A lot of fun (and a little pain) before it's back to reality

Michael was still off from work last Friday and we decided we wanted to do something as a family that was fun, but also free.

We started the day with a photo shoot in front of the tree because I was planning on taking it down the next day.  They are wearing the new Mario pajamas they got for Christmas.

After that was done we headed to the IDEA Children's Art museum in Mesa.  We have a membership so we get in for free.

Spencer was proud of his heart and the word love.  About one second after I took these pictures some kids (or maybe they were vultures) swooped in and started pulling pegs out of both.

The project of the day was to build a house out of cardboard.  They were running a little low on cardboard pieces, but I think we pulled off a pretty decent chapel.

Back at home that afternoon we hung Spencer's new "mars in my room" on the wall.  It joined the moon he got in 2011 and the earth he got last year.

The placement is exactly where he requested each one.  It's not exactly what I would have done.

On Saturday the kids spent all morning being superheros in their new superhero costumes.  I paid $2.50 for each of them at Michael's and they have been favorite presents the last 2 weeks.  It just goes to show you that, most of the time, the cost of something means very little.  We went grocery shopping around 11:00 and Elliott wore his cape.  He got lots of compliments.

That afternoon Spencer and I went to Lowe's to look at lights for the front patio.  I desperately want a new one to replace our brass one that looks like it's from the early 80's.

I made a spaghetti squash for dinner.  I always cook it a little in the microwave to soften it before I cut it open.  This time though, I kind of forgot about it, it overcooked and blew up.  I thought it was ruined, but it was actually perfectly cooked. 

On Sunday I started my new exercise program for the month of January.  The last time I worked out was December 11th.  The combination of time since last working out and this particular DVD (which was 80 minutes long and heavy on high-repetition lifting) nearly killed me.   I was sore until Thursday (but I worked out every day except for Thursday, so that probably contributed).

I had started my post-holiday healthy eating on Friday, but Michael hadn't yet.  He took one for the team and ate cake and drank sugary juice for lunch just to get it out of the refrigerator.

And then.  Ugh.  We started in on the Christmas decorations.  It took all afternoon.  I decided that I don't want to store the snow globes in the garage anymore.  Now that I have a collection dating from 2007 to 2014 they are just too "valuable" to risk breaking or leaking in the heat.  So I cleared off a high shelf in the guest room closet and moved them up there.

Of course the gremlins took the first picture.

Once everything was put away (and that took about 6 hours) and Elliott was in bed, Spencer did a "show" with the two Jabbas.  The sign says The Tale of Two Rock Stars.  The "show" was basically the two Jabbas talking to each other in funny voices and saying "good grief" and "ai yai yai" a lot.

On Monday, Spencer's last day of vacation, we went to the Science Center, where we also have a membership.

It was the first time that Elliott was brave enough to watch the Forces of Nature show without being held.

Spencer's eye,

Spencer's mouth,

Spencer's nostrils.

Elliott's eye

And just like that, vacation was done and we had to get back into a routine.  Blech.  The rest of the week was just ugh getting up early each day.