Saturday, December 31, 2011
Christmas Vacation Day 11
We spent the day puttering around the house, watching the UC Football bowl game, and doing a little bit of work outside (Tim is working on cutting up the big walnut tree that fell and trying to figure out how to save some wood to make something out of it.) The boys went to the grocery store with Tim to pick out New Year's Eve snacks. This was Zachary's consolation for not going to a New Year's Eve party. This is the first year in a while that we haven't done something with friends for the New Year. At 6 PM we headed over to Mom's house. We brought our chips, cheese popcorn (Jeremy's choice), boneless chicken wings (Zachary's choice), chili, bread, chip dip, hot pepper jelly spread, and pizza rolls with us. We snacked, played games, and watched football. We all actually managed to stay up until midnight. (We did leave for home at 12:05, but still...)
Friday, December 30, 2011
Christmas Vacation Day 10
Friday was date day for Tim and I. Jeremy went to spend the night at Grandma's house, and Zachary went to Uncle Mike and Aunt Louise's. We went straight from dropping them off to the Rave Cinema in Milford. Without much research, we went to see Young Adult. Really not great, but it was okay. We stopped and picked up Thai food on our way home, and watched an Amazon Prime movie while we ate. I love having date night with my husband!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Christmas Vacation Day 9
Thursday was our do-nothing day. We all slept in. I was starting to feel the effects of a cold, big-time. It really started on Wednesday, but I managed to pretty much ignore it all day.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Christmas Vacation Day 8
Wednesday morning, we packed ourselves and some snacks up and headed for Indianapolis. The boys read a little in the car, but played dsi most of the way there. We arrived in Indy around 10:15 to find the museum already PACKED - people were streaming into the garage and parking lot. I bought our tickets, and we headed downstairs to find out about getting into the free planetarium shows and theater. We managed to get planetarium tickets for 11:00 and tickets to see Dorothy and the Land of Oz at 3:00. It was smart to get there early, because I noticed later how quickly they ran out of them. Being on the lower level gave us a few minutes to enjoy the Fireworks of Glass Sculpture's "glass ceiling" installation by Dale Chihuly. I think both Zachary and I could've watched it for hours. He was pointing out shapes and interesting looking creations left and right.
We lined up early to watch the planetarium show, which turned out to be unnecessary, as all the seats inside were just fine. I think the boys enjoyed the idea of seeing what the night sky looks like right now. They pointed out how to find both dippers and the north star, then showed some constellations. I've never really understood the big deal with constellations, as they really look nothing like what they're supposed to be and I just don't get it. Both boys recognized some of the names from Greek Mythology, though (especially Zachary, who just finished the first book of the Percy Jackson series). I like that it reinforced the mythological stories that they will probably study some day.
After the planetarium, we went all the way upstairs to the science area. It turned out to be aimed at a bit younger demographic with less hands-on activities than I had been expecting. There was a rube-goldberg machine that Zachary could have watched for hours. Everything was extremely crowded, so it was difficult to stay there too long. We did go upstairs to a "lab" where families could do activities together. The only ones available were making an animated movie and creating "sculptures" from molds. They both seemed to like making the movie (you moved little bits around on a mummy, and were supposed to be learning about the process of mummification).
Also on the top floor was an historic carousel (which we didn't ride because of lack of interest and a very long line), a mirror maze, and a display of toys through the years. The boys liked playing Pong and Pac Man and seeing an original Mario game in action. They even played for a few minutes in some play houses.
On our way downstairs for lunch, we stopped in at an exhibit that talked about the importance of storytelling. Honestly, Tim and didn't find it very interesting, but they sat at old fashioned telephone receivers and listened to stories recorded by members of the local African-American community for probably a half hour. Once they sit down at something like that, they want to listen to every little thing. It reminded me of the time we went to the Freedom Center and they did the same thing with the loaner i-pods. They would not miss even ONE of the recorded segments.
We finally gave in to hunger and went looking for lunch. The food court was such a mess that we left everything (including our coats) locked away in the locker (for fear of not getting another when we came back) and went out to the car for lunch. I had brought "emergency provisions," so we had triscuits, grapes, veggies, hummus, corn chips, and cheese. Every was relatively happy with this arrangement, considering we promised them pizza later in exchange for not whining about skipping the food court!
