Spring has Sprung

These flowers you see here in our backyard have already been in bloom for more than a week. Nothing like some much needed warmth and sunshine to do the trick. Although it's true, winter decided not to show up this year, and the weather has definitely been mild, there's been a lot of rain and gloomy cold days. The kids are not used to it. (this bright, big orange ball in the sky) They walk around the house like Dracula with their arms over their eyes saying the sun it too bright. It's directly in the dining room in the morning so breakfast can be a little tricky as they try to find the perfect spot to eat where the sun is not in their eyes. They've asked for the awning to be put out or the shutters to be lowered but I refuse. We finally have some sun!! Another bonus to this is finally being able to go out in the backyard to play or eat their snack after school as they've done all this week. As there is no extra space here, at this time of year, I always feel like I gain another room in the house, yeah the one outside the house called the backyard!

In other exciting news,(ok yes sunny days are exciting here!) in a very last minute way, we've decided to go to Disneyland Paris over spring break. There was an offer with my husband's company for tickets to Disneyland plus hotel that truly was too good to pass up. There are several promotions going on right now as Disneyland Paris celebrates it's 15 year anniversary. Many of the offers are trying to attract customers during the low tourist season in spring. Well, it worked, we'll be there! Let's hope the weather cooperates! When I finished booking the reservations on the phone with Fabio (whose Italian accent was even stronger than my American one) I heard my husband tell the kids they were going to Disneyland and then the screaming and jumping up and down began. Even Fabio heard it and had to laugh. So for 2 days and one night, we'll be there, the Magical World of Disney. I've never been to the one in Paris so it'll be interesting to see how it compares. I'm sure it'll be great.

I'll be happy to take any suggestions, ideas (or "must do's") from anyone who is an expert at this kind of trip. One thing I'm sure of, I think a trip like this requires an update in the digital camera dept. Ours is a nice beginner model but we've outgrown it. For starters, there's not even enough memory for all the pictures I'm sure to be taking. Time to kick it up a notch, kids are only little once.

In other travel news, we booked our trip to Chicago in August. This will be a change, since we've been going in the fall when school wasn't an issue. Now as Kevin is in 1st grade, we don't have the option to go during the school year. I've already got a list going of all the must see/must do stuff for this summer trip. Top on the list would be a baseball game...Cubs of course! Although getting tickets might not be the easiest thing. Gotta start looking into that actually. And then there are the museums, they all love dinosaurs, the zoo, the lakefront. It'll be wonderful to get back, visit with family and friends and see Chicago in the summer.

This weekend is Carnaval here in town, and Kevin's grade school is coordinating the parade. They'll be dressing up as Knights. Weather looks like it'll be decent so it should be a fun afternoon.

And finally, is it a coincidence that just as I start a blog, my keyboard decides to get all goofy and will out of nowhere stop functioning? I can be in the middle of an email, post, whatever typing away and then in the next instant, poof! the keyboard won't work. I had this post almost finished yesterday when it happened. The only thing that works is to restart the computer. Well I was too tired and just turned off the computer instead. This never happened before. Jeez, nice way to give me a complex! I'm thinking as my computer is about as old as a dinosaur, a change is needed in that department as well, but that'll have to wait.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!