Space Center (and Star Wars)

Our family and the Andersons headed to Houston's Space Center Museum today.

We took a cool tour of the Space Shuttle.  OK, it was actually a replica of the Space Shuttle . . .

. . . but the special 747 that ferried the shuttles across the country between launches was the real deal . . .

. . . and it had some fun, interactive displays.  In this one, three people work together to get a model of the Shuttle situated on the 747.

Daddy only took one picture during our entire visit.  Of course, it was of the Shuttle's really complex control panel.  That's our Engineer Daddy.  Actually, maybe he was thinking of Todd, who loves to push buttons.

Since I'm a historian and a geek, I loved learning about NASA's various missions through the years, and how scientists figured out solutions to varied (and sometimes unexpected) problems.

Todd's favorite part of the museum was the elevator.  He and I must have ridden it up and down at least a dozen times.

Before long, he had all the other kids along for the ride, too.

Coincidentally, after spending the afternoon learning about real space adventures, Phillip and I went on a date to see the latest Star Wars installment, "Rogue One."  Thanks to the Andersons for watching our kidlets!!

Mike, Shelly, and Joe

We decided to take a holiday family road trip down to Houston this week to visit the Andersons.

Mike and Phillip have been friends since college, when they used to play tennis together.  Tonight they opted for chess instead.  Phillip won.

After they finished, they talked their wives into playing a game too.  We're not nearly as good at chess as our husbands, but we played a decent game and I managed to sustain the Hendrickson winning streak.

As happy as we are to be visiting the Andersons, I confess I was also pretty excited to learn that there was a Trader Joe's near their home.  I've really missed that store since we moved to Arkansas.

Happy dance!  They still have my favorite holiday cookies (and pumpkin toaster pastries, and yummy chunky applesauce, and dreamy creamy yogurt)!  I was also pleased to find that the TJ staff in Houston are just as cheerful and friendly as they were back in South Pas.

Between the warm Houston weather and the joys of shopping at Trader Joe's, it almost felt like we were back in California . . . except for the woods across the street.

Christmas Gifts and a Missing Spider

Merry Christmas!

I'm pretty excited that I received a new and improved camera.  Huzzah for improved photo quality, and no more random fuzzy spots that I have to Photoshop out (sometimes I just didn't bother if it wasn't obvious--sorry, posterity)! 

Joy is excited about receiving a prehistoric creature aquarium, and (look closely) a tiny Minecraft spider which her loving mother found on ebay to replace one Joy lost a few months ago.  She's already lost the new one three times today.  This doesn't bode well.

Todd got a sweet set of wheels and a clock.

The girls got some cozy slippers (and Daniel's rocking some festive socks he received in his class's holiday sock exchange).

No geeky household is complete without a stormtrooper candy dish.

After church, we had a (super-competitive, as in there may have been some crying and screaming involved) family treasure hunt.  The treasure at the end was a big package of suction cup Nerf darts to use with our  PVC blow guns.  The kids had a blast with them this afternoon.  Now I just need to figure out how to adapt the treasure hunt rules next year so there's more fun and less outrage that the oldest child can outrun everyone else to the next clue.

We wish you a creepy Christmas, and a happy new year!

Christmas Eve in Arkansas

As I prepared Christmas Eve dinner tonight, I reflected that it didn't feel much like Christmas to me.  I realized that was because for every Christmas of my life (except when I was a missionary in Uruguay), someone else had planned the festivities.  Tonight, for the first time, I was the one in charge of preparing the feast, planning the program, and basically inspiring peace, goodwill, and warm fuzzy family memories.  That's a lot of responsibility.  I kind of miss the good old days when I could just sit back and let someone else make the evening magical.

Our Christmas Eve program was a mix of both our families' traditions.  We followed Pink Grandma's tradition of reading the nativity story from the scriptures . . .

. . . and pausing periodically to sing a Christmas carol based on the event we had just read about.

To get the kids more involved in the story, we incorporated Papa and Red Grandma's fun tradition of having them move nativity figures from various spots in our home to the stable where Jesus was born.  Tonight, that meant that the three wise men raced toward Bethlehem with more exuberance than reverence.  Sometimes it's hard to know whether to focus on teaching respect or encouraging joyful family bonding.  Since it's Christmas Eve, I decided to err on the fun side in this case.

Christmas Break, Day 5: Kitchen Sink Cookies

Today I decided it would be fun to mix up some chocolate chip cookie dough, leave the chocolate chips out, and let each child choose what they wanted to mix into their portion of the dough.  I figured one would like Butterfinger bits, another might like crushed candy canes and chocolate candies, and another might choose sprinkles just for fun.

It didn't occur to me that Anna and Daniel would each put ALL FOUR of the mix-ins into their dough.  I called their creations "kitchen sink cookies," because that's about the only thing that didn't get mixed into them.

It also didn't occur to me that Todd would grab a spoon and start gobbling sprinkles, because you know, I think like an adult, not a three year old.

And then there was plain-cookie Joy, who preferred to keep her dough pure and unadulterated.  To each their own.

Christmas Break, Day 4: Outdoor Decor

Back in California, someone in our town had an annual tradition of putting Christmas ornaments on the little tree in their front yard.  I always enjoyed seeing those shiny ornaments on the bare branches of their tree, and decided that I'd like to do the same thing when I had a yard someday.

This year we have a perfect little tree in our front yard, so I bought some dollar store ornaments and Joy helped me decorate our tree for Christmas.

Little Brother wanted to lend a hand, too, so Joy helped him place an ornament on one of the lower branches.

Yay!  Daddy's home!!!!  Tree decorating is officially adjourned.

Christmas Break, Day 3: Tai Chi and Mistletoe

On the third day of Christmas break (my true love sent to me . . . oh wait) . . .

. . . Anna helped me make construction paper presents so we could write down acts of service we have done this month . . .

. . . and stick them on the door with a few Christmas cards we've received.  It's a fun, colorful reminder that Christmas is about love and following Christ's example of service, and that serving others is the best birthday gift we can give Him.

Our service door inspired Joy to propose a family secret service project.  We each drew names, and agreed to do some service for that family member.  The identity of the servers wasn't really that secret, but it was still a sweet project.  Joy served me by making a little bird nest from leaves and berries she collected outside, then she wrote a note comparing me to a "patient and protective" mother bird.

After lunch, I took the kids to my tai chi class.  The girls joined in the warm-ups, and Joy did her best to follow along with the tai chi form at the end.  Daniel just did laps around the room acting out his favorite video game while Todd sat in a chair and observed the proceedings as usual.

Here's the teacher showing me the finer points of "repulse the monkey."  I've made a lot of progress with tai chi in the past few months, but I still look like an awkward rookie compared to someone who's been doing it for years.

Next on our Christmas break agenda was "harvest some mistletoe."  I had seen some growing in a tree in Target's parking lot, so I parked the van nearby and Joy and I headed over to collect a few sprigs of a poisonous parasite (nothing like a little scientific terminology to take some of the charm out of tradition).  I would have been content with a little sprig from one of the lower branches, but Joy insisted on climbing up into the tree to collect a much bigger sample, which is now hanging from our ceiling fan in the front room.

Phillip was so busy helping out when we decorated gingerbread houses the other night that he didn't have a free minute to decorate his own.  He decided to do that tonight, but when he tried to separate the gingerbread pieces he found them very hard to break apart.  Naturally, Engineer Daddy responded by getting out his power tools.

Christmas Break, Day 2: Gingerbread and Kale

I was going through my old camera tonight and realized I hadn't posted pictures of some of the fun things we did during Christmas break.  So, before we move on into January . . .

The second day of Christmas break . . .

. . . we headed out back to play badminton . . .

. . . or mope that the game didn't quite work out the way someone wanted it to.  Who looks more forlorn--the moper, or the veggies that are still hanging on through a frigid winter?  The kale and green onions are soldiering on, but the chard and lettuce were munched by squirrels weeks ago.  I guess squirrels don't like kale.

Last night, we decorated gingerbread houses.  I found a little kit at the store with several different houses, so everyone could decorate their own.  I think Daniel liked the one with the flat roof because he could pile more candy on it.

Christmas Break, Day 1: Clay Fruit and a Lost Pickle

Over the weekend we painted our pottery creations at the library, and they're now dry and ready for display.

Joy likes to keep her clay fruit on our dining table (currently accompanied by some flowers my sweetie bought me).

Anna and I hung our favorite ornaments on our Christmas tree.

Speaking of ornaments, we spent the first afternoon of Christmas break taking turns hiding our pickle ornament for the others to find.  Daniel discovered that if you hide the pickle deep inside the lower branches, it is nearly impossible to see.  In fact once when he hid it down there and we all gave up looking for it, Daniel couldn't find it either.  Eventually Joy located our poor, lost pickle, and we made a rule that no one could hide it deep in the lower branches anymore.

Forecast Calls for Bikes and Scooters

Temperatures have dropped below freezing a few times this month, and the kids keep hoping we'll get snow on our very own yard.  Unfortunately, every time a storm rolls in the temperature jumps up into the 50s and 60s.

The forecast called for rain this afternoon, so the weather was very pleasant this morning and the kids took their wheel toys for a spin out front.  Joy challenged me to a bicycle race around the block and completely clobbered me . . .

. . . then she sat down to read one of the Fablehaven books she got for her birthday.

Daddy took advantage of the nice weather and took his wheel toy for a spin, too.

When he got back, Anna begged him to take her for a ride.  They had just enough time to ride around our neighborhood before the raindrops started falling.

A Real Tree and Double Lunch

We've had an artificial Christmas tree for the last seven years or so, but half the lights stopped working last year so we decided to get rid of it and buy a new one after we moved.

When December rolled around this year, Phillip decided it would be nice for our kids to have the experience of getting a real Christmas tree.  We braved the forty-something degree cold last evening and came home with a six-foot spruce.

The kids and I decorated it this afternoon (saving some of Daddy's favorite ornaments for him to put on later).

Today was also the day when parents can have a Christmas feast at school with their kids in K-2nd grade (the older kids got a Thanksgiving feast last month).  I knew Anna wouldn't like most of the feast food, so Todd and I brought some snacks to munch with her, then we came back an hour later to feast with Daniel (and we were so busy feasting that I forgot to take a picture--oops).

Joy's Creepy Cake

Joy turned ten years old today!  I'm trying not to think too much about the fact that my baby is more than halfway to being a college-bound adult. O_o

As usual, Joy wanted to make her own birthday cake, and not just any cake, either.  This year she found a Minecraft-themed cake online, and decided it would be fun to recreate it.

We made the cake using chocolate sheet cake, green buttercream icing, Krispy treats, and a cake decorating gel pen for the water.  Joy printed out, cut out, and taped the Creepers.  Pretty cool, eh?

There were plenty of cake pieces and Krispy treats left over, so rather than stick a bunch of candles into her cake we put them in the odds and ends instead.  As always, Daddy is a model of maturity . . . and not taking life too seriously. :)

Happy 10th birthday, Joyful!