Adventures at the Great Lakes Science Center

We made our first family trip to the Great Lakes Science Center, and it was a blast.

In addition to also sorts of great exhibits about sound, light, air, how bridges work, etc., it also houses the NASA Glenn Research Visitor Center, there so was also all sorts of great stuff about outer space.

The special exhibit was called "Goosebumps: The Science of Fear."  Enough said as far as I'm concerned.  I took part in none of the exhibits...watching others was enough for me.  But Graham and Addy did take part in some of the fear challenges they had set up.  First was the fear of falling.  Graham was brave enough to get strapped in and go for a fall.

We had to admit that none of us were real crazy about experimenting with the fear of electric shock.

Then there was the fear of loud noises.  Addy was willing to stand in the booth with Daddy and cover her ears, but she and I both stood happily outside while Daddy pushed a button and waited for the gunshot-type noise.  We all enjoyed seeing a playback of his fear face on that one!

And lastly, the fear of wild animals...tanks with tarantulas, cockroaches and then black boxes asking you to stick your hand in and see if any creepy crawly things had come out to visit you.  My favorite was the last tank, which was a mysterious sign from the "maintenance" staff :)

But our favorite part of the museum was the kids' polymer room.  With a playground, ball pit and loads of other fun kid exhibits, this place was a hit!

Addy using the air-pressurized tube to hoist the balls into the tank hanging above the ball pit.

Cora helping, too.

Release!

Christmas Present from the Water Department

It was this...

...which came from this...

...which bounced up from the pothole in the role and smashed into the bottom of our car, causing it to not be able to drive.  As we watched the car be towed away the next day, we kept our fingers crossed the car was fixable.  And thankfully it was...turns out it just smashed the parking brake and some other minor damage.  Now all's fix, and it drives again!  Phew!

Christmas Highlights

It was a wonderful Christmas Day...well, maybe except for the fact that the girls decided it would be fun to wake up at 5am.  They must have coordinated it!  After a little coffee for the parents, we hunted for the pickle on the tree (whoever finds it, gets to open the first present) and opened presents.

Cora loved the chair she got from Santa...she didn't even need all the wrapping paper off before she made herself comfortable.

What's better then opening presents???  Climbing on them!

Addy really wanted a bike for Christmas.  When Santa called her on the phone (thanks, Tommy Gentile!), that's all she asked for.  In his thank you note to the girls for the treats they left out (this year, in addition to the cookies for Santa and carrots for reindeer, we also had sun chips!  Not sure if Santa preferred those or the bagel with cream cheese from last year), he also told Addy to open her present from him last.

So when it came down to the last present, it was in Santa paper with Addy's name on it.  But it was just a small box.  And Addy was nearly in tears before even opening it, saying, but I was hoping Santa would give me a bike.  Reluctantly she opened the present to discover another note from Santa saying her gift was too big to come down the chimney or leave under the tree and so he brought it in the side door and left it in the basement.  We all went running.  And Santa didn't disappoint :)

We also celebrated Christmas with lots of good food and presents with lots of other family members at various points over the holiday season.  Here are a few more of those highlights:

Cora LOVED the musical snowmen at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Uncle Sean helping Cora open a present.  Cora really loved wrapping paper.  She was notorious for just grabbing presents and opening them, regardless of whether they were for her.  She just wanted the paper.

Addy watching proudly as grandparents and uncles opened the gifts she made them - paper stars with pasta glued to them, spray painted silver, and made into a frame around her and Cora's picture.

Star giving Colin some love.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Star

Enjoying our lovely Christmas dinner at Grandma Sherry's house - Addy and I loving the shrimp cocktail, which was followed by beef tenderloin.  Yum!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas Pageant

Sitting on our couch, recounting all the wonderful times from Christmas Eve and Day (and trying to cheer ourselves up from our little "present" from the Cleveland Water Company - more on that later), we both listed the Christmas Pageant as one of our favorite traditions of the holiday season.  For our family, there's no better way to kick off Christmas then with this fun, festive and meaningful celebration.  It also helps that we were the parents of one super cute angel!

Comparing wings and halos with one of the other angels.  

Cora sat this pageant out, but that was okay by her because she got to spend more time enjoying the live animals while waiting for the performance to start.

Herbie the Camel - a regular at the pageant.  Really a traffic stopper to see him out front of the church!

 Cora really liked Herbie.

The Director takes up his post a few minutes before showtime.

 A packed house.

Mary and Joseph make their way down the aisle, with donkey.

 Getting the angels ready for their grand entrance.

The whole cast.  

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy Holidays Sisters

Rainbow Hawk

For one of her Kindermusik classes, Addy had to make a bird costume.  She wanted to a "rainbow hawk." I gave her some fabric streamers, and a bag of feathers. and here's what she came up with (with some help from me attaching the feathers to one of Graham's old uniform shirts).

And as a bonus, when she flapped her arms. the giant shirt sleeves made a great "whooshing" noise.

Addy's 4th Birthday

She's 4!!!

We celebrated her actual birthday with a family dinner of pizza and broccoli (her choice) and birthday cake, of course.  For most of the day, Addy was adamant that she was not in face turning four on that day, despite everyone's attempt to explain to her that it was December 1st, and that four years ago that day, she was born.  She was quite sure that the moment you turn four is at your birthday party, when all your friends sing "Happy Birthday."  It was no use arguing.  (She did however, when snuggling in for bed that night, tell me she was glad to be four.  Little clown.)

So Addy wanted a "Doodlebops" birthday.  You mean you've never heard of the Doodlebops???  Are you living under a rock?

Don't worry.  You're not.  Addy has a thing for picking obscure themes for her birthday parties.  Last year, it was Balto, so I feel we did our community service by educating guests about the heroic story of Balto the sled dog who saved the town of Nome, Alaska, from a diphtheria outbreak.  This year, there was no community service in embracing the Doodlebops.  It's a Canadian kids show, that does occasionally broadcast here on Saturday morning.  They sing, they dance, and are generally obnoxious.  Addy saw the preview once and desperately wanted to watch them.  Wouldn't you know, the Shaker Heights Library has a DVD collection of them.  Thank you, Library, thank you.  But because we love her to pieces, we did our best to give her a Doodlebop Birthday Party Extravaganza.

Here's the piñata and birthday cake I made for her birthday party with her friends.  As I have lovingly referred to it, I believe an accurate description for this cake would be what it would look like if a pack of highlighter threw up.  But she loved them.

Addy had a wonderful time at her birthday party with all her friends.  She invited her whole preschool class, along with other playgroup and neighborhood friends.  Her preschool friends and her were particularly excited because the party was at the gym at their school.  It was big fun.

Hulu hoops and tricycles!

It was so much fun to see Addy interact with all her new friends and classmates.  I felt like the birthday party was a little sneak peak into what Addy is like at school.  Here she is getting a lift from one of her classmates.

And what's the best way to get 15 four year olds to sit down???  Food!  

All in all, it was a great birthday!  Happy Birthday Addy!