On our way back into the museum, we stopped to check out the water clock, then waited 4 minutes to watch it change the hour (which really wasn't all that). Again, Zachary stood mesmerized, I imagine trying to figure out how it works. Just as it turned 2 PM, a snowball fight broke out in the main lobby area. OK - it was a planned activity, but I think it was the kids' favorite part of the day. The "referee" had her helper dump out hundreds of fuzzy white "snowballs" and the kids went wild. There were different rounds, like kids vs adults, on your knees, slow motion, and boys vs girls. It really was a good time, even if it was designed to get people to buy the fake snowballs (only $10 for 9 balls!). It's a good thing we already had a set at home thanks to the Hains' homemade Christmas gift to our family for the small group Christmas party!
We decided to check out the temporary frog exhibit, since we had just a little time before the theater. Thanks to a little scavenger hunt card, we looked at every single frog. Jeremy had to get to everything on the list (reddest, most poisonous, frog that can "fly", biggest, and more). The most interesting thing we learned is that the poisonous dart frog is the most poisonous creature on earth, and estimates are that the poison from one frog could kill 80 humans. However, the actual frogs we were looking at weren't poisonous at all. The diet of the frog is what creates the poison, and they are not fed the specific kind of ant that has eaten the specific vegetation that makes the frog poisonous. Kind of geeky, but I found it interesting!
We then headed back to the lower level, where we watched Dorothy and the Land of Oz. It wasn't quite as good as I was hoping it might be, but the kids actually seemed to like it (even though Zachary is adamant that he will never watch the actual movie). Neither boy had any interest in meeting the actors after the performance.
There was a large steam engine display near the theater are, so the kids took a look at that. They also spent a few minutes in a display about archaeology and ancient Chinese statues. I even convinced them to let me spend 3 minutes in the Barbie exhibit, though Zachary wouldn't actually go in. Sadly, a Barbie doll that I actually own (Western Barbie!) was on display as a "historical" toy!!
We left around 4:45, just a few minutes before the museum closed. There was an exhibit on Egypt and one on the power of Children that I had hoped to get to, but there was just no time. All in all, I think we saw about as much as we could have for one day. They are almost too old for places like this, so I'm very glad we went when we did.
Tuesday night, I had researched places to eat in Indy. Bazbeaux's Pizza kept showing up in "Best of Indy" lists, so I found one about 10 miles from the museum, and we used the GPS to get us there. It was in a fun-looking area called Broad Ripple. We had delicious pizza - the boys had pepperoni/olive and pepperoni/cheddar while Tim and I had a quattro fromagio and veggie. It was a great end to a fun day. I was completely exhausted, and everyone went to bed not long after we got home.
We lined up early to watch the planetarium show, which turned out to be unnecessary, as all the seats inside were just fine. I think the boys enjoyed the idea of seeing what the night sky looks like right now. They pointed out how to find both dippers and the north star, then showed some constellations. I've never really understood the big deal with constellations, as they really look nothing like what they're supposed to be and I just don't get it. Both boys recognized some of the names from Greek Mythology, though (especially Zachary, who just finished the first book of the Percy Jackson series). I like that it reinforced the mythological stories that they will probably study some day.
After the planetarium, we went all the way upstairs to the science area. It turned out to be aimed at a bit younger demographic with less hands-on activities than I had been expecting. There was a rube-goldberg machine that Zachary could have watched for hours. Everything was extremely crowded, so it was difficult to stay there too long. We did go upstairs to a "lab" where families could do activities together. The only ones available were making an animated movie and creating "sculptures" from molds. They both seemed to like making the movie (you moved little bits around on a mummy, and were supposed to be learning about the process of mummification).
Also on the top floor was an historic carousel (which we didn't ride because of lack of interest and a very long line), a mirror maze, and a display of toys through the years. The boys liked playing Pong and Pac Man and seeing an original Mario game in action. They even played for a few minutes in some play houses.
