Last Post of a Busy Month

So it was finally time for our window installation. (Which went great, and we'd highly recommend the guys - call us if you need the name.) Due to Xavi's allergies, we felt like we should vacate while the house was open, so we headed to Lansing. With a surprise guest - the kids' good friend Mason!

First stop, even before the hotel, was the State Capitol. We got there an hour before closing, and got an excellent private tour with Barb, who had just finished a history study of the Capitol's architect, Elijah Myers. She also filled us in on restoration details, secrets in the paintings of the governors, and a story about an unnamed representative putting a sticker on a 130 year old antique desk.

Captiol exterior, senate chamber
looking up into the dome, on the steps

We stayed at the Kellogg Center on the MSU campus. The room was quite nice, great view of campus, and perfect for 5 with a large sitting area. There was much Magic (including Xavi!), and superhero playacting, action figures, reading and drawing.

On Saturday we hit the Michigan Historical Museum. We were disappointed that the prehistoric and frontier sections were closed, but the 20th century floor was super cool. The kids were given an assignment to learn three things, and they all found different interesting bits and did a great job writing about them. We're definitely going back when the whole museum is open. There was a cool connection with the capitol: the main rotunda has a display of battle-flag replicas from the civil war, and then the real thing was on display at the museum. (Barb tip!)

The Museum/Library complex, breaking with some Voyageurs,
replicas and the real thing

Other than that we spent our time touring MSU (with obligatory bad Dad stories), eating and hitting comic book shops. Clem's Collectibles in Lansing on Washington just south of the capitol was quite a hit, even though it's no Lange's (our local shop).