what spring break means to me

As I was deep in thought while loading the 73rd cereal bowl into the dishwasher this afternoon, the thought occurred to me how different life is when our normal everyday is interrupted (in a normal week, the kids eat cereal once or twice). 
I look forward to spring break almost as much as I look forward to summer.  It is that final milestone right before the end of the school year.  so necessary to my sanity.

spring breaks means:

• running out of cereal bowls because it's the breakfast, lunch, and (sometimes) dinner of choice around here when they're "on their own"
• "letting" the kids stay up til after midnight (not because it's OK, but simply because I have lost all track of time)
• TV/video games during the day
• pacific science center, the zoo, family fun center, mariners game, yogurtland, Lego movie again, the library, pump it up...because we finally have time (and we have 2 birthdays to celebrate)
• sending Elli away for the day with the kids so I can stay home and clean...all by myself.  (my personal fave)
• madsen happily playing outside on the tramp with Nolan and Ray (instead of him asking me all day when Ray and Nolan are going to be home)
• Nolan and Ray getting up with Madsen in the mornings because it's the ticket to playing video games
• blowing through a tank of gas in less than a week
• putting candles in leftover cake and singing happy birthday to madsen over and over again...at his insistence
• having high hopes for all the (cleaning/organizing) projects I'm finally going to have time to do, but that list somehow morphs into all the projects I'm finally going to have time to do...once the kids go back to school
• not having any idea how long it's been since my children have bathed (since we had general conference over the weekend, there's not even the "at least they showered on Sunday" option)
• not making lunches in the mornings = forgetting to feed my children on some days
• not waking up at 5 am {but still feeling almost as tired even though I'm waking up at 9}
• less arguments with sleep-deprived teenagers, more arguments with sleep-deprived toddlers
• not going to the gym
• wasting hours and hours playing 2048 on my phone (not to brag or anything, but my high score is higher than the FB-posted high scores of 2 childhood genius-friends of mine)
• not blogging
• getting sick.  doesn't every spring break end with getting sick?