On our way downstairs for lunch, we stopped in at an exhibit that talked about the importance of storytelling. Honestly, Tim and didn't find it very interesting, but they sat at old fashioned telephone receivers and listened to stories recorded by members of the local African-American community for probably a half hour. Once they sit down at something like that, they want to listen to every little thing. It reminded me of the time we went to the Freedom Center and they did the same thing with the loaner i-pods. They would not miss even ONE of the recorded segments.
We finally gave in to hunger and went looking for lunch. The food court was such a mess that we left everything (including our coats) locked away in the locker (for fear of not getting another when we came back) and went out to the car for lunch. I had brought "emergency provisions," so we had triscuits, grapes, veggies, hummus, corn chips, and cheese. Every was relatively happy with this arrangement, considering we promised them pizza later in exchange for not whining about skipping the food court!
On our way back into the museum, we stopped to check out the water clock, then waited 4 minutes to watch it change the hour (which really wasn't all that). Again, Zachary stood mesmerized, I imagine trying to figure out how it works. Just as it turned 2 PM, a snowball fight broke out in the main lobby area. OK - it was a planned activity, but I think it was the kids' favorite part of the day. The "referee" had her helper dump out hundreds of fuzzy white "snowballs" and the kids went wild. There were different rounds, like kids vs adults, on your knees, slow motion, and boys vs girls. It really was a good time, even if it was designed to get people to buy the fake snowballs (only $10 for 9 balls!). It's a good thing we already had a set at home thanks to the Hains' homemade Christmas gift to our family for the small group Christmas party!
We decided to check out the temporary frog exhibit, since we had just a little time before the theater. Thanks to a little scavenger hunt card, we looked at every single frog. Jeremy had to get to everything on the list (reddest, most poisonous, frog that can "fly", biggest, and more). The most interesting thing we learned is that the poisonous dart frog is the most poisonous creature on earth, and estimates are that the poison from one frog could kill 80 humans. However, the actual frogs we were looking at weren't poisonous at all. The diet of the frog is what creates the poison, and they are not fed the specific kind of ant that has eaten the specific vegetation that makes the frog poisonous. Kind of geeky, but I found it interesting!
We then headed back to the lower level, where we watched Dorothy and the Land of Oz. It wasn't quite as good as I was hoping it might be, but the kids actually seemed to like it (even though Zachary is adamant that he will never watch the actual movie). Neither boy had any interest in meeting the actors after the performance.
There was a large steam engine display near the theater are, so the kids took a look at that. They also spent a few minutes in a display about archaeology and ancient Chinese statues. I even convinced them to let me spend 3 minutes in the Barbie exhibit, though Zachary wouldn't actually go in. Sadly, a Barbie doll that I actually own (Western Barbie!) was on display as a "historical" toy!!
We left around 4:45, just a few minutes before the museum closed. There was an exhibit on Egypt and one on the power of Children that I had hoped to get to, but there was just no time. All in all, I think we saw about as much as we could have for one day. They are almost too old for places like this, so I'm very glad we went when we did.
Tuesday night, I had researched places to eat in Indy. Bazbeaux's Pizza kept showing up in "Best of Indy" lists, so I found one about 10 miles from the museum, and we used the GPS to get us there. It was in a fun-looking area called Broad Ripple. We had delicious pizza - the boys had pepperoni/olive and pepperoni/cheddar while Tim and I had a quattro fromagio and veggie. It was a great end to a fun day. I was completely exhausted, and everyone went to bed not long after we got home.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Christmas Vacaton Day 7
Our big event on Tuesday was going to see the movie Arthur Christmas. Tim had been hoping to see We Bought a Zoo, but the kids picked this one, and we were pleasantly surprised. It was funny and sweet.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Christmas Vacation Day 6
Monday morning, we were slow to get going, but around 3:30 we headed out for Eden Park, thinking we'd see the Krohn Conservatory Christmas display. It was PACKED. We spent 20 minutes or more parking (we finally found a spot at the overlook up the hill) and walking to the building. When we got there, it was 4:40, and we realized that not only did they close at 5:00 PM, but they are also now charging admission! It would have be $20 for the four of us to be there for 20 minutes. As I tried to explain to the kids that I didn't want to spent $1/minute, Jeremy was pouting and fussing. The director stepped out of the booth and told us to come in anyway. This is NOT was I was going for, and though I resisted for a while, she was insistent that it was fine. She wanted to show us what they were planning for the next year. So, in we went, me feeling guilty and handing her a $10 bill. We walked around most of the place and bought a Christmas ornament, which I try to do every time we visit.
