School Vacation Week!

We have had a great week. Barring the sinus cold I've been battling (and suspect the kids have as well), it has been a great week. The kids have had plenty of energy and it has been a fun and relaxing week.

On Monday, the weather was wonderful, so we spent some time outside and also did the grocery shopping or the week and stopped at the library. I made some baked potato soup for dinner and it was just all around fun!

Tuesday was a tougher day. The kids were both very cranky. It was still nice out, but the wind and slightly cooler air were displeasing to Beth so we didn't spend to much time outside. We did get in a lot of time bouncing on the trampoline though! The kids took turns - one would bounce and the other would run circles around the trampoline while counting.

Wednesday, we had a trial class at The Little Gym. First, Beth and I tried a parent/tot class and then Nora had her own class. While it was a lot of fun for Beth to run around, I kind of felt like it was a big price tag for what it was. Nora's class was with a friend of hers. She had a blast in the class, but I'm still unsure. They seemed to spend a lot of time sitting and waiting (they sat to wait while an inflatable bouncy mat was set up, and after they bounced along it a number of times, they had to wait while it was taken down again). There was also a long time sitting at the beginning of the class. Nora is currently in a tumbling program at the Nashua YMCA and we love the instructor but more and more equipment is getting damaged during "open gymboree" time. This has really limited what the kids are able to do. She really wants to learn to swing and spin on the bar, so I'd like to find her that opportunity. We have a trial class at a gymnastics center in Hudson on Saturday and I think we'll make the final decision after the trial.

When we finished up with our trial class at Little Gym, we went out to lunch with a surprise guest - Daddy! He met us in Westford for some lunch and then we went to the Acton Discover Museum for an hour to play. It would have been nice to stay longer, but we weren't entirely sure what to expect from the snow, so we erred on the side of caution. When we got home, there was an inch or so of snow on the grass and the kids both wanted to stay outside and play. The shoveled for a bit and then we went into the backyard to sled. Nora continued to sled for 20 minutes after Beth went inside. I think she was just excited that we had some snow!

Thursday morning. the kids woke up to find close to 8 inches of snow outside. They were super excited and we out on the deck playing in the snow before 8am! We got fully dressed and went out to play 3 times during the day. Nora had a blast - she built a snowman (she built the middle and top ball without help!), made tracks and snow angels, did some shoveling and some sledding. Beth wasn't as thrilled. She is still to petite to really be able to maneuver in the snow, so after several failed attempts, she got frustrated and started whining and crying. Poor thing! I ended up pushing her in the swing for a bit and pulling her in the sled for a few minutes. Inside, we read many stories, made rolls, made some snow ice cream, had a dance party and watched a video showing yeast in sugar water blowing up a balloon.

Friday was our big adventure day. Andy took the day off and we decided to take the kids to the Museum of Science in Boston. The day didn't start off as planned - the sliding doors on the mini van were frozen shut, so we had to let the car run for about 10 minutes so we could pry them open. But, soon enough, we were off. We parked at Alewife and took the train in. We thought Nora, who loves trains, would be excited but we were concerned about how Beth would react (she has been scared on trains or in confined spaces in the past). Imagine our surprise when Beth was a bubbly happy child and Nora was a bit overwhelmed and nervous! Luckily, it didn't take long for Nora to relax and enjoy the ride. She was very excited when we changed lines to the green line to get to Science Park! We had another little problem when we got to the museum. Usually, I get our membership through the Dover, NH Children's Museum, and this year, I got it in Boston because that was where we were when we needed to renew. Anyway, the MOS and BCM do not reciprocate because they are too close! D'oh! And even worse, we forgot Andy's badge (Raytheon employees and family get in free). Luckily, the gentleman working at the information/help desk was super kind and let us in anyway! Once inside, we had a lot of fun. The kids enjoyed many of the exhibits, although once again Nora showed her slightly timid ways when she saw the life-sized T-Rex! She was very nervous around the dinosaur! We enjoyed our afternoon and then took the T back to Alewife. Of course now if you ask Nora about the day, she excitedly tells everyone about the train ride