Why, yes, Fall Break officially starts today and I am just now sitting down to finalize our Fall Break Plans. What can I say? It’s been a really busy year trying to reimagine school for 500 children!
The first glimpse that we might need to shut down school because of COVID-19 happened during the middle of our Spring Break. Since then, we’ve been working non-stop (even through Summer Break). At least I got to do my work from an amazing screened porch off Lake Michigan for a week!
What do I want to be true for our family?
We do best on vacations when there’s a bit of a predictable structure to our days. We usually wake up and play around the house. (Maybe we will start another season of Alone. It was fun waking up and watching it together in Michigan.)
Then we go on an adventure. What is there to do around New Braunfels? I always start my search on Trip Advisor. Here’s what’s coming up:
- Gruene Historic District (antique shops, general store, outdoor restaurant). It might be fun to make a scavenger hunt!
- Landa Park train ride and miniature golf (weekends at 10am)
- New Braunfels scavenger hunt
- Drive-in movie!
- Picnic, games, swimming around the Faust Street Bridge
- Camp Whitewater
- Hiking in Panther Canyon Trail
- Ernest Skate Park
We are going to require our kids to keep doing Lexia each day and Prodigy math. So maybe we do those around lunch time and then they settle into their TV time around 1pm? I can nap, read, watch Netflix, work on projects, etc.? And then we head out to the river (we are staying on a river). And then start to think about dinner?
And after bedtime? Matt and I have been going for walks every night together, which we should keep doing. We also have fun when we watch HGTV together. Maybe now’s a good time to restart that vacation habit since we are moving into a new house in December?
Fall Break Plans: What is our plan for food?
Now that I’m going into my 9th week of doing Noom, I want to figure out how to have healthy vacations. I don’t want to indulge for a week. That kind of behavior is a really slippery slope for me. If I throw my calorie budget out for a week just because I’m on vacation, it’s easy for me to then throw it out because it’s my birthday and then because it’s a holiday and then because we are having friends over and then because I’m stressed out and working really hard at work.
However, I think I will slow my desired weight loss speed setting from “cheetah” to “turtle.” That will give me about 200 more calories a day.
I think breakfast will be Greek yogurt with fruit. Then I will need to bring a snack with us on our adventure. I imagine the boys will get hungry and grab something from a bakery, for example. I’ll want to be prepared with some cut up vegetables. On second thought, I can bring snacks for them, too! That way, we are saving money and I’m not tempted by the delicious treats they are indulging in.
For lunch? I’ve been enjoying an open-faced egg sandwich with fruit every day.
I should be sure to have afternoon snacks available, like homemade popcorn or fruit/veggies.
And then for dinner we can eat out.
- Sara Cotner | October 12, 2020 | feedingthesoil.com