Outside, there was a brand new lamb, which had been born on Christmas day. We walked through the Creche (which has been displayed in various places in Cincinnati since 1939). On our way back to the car, we enjoyed a walk around the small lake that's at the overlook. It was cool, but not bitter cold, and just a wonderful day to be outside for a bit.
We drove out of Mt. Adams and through downtown, past fountain square, then we headed for Mariemont. We found one of the scenes from the Shillito Christmas display in a window by Graeter's. This led us into Graeter's, where Jeremy made a deal to skip dessert in favor of ice cream. Tim did the same, but Zachary decided to wait and have dessert at home. We found two more scenes (including the one where the elves are sorting Santa's mail) inside the Mariemont Inn. What a beautiful place!
Outside, there was a brand new lamb, which had been born on Christmas day. We walked through the Creche (which has been displayed in various places in Cincinnati since 1939). On our way back to the car, we enjoyed a walk around the small lake that's at the overlook. It was cool, but not bitter cold, and just a wonderful day to be outside for a bit.
We drove out of Mt. Adams and through downtown, past fountain square, then we headed for Mariemont. We found one of the scenes from the Shillito Christmas display in a window by Graeter's. This led us into Graeter's, where Jeremy made a deal to skip dessert in favor of ice cream. Tim did the same, but Zachary decided to wait and have dessert at home. We found two more scenes (including the one where the elves are sorting Santa's mail) inside the Mariemont Inn. What a beautiful place!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christmas Vacation Day 5
Christmas Day! The boys actually slept in until 8AM. We had them wait in our room watching A Christmas Story while I showered and Mom drove over. We read the Christmas story while the boys waited on the steps (a tradition we've had for a few years thanks to an idea from Amy Carle). Then, they tore downstairs to see their gifts. Santa brought an alien lego set (for Z), a chemistry set (for J), 2 kinds of beyblades, wii games, an sd card (for Jeremy's dsi), a small lego set (for Z), and bones for the dogs. Oh, he also through in some cadbury cream eggs in the toe of their stockings! They are Jeremy's favorite, and he couldn't resist the joke!
We opened the rest of the presents under the tree, and the kids enjoyed getting legos, puzzles, and a snap circuit set from aunts and uncles and Grandma and Grandpa Case. We gave the boys each an angry birds shirt, which I think they actually liked, too. The boys surprised me with a dvd player that can connect to the internet and a new food scale (as I had dropped and broken my old one while making candy). So far, I can pretty much only watch youtube and amazon prime videos on the dvd player, plus some really old sitcoms on some free channel. I should really look into the best way to watch internet tv!
Mom left to visit with Mike and Louise's family, and we played, rested, and I worked on dinner. She arrived back at around 2:30. Dinner (as requested by Zachary) included beef tenderloin, a french baguette, and baked potatoes. I also served a yummy new spinach salad recipe and brussell sprouts. Unfortunately, Zachary started feeling yucky during dinner, and he didn't get to enjoy it much. He did spring back pretty quickly, thankfully. As bedtime approached, though, I could tell he was disappointed at not feeling 100% on Christmas day.
We opened the rest of the presents under the tree, and the kids enjoyed getting legos, puzzles, and a snap circuit set from aunts and uncles and Grandma and Grandpa Case. We gave the boys each an angry birds shirt, which I think they actually liked, too. The boys surprised me with a dvd player that can connect to the internet and a new food scale (as I had dropped and broken my old one while making candy). So far, I can pretty much only watch youtube and amazon prime videos on the dvd player, plus some really old sitcoms on some free channel. I should really look into the best way to watch internet tv!
