You Guys! I figured out Early Dismissal!

For years now, early dismissal has filled me with dread. So many children at home! So much unstructured time! So little chance I will get my afternoon nap!

And to make matters worse, Ben usually works on Fridays, so early dismissal is me.  All me.  And, you know, all those kids.

So yesterday, we decided to conquer early dismissal by checking into a Hampton Inn down the road that has a great kid pool for a little Friday afternoon/evening swimming and pizza.  And this hotel has a breakfast buffet, so we came back for more swimming this morning!  We got our $113 out of that room, that's for sure.

It's going to be an early dismissal tradition-- there's a Holiday Inn in town with a WATER PARK, so we might try that next time. Although maybe not-- we had a poolside room, and we were always the only people in the water, from 3-8 yesterday and from 8-11 this morning.  HEAVEN.

I took pictures, OF COURSE, but there was other stuff on my camera, so let's talk about a some random stuff, huh?

Before the got THE PLAGUE, we visited baby Henry in the hospital (YOU ARE SO WELCOME, HENRY'S PARENTS)

I always let him hold his own brothers and sister without help, but I did not want him to break someone else's baby. 

COUSINS!!

So many kids!  Who might break the baby!

This week was the final class of LAST SEMESTER at baby gym.  We have missed the last 5 weeks, one for Disney, 2 for xmas break and then 2 for horrible plague, and in our time away from the gym, I forgot how much Dorothy loves it.  If I had remembered, I never would have hesitated to sign her up.

Look at her bounce!

Clearly, I was looking-- I took about a million pictures of her frolicking with her John Candy in Spaceballs pig tails.

What was Cooper doing?  Sitting outside the gym eating M&Ms and playing iPad.  I asked him what he was doing and all he would say was "Brains!  Eat brains," so I guess he was playing Plants versus Zombies.

Such a little monkey

This is her concentrating face.

She is only 22 months old!  And she can walk a balance beam by herself and jump off the end!

I mean, sure, it has an extender, but still!  Look how high she is!

She was very serious about getting her ribbon

When she smiles nowadays, she actually SAYS cheese-- it's my favorite.

She even loved the high bars

And the photo props in the lobby

I almost made this my FB profile pic, but I really think people should be IN their profile pics.  Should have given Cooper my camera or used my selfie stick.

Okay seriously, how cool is this hotel pool?

Dorothy and Cooper didn't want to go yesterday, so Harry, and Jack and I swam our faces off and Ben stayed home with the babies.

Then the boys ate an entire large stuffed crust cheese pizza by themselves.  Gross.

Also gross, this weird folksy campaign at Hampton Inn.  My friend staying at one in the burbs last night posted this same note on FB, so it's a THING.  So weird.

Cooper wanted to come this morning, so the three of them destroyed the breakfast buffet, and then all 4 of us swam from 8:30-11.  SO.  PRUNEY.

Loving the shorts and Uggs look

After swimming, the 3 boys relaxed in bed and watched Disney tween shows until we had to check out.  I read a book.  It was lovely.

And now?  I am looking forward to the next early dismissal.  Who knew?