Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often! Lisa