Mom left to visit with Mike and Louise's family, and we played, rested, and I worked on dinner. She arrived back at around 2:30. Dinner (as requested by Zachary) included beef tenderloin, a french baguette, and baked potatoes. I also served a yummy new spinach salad recipe and brussell sprouts. Unfortunately, Zachary started feeling yucky during dinner, and he didn't get to enjoy it much. He did spring back pretty quickly, thankfully. As bedtime approached, though, I could tell he was disappointed at not feeling 100% on Christmas day.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas Vacation Day 4
Christmas Eve! We slept in again and had a lazy morning. Then, the frenzy began. We packed up gifts, made a veggie tray, and got ourselves together to go to Mom's. Mike and the girls were at the Bengal's game, but Louise was there with us. We exchanged our gifts with Mom, and Louise gave Tim and I our gifts. I was happily surprised with big bath towels and a new queen sized blanket - both things I really wanted. Mom had made a nice spread of treats and "fancy" sandwiches (just lunchmeat and cheese on small buns). Jeremy determined that they were fancy because they were small enough to try more than one. She also had fruit, veggies, her famous cheese spread, cookies, and other snacky thing. My mom does know how to lay out a nice lunch spread. I wish I had that same talent.
After Mom's, we stopped at our house to let the dogs out then headed over to church. Mom and Louise were waiting for us there. The service was praise band/contemporary, but there was enough tradition that Mom did say she enjoyed it. It's not possible for me to sing Silent Night by candlelight without crying, no matter how hard I try!
Finally, we were on our way to Pam and Vince's for the family's Christmas Eve party. This is the first year in maybe 50 years or more that my mom hasn't had Christmas Eve at her house. I think it was hard on her, but she was a pretty good sport about it. We enjoyed Pam's dinner of barbeque and mac n cheese, the yankee swap (I got Rachel's basket of hair and beauty products!), gifts for boys from Mike and Louise, watching Mikailah (at almost 3 years old) go right up to Santa with no fear, and even the late-night pretzel sub sandwich. My kids were not extremely gracious with the gift-opening. Jeremy was clearly disappointed that Zachary got a big magic kit, and Zachary was eying Jeremy's Harry Potter Lego set. Pretty quickly they made a deal to share both gifts. I was actually kind of proud of their problem-solving skills! We didn't leave until after midnight, and the kids weren't in bed until after 1 AM!
After Mom's, we stopped at our house to let the dogs out then headed over to church. Mom and Louise were waiting for us there. The service was praise band/contemporary, but there was enough tradition that Mom did say she enjoyed it. It's not possible for me to sing Silent Night by candlelight without crying, no matter how hard I try!
Finally, we were on our way to Pam and Vince's for the family's Christmas Eve party. This is the first year in maybe 50 years or more that my mom hasn't had Christmas Eve at her house. I think it was hard on her, but she was a pretty good sport about it. We enjoyed Pam's dinner of barbeque and mac n cheese, the yankee swap (I got Rachel's basket of hair and beauty products!), gifts for boys from Mike and Louise, watching Mikailah (at almost 3 years old) go right up to Santa with no fear, and even the late-night pretzel sub sandwich. My kids were not extremely gracious with the gift-opening. Jeremy was clearly disappointed that Zachary got a big magic kit, and Zachary was eying Jeremy's Harry Potter Lego set. Pretty quickly they made a deal to share both gifts. I was actually kind of proud of their problem-solving skills! We didn't leave until after midnight, and the kids weren't in bed until after 1 AM!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Christmas Vacation Day 3
Friday was a flurry of activity. I made skyline and split-pea soup. I cleaned it up, cleaned the pantry, cleaned the bathrooms, and on and on. The boys helped by cleaning their rooms, and in the midst of all that Tim reconnected the garbage disposal that had gotten knocked out of place and cleaned out underneath the kitchen sink. At 3:00 Mike's family arrived and helped me pull it all together by chopping fruits and onions and all sorts of other small things. Everyone else came between 3:30 and 4:00. We had appetizers, then we did the yankee swap. I wound up with a big sled, and Tim got a blanket that he loves. Dinner was skyline with hot dogs and spaghetti, plus Louise brought a crock pot of Italian sauce with meatballs. Dad and Candy left early, but everyone else stayed until 7:30 or so. The Hicks girls were headed to Rachel's place to spend time with their cousins Liza and Emma. Tim and I cleaned up and collapsed. I was so exhausted!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Christmas Vacation Day 2
