Grandma Wendy's Visit (day 2)

NOTE: Flat Stanley came out for a visit also from Macy. You may see him in some of the pictures.

The next day, after completing all the morning tasks (breakfast, exercise, showers, naps, etc) we took off to the Museum of Nature and Science. We loved it so much and didn't get to go through all of it with Stef. Also, we wanted to go see their special Pirate Exhibit.

Stanley wanted to see the pirates too.

 When we got inside, they want you to pay an additional amount on top of museum admission to see the exhibit. So we didn't end up going to it, but it worked out because we started running out of time at the end.

We explored Colorado.

 We started with Explore Colorado and the Wildlife exhibits. Explore Colorado contains life size diorama's that show all the various plant and animal life in Colorado while the Wildlife exhibits are taxidermy of most of your major mammal animals on the various continents. Ellie loves seeing the animals.

 Also, we visited their North American Indians Cultures exhibit. Here, again, were dioramas and information displaying what each Tribe/Culture was like in the past. I love to see the talent they had in creating art work and every day life tools, as well as their ingenuity.

At one point, we came to this room. I can't remember it name. All I remember is that it had all these rock sculptures and the information said that they were created by a Russian man with no training in sculpting; just raw, natural talent. The listing at the bottom tells what rock or gem was used to create each part.



I wish I had a natural talent comparable to this.

 

Ellie riding a Guanaca, related to Llamas and Alpacas.

 

Out one of the back windows was this great view of Downtown.

We also explored the Kid's Discovery area, which mostly seemed for kids over the age of 2. Ellie did enjoy playing the piano with glass coverings so you could see what caused the noise. Also, we all loved playing with the giant fan; placing scarves above it to see how high or how long they would fly.

This time we also tried Expedition Health. I thought this was fun and interesting, but then again I am a nerd when it comes to learning about the body. They give you card when you enter and you register (of sorts); giving your first name, age, and picking a "buddy" to guide you through the expedition. These buddies are people of different ages, interest, body types, etc so you can pick someone you can relate with to tell you about each activity. You then learn about resting heart rate, and have yours tested, and target heart rate by riding a bicycle.  Another station compares your arm span, finger tip to finger tip, and your height. You can play and eating game to learn about healthy food choices for different activities and really how sun screen protects by adding some to your skin while looking through camera that can see the UV. There is also a spot to measure your stride; the length, energy, and how fast you walk. The hardest was having a good picture taken so a computer could age you to 70+ and so you additional skin problems based on smoking, obesity, or sun exposure. At the end, you receive a print out of some of the activities. I was having so much fun, I didn't take any pictures.

It was getting late and Jake was waiting to take me out for our Anniversary dinner, so we did a quick walk through of the Gems exhibit cause we're women and we can and headed home. My mom and Ellie were able to spend a few hours together, just the 2 of them while Jake and I ate at the Cheesecake Factory and looked for a movie to see.

Thanks mom for babysitting and allowing us to have a night together without Ellie. (We still love Ellie.)