spring break update

I don't have much to say, but here's what we've been up to:

--We enjoyed our several days at Grandma and Grandpa's.  It included a trip to the lake to throw rocks in (just like my brothers and I used to do when we were little), a trip to the children's science museum there, which Rachel loves, playing at the playground at the park (in the freezing wind), visiting with Great Grandpa, visiting with an old friend and her baby girl, and Rachel drawing lots and lots of pictures while sitting at Grandma's dining room table, listening to all of my old Disney records. 

--The trip also included lots of bad sleep.  The first night Rachel was up with a fever and I couldn't get back to sleep (that was the only fever she had with this sickness, though, so we got off easy!).  The next night I just couldn't sleep.  I've been having a lot of insomnia issues lately.  It stinks.  My kids already have trouble sleeping (Rebecca's back to waking up at 5:00 AM and then crying off and on until I get her up at 6:00), which makes sleep an issue for me, anyway, but when they DO sleep, I should be able to sleep, too.  It's really frustrating.

--My husband finished up 10+ years at his job on Wednesday.  The last several years have been just awful for him there, and he's been looking for another job for a long time.  For awhile we thought we might have to move to another part of the country for him to find something, but thankfully he was finally able to find something closer to home.  It's a 50 minute drive (one way), which stinks for our gas budget, but at least we don't have to move.  On Monday he starts his new position.  He was off yesterday and today for a couple of well deserved vacation days.  I don't tell him enough how proud and thankful I am for him for working so hard in a place he's hated for so long, just to provide for us, but I am.

--My birthday present from him was a night away.  It's tonight and I can't wait.  I told him I just want to sleep.  I don't really care what else we do, as long as I get to sleep without children waking me up.  Sadly, I could very well be stuck in a dark hotel room with insomnia, but I'll be armed with Tylenol PM (and a flashlight and a book, just in case), so I'm really hoping that doesn't happen.   We also plan to see a movie, enjoy some child-free, complaint-free meals, and explore some parts of our own city we've never visited.

--Rachel got her pictures taken yesterday (the spring school pictures weren't good, so we didn't order any, so I had her pictures taken at a studio yesterday for her birthday instead).  They weren't that great either.  Ugh.  Thankfully I had a great coupon and only ended up paying $6 for the pictures I did order!