Thursday morning again found us sleeping in, and it was also Tim's first day off of work. We puttered around the house, doing little things to get ready for our party for Dad's side of the family on Friday evening. Tim took the boys out to lunch and shopping. It's their annual last-minute "let's grab something for Mom" tradition. While they were gone, I worked some more. After dinner, the kids got me started on making the gingerbread houses (we had worked together to make the dough Wednesday afternoon). I was worried they wouldn't come together this year, as the dough was falling apart when I tried to roll it out. Turns out our bottom refrigerator drawer is a little colder than it should be. Once I let it sit out, it was fine. Tim left for karate as the rolling and cutting were going on and arrived home to fine 2 boys with assembled, decorated houses and candy ALL over the kitchen table (not to mention the bits of dried icing all over the floor!). We cleaned up together and sent the kids off to bed.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Christmas Vacation Day 1
Vacation started today for the boys and I. Tim has one more day of work before he's done for the year. The boys and I slept in in a big way. Mom came by to get Jeremy, and Zachary and I went out to lunch, as promised (for getting ready for school without hassles), at Chipotle. Zachary has recently discovered that he likes their steak tacos. I'm always game for Chipotle, so I was glad he earned that treat. Jeremy and Mom went to Frisch's, then back to her house to hang out, watch TV, and play games. Zachary agreed to help me do grocery shopping, and we decided to try Meijer, since we were nearby and Zachary hadn't been there in a very long time. After a long process of finding everything on our list and an even longer process of self-checkout, we decided we like Kroger a lot better!
After we got Jeremy and went home, we had just a few minutes until it was time to leave for the Nash's caroling party. This is the first year we've been invited. I was surprised both boys wanted to go, and it turns out they had a great time, caroling for Marnie's neighbors (who had been "warned" ahead of time that we were coming), getting treats, and enjoying a small party afterward. They got to hang out with some karate friends and some new friends, too. One of Marnie's neighbors is in Zachary's class, so it was good to have her there too. It was funny to see Zachary sitting at a table hanging out with a bunch of middle school boys and girls. I can't believe how grown up he's getting.
When we got home, we decided to make our peppermint bark (we didn't even start this project until 8:30 or 9:00). Tim arrived home from karate at 10:15 to find us in full candy-making mode - microwave going, sheets of candy bark cooling, stirring, and measuring. We got all 10 pounds of chocolate (with 3 pounds of peppermint inside) done buy 11PM. It was a late night, but I really enjoyed having the family help out with this project. I posted on facebook about it and had several people comment with memories of getting from or making it with me. It was a project I wasn't sure I would undertake this year, but I'm very glad I did!
After we got Jeremy and went home, we had just a few minutes until it was time to leave for the Nash's caroling party. This is the first year we've been invited. I was surprised both boys wanted to go, and it turns out they had a great time, caroling for Marnie's neighbors (who had been "warned" ahead of time that we were coming), getting treats, and enjoying a small party afterward. They got to hang out with some karate friends and some new friends, too. One of Marnie's neighbors is in Zachary's class, so it was good to have her there too. It was funny to see Zachary sitting at a table hanging out with a bunch of middle school boys and girls. I can't believe how grown up he's getting.
When we got home, we decided to make our peppermint bark (we didn't even start this project until 8:30 or 9:00). Tim arrived home from karate at 10:15 to find us in full candy-making mode - microwave going, sheets of candy bark cooling, stirring, and measuring. We got all 10 pounds of chocolate (with 3 pounds of peppermint inside) done buy 11PM. It was a late night, but I really enjoyed having the family help out with this project. I posted on facebook about it and had several people comment with memories of getting from or making it with me. It was a project I wasn't sure I would undertake this year, but I'm very glad I did!
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