Oh Blessed Mid-Winter Break

Here in our little slice of the great American pie known as the Cascade Foothills there is an annual occurrence that serves as a reminder that although we happily nest amidst the tall pines and low-hanging clouds of this soggy Utopia, mortal irritations occur as naturally as the falling rain. The particular annual occurrence to which I refer is this: mid-winter break.

As if winter break and spring break don't provide enough, well, "breaks" from formal education, our school district is among the several that have enough faith in our children's innate brilliance and ability to self-educate that they have kindly provided an additional break between the two afore-mentioned breaks.

So if you're wondering what we, the Sundwalls, do to further our budding intellects and satiate our inherent curiosity during this blessed five-day occasion, I've thought to enlighten you both in word and visual aid. Here goes.

Tanner, our budding saxophonist (is that a word?), has taken to sink-dancing while practicing his instrument; an inspired medium for such unhampered creativity. They don't teach that in school, now, do they?

On our way to a two-day sojourn in Eastern WA to visit my sister-in-law, Keslie, and her three sweet babies (bro Judah was out of town), we came across this little gem in the high desert. Although we did not have time to stop for the tour, I did make a mental earmark of the location for future reference, as a cheese factory tour is on my list of things to do before I die. Seriously.

My 11-year-old-going-on-16-year-old Kate gives driving lessons to baby Maylie. Incidentally, no one was hurt in this demonstration, and Kate is convinced she's now ready to take on my Toyota.

Always striving to maintain a balance in her young yet energetic life, Kate shows her skill on the Ripstick. Have you tried this death-trap-on-wheels? I almost broke my neck!

Anxious to use her time wisely in new pursuits, Kalli stretches her tomboy wings a bit under the direction of her more girly cousin, Shani. Her first official dance lesson (as well as her first makeup session, compliments of sister Kate).

Tucker, ever the creative genius, tries his luck as a human chew toy. Cousin Grayson obediently plays the part of the over-eager puppy.

With an obvious flair for ingenuity, Kalli commandeers a sheet of bubble wrap and two permanent markers, items rarely found in first grade art class. The result? A stained-plastic window.

In a rare moment of raw sunshine, Kate seizes the moment and relaxes with a good book in her butterfly chair...

... while sister Kalli multi-tasks by doing calisthenics and reading at the same time. Such coalescent skills are rarely seen in children this young.

On Friday night the boys and I attended a Harlem Globetrotters game. It was insanely entertaining to hear their goofy comments and giggles. Woefully noneducational, to be sure, but I guess we could consider this outing the "recess" of the week. :)

Although completely unrelated, I admittedly had a great time watching these two little ladies at the game. I imagine the conversation earlier that day went something like this:

"Hey, Gretta, let's ditch Bingo Night and head to the Globetrotter game. I hear the geriatric security guard is single."

I would love to say the week was filled to the brim with enriching activities, but it wasn't. There was some trash-kicking on Mario Kart, a few good sibling squabbles, a pesky flu bug, some boredom, a few occasions where I hid from my children, and a blast-to-the-past "Popeye the Movie" viewing that I ended up watching alone (the "Popeye" starring Robin Williams. A true classic).

But in the end it was all good. And as far as my hostility regarding another school break amidst breaks, well, I've come to terms with it. After all, if my kids end up uneducated burger-flippers, there's really no one to blame but themselves. And if things play out that way, then in the words of Popeye himself I say to the higher-ups in our school administration: "You may think I blames ya, but I don't."