Time with Just the Little Ones

Last week, when my teenagers were gone to EFY, I took advantage of the fact that I had my "little ones" ALL to myself.  They aren't really little anymore (Spencer is 10 and Hailey is 6) but in our family, they are the "little ones."  I can hardly believe they are getting that old and that my little Spencer will be a 5th grader this year.  It blows me away----- So, amidst all things I had to do with Kea Lani---I took the opportunity to go and PLAY with them.  On Tuesday we headed up to the Arizona Science Center and had a ton of fun!

       We built a very "balanced city" on this wobbly circle board.  We watched an IMAX movie all about prehistoric sea creatures (which Hailey loved because she is obsessed with dinosaurs and reptiles!).  They bought fun souvenirs from the gift shop with the money they earned washing/vacuuming my car---and we even laid on a bed of nails!  It was pretty cool--
      After we were done with the Science Center, we walked outside in 105 degree weather and headed over to the Doll and Toy Museum. It's in this darling little home that probably is well over 100 years old but has been preserved and is now part of the Heritage Home Collection in Phoenix.  I have always wanted to go through this museum but with my older kids, they didn't really want to do it.  So---away we went.  It cost $1 for my little ones to get in.  Do you love it??

This was probably one of my most favorite miniature collections.  It is a Millinery Shop and reminded me so much of "Hello Dolly" and the fun shop where Millie worked!  I just loved the attention to detail with all of the fabrics, ribbon spools, and lace.  I could have stared at that for hours!

 OK - so even though Spencer looks TOTALLY bored, he was having a great time!  I just didn't give him a chance to smile before I snapped the photo--ha ha!  This was our favorite doll house.  It was amazing and had everything you can imagine or would want in a doll house.  We all decided that we wanted to move in and live there.  I especially loved the wrap around porch---my dream.

 Spencer LOVED LOVED this collection.  His dad has a bunch of these old Star Wars guys and it was fun for him to check them all out.

This was one of the last rooms of the museum.  I thought it was really cute but Hailey said, "Mom, this is actually kinda creepy!"  ha ha---the more I looked at it, gazed into the blank stares of those dolls, and thought of creepy music from a horror movie---it sort of freaked me out too!  

At the end of the day, we got in our car and sang "Apples and Bananas" with every vowel or sound they could think of.  We  stopped for tacos and cinnamon twists at Taco Bell and slowly made our way home.  I didn't want that day to end.  I missed my teenagers that week terribly---but being able to focus on my little ones without wondering where the big ones were and what they were doing---was, in a word . . . delightful . . . and the best part, was that I was able to take my two little "dolls" home with me!