Angry Birds at Space Center Houston....

Having gotten the flu in essence, twice over the holidays, I was still running fever until Wednesday of last week. I missed Christmas, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day, but I was determined to get out and do something fun with my kids before they return to school on the 8th. 

It just so happens that Space Center Houston, about an hour drive away, was having the country's first Angry Birds exhibit. My kids, like most, are mega Angry Birds fans, and what could be a better combination of fun and education? Angry Birds Space!

Word to the wise, buy your tickets online! I saved $15 by purchasing the tickets online, which is essentially getting one child in for free. Tickets are not all that cheap. It was a Saturday afternoon, it was packed, but the kids had a good time. It was a great way to get out, have some fun, and stay out of the yucky cold and rainy weather of the day. 

The kids' favorite experiment was to see how much they each weighed on other planets. That was probably the highlight of their trip! They also had some neat experiments like using algebra to create a laser show, teaching gravity through Angry Bird games, how much weight could you lift on other planets, using algebra to create electronic music, as well as just some fun computer games. 

Here are some pictures of my kiddos, living it up at Space Center Houston...

learning about gear ratios vs output

computer games

Angry Birds Space Playground

checking out some cool skateboard decks

creating electronic drum solos

waiting for a space show to start

Lego free play

Angry Birds brain teasers

Jansen and I enjoying our time

pumping some iron

checking out the plush selection

Caleb pumping some iron

Caleb would weigh 106.5 pounds on Jupiter

goofing around

Jansen solved his Angry Birds brain teaser game

Thanks for the Christmas flu, Santa

While I was actually dreading having 8 family Christmases this year, staying home with 2 children with the flu and bronchitis, not to mention getting it myself....was not the way I was hoping to get out of going. 


I wish I could say that my kids got to go to all of their families, opened presents, and shared in the holiday with loved ones...instead we hugged the toilets, feasted on crackers and Sprite, and slept through most of the week. 

Jansen started feeling very bad on Christmas Eve and then it just snowballed. We are now on day 6 for him with fever. On Thursday night, I couldn't take it anymore and I took them both to our Urgent Care. God bless them! We were in and out in less than 30 minutes....the only patients there!!! After diagnosing both of the boys with the flu and bronchitis, the doctor turns to me and says, "I would like to take your vitals as well." Sure enough, I had a higher fever than the boys. Tamiflu and antibiotics for the whole family!

So my children have been out of school for over a week, and have spent the whole time sick. I really wanted to bake with them, take them looking at Christmas lights, and just spend time with our family, but instead we all spent a ton of quality time together in my bed. Thank goodness my husband has been working so much because he didn't get the flu (and thank you to the urgent care doctor who gave him the Tamiflu to prevent him from getting it!) Each one of us sounds like we might cough up a lung at any moment!

What a bah humbug Christmas...although we are blessed immensely. I am so glad that my boys got sick over a holiday instead of during the school year. Missing a week of school would have been so difficult to recover from!

Now that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I am hoping to spend next week out and about town with the kiddos, enjoying the beginning of the year! We welcome 2013 with hopefully flu free open arms!

Christmas Day goodies

Well, we are completely blessed this morning. After spending some time with my hubs' family last night, we came home to start preparations for Christmas morning. The hubs has to be at work at 5am this morning so we knew that we had to get up quite early to open presents with the kids. We finally got to bed at about midnight, and I woke up at 3am, unable to go back to sleep. So at 4am, we all got up and began opening presents. 

Caleb was very excited! Jansen was less excited because he woke up with a lovely Christmas fever. My poor baby is sick on Christmas day. This is not how I hoped he would spend his Christmas, especially since we had three places to go today and one tomorrow. 

It seems as though all of that is put on hold for now. My husband will be taking our oldest son to his grandmother's house tonight and will try to Skype with Jansen and I at home...so at least we can share in the fun. 

Anyway, we did have a great morning...complete with milk and cupcakes for Santa....

a mini martini glass was rimmed with melted white chocolate and rolled in sprinkles

and it looks as though Santa was quite hungry still...

and presents...

Jansen got a razor scooter

Jansen's Christmas loot

Caleb's Christmas loot

the scene at 4am...and yes, we love to watch Duck Dynasty

Star Wars goodies

Star Wars are one of my kids' faves

opening presents really early in the morning

The Ultimate 3DS Starter Kit to go with his new 3DS Nana and Pops gave him

opening his 3DS starter kit

Star Wars books

a Christmas sock monkey

A Spiderman web blaster

Angry Birds plushes

The scene at 4:15am....I can't believe it is over....

Caleb practicing his nunchuck ninja skills

and lots of love. 

Now my children are both sound asleep, and Jansen is pumped full of meds and green tea. He is sleeping peacefully in my bed. 

Merry Christmas to everyone. May you all be abundantly blessed!!!

Christmas at Nana and Pops' house....

Christmas at Nana and Pops' house was fun!