March: Spring Break

It's very hard for Brian to get time off around spring break so this year I decided I wasn't going to let his work schedule interfere with my spring break fun. I convinced my friend Sharon and Laurie to head with me to Portland to just get out of town for an overnighter. We told our husbands we just HAD to go to Portland for our sons to attend a YMCA basketball camp. And truthfully, we intended to have them go to this camp. Unfortunately, the registration date passed and we forgot to sign them up. We just didn't tell the men that the boys weren't going.


The fun began the minute they were in the car with junk food and a giant bag of popcorn. Our first item of business was shopping at the Woodburn outlets. Picture 3 women and 11 kids shopping together. We were quite the spectacle for people to watch. Regardless the shopping was fabulous and Lizzy scored some skirts, Sophie some sweat outfits, Andrew a jacket and shirt/shorts, and Ethan some shorts-all for under $50. I wished my mom and Rozanne could have been there for the bargains I got!


From Woodburn it was straight to the hotel where we dropped our belongings in our rooms and the kids ran to the pool. Despite the 300% chlorine content and the fact that our skin was melting off and lungs were getting burned, it didn't stop the fun!


After a swim it was off to the Cheesecake Factory where we indulged on yummy food and lots of cheesecake. Unfortunately, this is where the vacation ended for Laurie as from the moment before eating until the following Sunday, one of her children was continually wretching or vomiting. Sadly, all over their news clothes too!



That night the kids went swimming some more, then stayed up playing video games, and Sharon and I didn't stop talking until 1:30 am. The next morning it was an all you can eat buffet breakfast including made to order omlets and then it was off to the mall for lots of "wow this is what a real mall looks like" comments. Laurie departed, ready to end her vomiting misery and Sharon and I took our kids to OMSI.
Our only regret is that we left only 3 hours for OMSI and could have spent the entire day there. The kids were fascinated with the hands on displays.


And Ethan did not want to leave. He cried when told we were leaving. I think most people thought I was kidnapping him.

The road trip home was uneventful except for the occasional laughter fits by Sharon and I as we found even the lady at the take out at McDonalds hillarious. Overall it was a wonderful trip and definitely one worth repeating. As we pulled into Sharon's neighborhood, it was clear our men weren't mourning our absence, with belly's full of No Ho's, NCAA basketball with Duke on, and a lot of junk food in front of them.