Day 3

Sam manipulates a model radio telescope
Moon lander
Enjoying the galaxy

Blast off!

Today has so far gone according to plan, although it's 2:00 and no signs of a nap for Sam. We visited the local science/astronomy museum today and Sam had a great time. His favorite parts were the videos where you can push buttons to start them (especially one about the extinction of dinosaurs) or similar exhibits (a radio satellite that rotates). He also really liked the rockets and space shuttles. He got scared several times, probably because it was such a different environment, dimly lit with a lot of big objects (gigantic planets) and strange sounds. He was scared of the planets and of a talking robot. I asked him if he was interested in doing a space shuttle ride they had, and he said he didn't want to.

They also have, astoundingly, IMAX and 3D theaters. I'm not quite sure how we lucked out on having this nearby, but I think it'll be really fun. Emily thinks he's probably too small for the movies, but the museum is close to one of the churches we attend, so we may still give it a try. Luckily, Sam's new enough at this that he entirely missed the gift shop. There's also a good park outside of the museum, although it was indeed rainy today, so we just walked around for a little while.

Tickets aren't too pricey normally, but today for children's day (4/4) admission was free for each parent/kid pair. Next year maybe we'll go and bring a friend. So far the four-day plan is chugging along. Tonight we're going to get pizza and have a friend come over. Tomorrow could be dicey with weather, but we're still hoping to get over to the riverfront. All of this said, the house is slumping towards chaos. Emily was able to bathe the twins this morning, but otherwise it will probably be pretty much a wash. I also had a strange sleep night (late to bed, up early). However, a happy toddler and some smiley twins balances out the challenges.