President’s Day

February 17th - President’s Day was the first day of our 2014 mid-winter break and instead of lounging around at home all week we actually got out and did some fun things.  Justin had the day off so we knew we wanted to do something fun as a family on Monday.   As I was talking to a friend at church about ideas of what to do she handed me her Microsoft discount card that could get us into places at steep discounts.  We really wanted to take Katie to the zoo, she hasn't been since she was one, but the weather was supposed to be too rainy to make it worthwhile, so instead we ventured to the Pacific Science Center.  This was Justin’s first time going as an adult - shocker right? In the 13 years we’ve lived in the northwest I’ve actually only been a few times myself.

We got there just as it opened so we could catch the first showing of “Beavers: The biggest dam movie you ever saw.”  It was actually a really cute educational movie about beavers.  It’s always so entertaining to watch Jason during a movie – he cracks up at the funniest things and I just love his laugh.

After the movie we roamed around checking out various displays and exhibits.

Jason sitting at the gigantic table

Justin challenged Carly to a tic-tac-toe like game

The butterfly exhibit is my favorite

Gotta get a picture on the bug sculpture

Katie really enjoyed the water area

Jason enjoyed running around trying to squash the bugs moving on the floor

Justin tried to trick Katie into smelling various odors – she wasn’t game – neither was I.  Justin said the gum disease smelled the worst.

Justin and Jason burned a few calories pedaling bikes

The girls had fun with the mirrors as we were heading out

We were all starving by the time we left and decided to eat downtown at The Old

Spaghetti Factory – yum!  The girls really wanted to hit up Michaels on the way home, but Drew hadn’t slept all day so we headed home, put him down for a nap, and then Carly, Abigail and I had a girls afternoon out running errands and shopping.  The girls have been really into loom bands lately and were both given kits for Christmas that had broken so they wanted to buy the real “Rainbow Loom” brand.  Letting my kids spend money has, and likely always will be, something I struggle with, but they each received money from my Mom for Christmas and decided it was something they really wanted to buy.  Honestly the hours and hours of entertainment these little rubber bands provide is well worth the $12.