The educational / cultural odyssey continues!  After musical theater on Saturday, science on Sunday, and politics and history on Monday, Tuesday we headed to the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester.  The armor was amazing!  Even Adlani liked the weapons, and Norah loved the shield-creating activity.  We all agreed that the best part was the presentation about armor and weapons.  Aliya and Adlani got to be part of it!

Wednesday I had some work calls scheduled, so Norah had a play date and Aliya and Adlani went to Roller Kingdom to skate.  I’ve heard there are photos and even a video of that outing, which I will add later.  Here is Norah preparing for her play date.  Independence comes at a price.  But at least the dog was happy.

Yesterday we took advantage of the Presidents Day activities and headed to the JFK Library and Museum.  Aliya was more into the exhibits and Norah enjoyed the craft activities.  Adlani complained most of the day but majority rules.  It was better than sitting home all day listening to the whining.

They were supposed to be acting “presidential.”

This quote helps with all of the things I find insurmountable.  Like my basement.

Today started with another snowstorm, called “Plato.”  When did we start naming our snowstorms, anyway?  When the snow tapered off we went to Boston to go to Family Science Day, which is part of the annual meeting of the AAAS.  The AAAS is the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Family Science Day is a free event with exhibitors and presentations to get kids excited about science.  It was fabulous!  The kids got to do a lot of different experiments and had a great time.  We had dinner at Pho Pasteur…I crave their Pho Ga (chicken soup) whenever I have a cold, and I’m trying to ward off the one that everybody else in the family has had within the last month.  A backseat fight ensued on the way home, so everyone was banished to their bedrooms and I get to watch the Downton Abbey season finale all alone.  Yay!

Last weekend we had way too much togetherness and lounging around the house when we had 5 days stuck at home.  Thursday was a professional development day for teachers, Friday and Saturday we had a blizzard and a driving ban that would result in a $500 fine and up to a year in jail if we defied it, Sunday we dug out from 30+ inches of snow, and Monday was another snow day because the sidewalks weren’t clear.  I think I cried a little when I got that call.  This is the only photo I took during the blizzard, so I’ll have to describe our other activities so you can picture them.

Thursday:  I tried to work while everyone fended for themselves and occasionally complained that they were bored or wanted to work on some craft project that would involve drop cloths covering the entire first floor of the house and possibly a visit from Servicemaster.  Instead we went out to stock up on food and necessities, like wine, for the storm.   Thursday night I took Adlani and Norah to swim team practice while Aliya went to the charter school lottery with Ben, Chloe, Hannah, and their Grampy.  All of the girls’ names were picked!  There was too much excitement to do anything but have an impromptu sleepover and stay up into the wee hours making plans for the middle school takeover.

Friday:  More working while trying to block out the whining.  The snow started about 10 a.m., Ben was home by 11 so he could take over with the whiners.  The crew in the one-and-only blizzard photo suited up and made their way the quarter of a mile on foot to our house for a chili-fest.  For some reason I was reminded of Little House on the Prairie…a rope running from our house to theirs sounded like a reasonable idea.  Around 11 p.m.-ish they decided to attempt a return trip back home.  I was a little surprised that Aliya was willing to brave the wind and driving snow in order to escape from her family for another night, but apparently the swim goggles made all the difference and off they went.

Saturday:  Snow, snow, more snow…and I was happy as a clam.  I could have cleaned the basement, paid bills, or put away the multiple baskets of laundry that had piled up, but instead I laid in bed ALL DAY and watched the first season of Downton Abbey.  We had suddenly gone from a jam-packed weekend to a weekend with absolutely nothing to do.  I don’t get that opportunity very often (ok – never), so I wasn’t about to waste it.  Ben shoveled, Adlani lost a boot in the front yard which still hasn’t been found, Aliya eventually came home, and that’s about it.

Sunday & Monday:  Back to WWK (working with kids).  Tuesday morning I got an automated call from the school district…as soon as I saw the number I think I had one of those mini-strokes, but it was a call to say that there WAS school but to be careful getting the kids on the bus.  WOOHOOO!!!

Unrelated to last week’s unplanned mini vacation and this week’s scheduled school break, yesterday was Cultural Heritage Day at school, and here is yet another terrible photo.  Why is it so f-ing hard to get 3 kids to smile REAL smiles, all at the same time.  Is their life so difficult that they can’t crack a smile?  What do I have to do to get just one good photo?  The girls are wearing their Moroccan dresses, Adlani is wearing a Moroccan hat which can’t be seen because of his ‘fro.  His class was apparently having “fancy day” and this was his idea of fancy.  I think he was a farm hand in a past life.  I’m way beyond fighting with them over this stuff, and anyway, I think Spirit Days are torture for the parents who have to track down the necessary items that the  kids probably stuff into their backpacks as soon as they get on the bus, but I did my parental duty and off they went.  Maybe Spirit Days are designed to make the regular days feel manageable.

So like I said, we spent way too much time sitting around the house and WWK, so now that February school vacation is here, we’re hoping it will be more tolerable, maybe even enjoyable, if we get out of the house and do some things.  Ben and I both have to work, but we should still be able to squeeze in a few hours of kid-friendly activities each day.  We woke up this morning with absolutely no plans for what those activities might be, but thanks to Facebook, we found half-price tickets to Oliver at the Wheelock Family Theatre.  We went to Faneuil Hall first for dinner, then had a great time at the show.

Here’s an aerial photo of Boston after Blizzard Nemo: