A day at the museum

Yesterday Matt and our friend Dave and some other guys got together to play games, so his wife Danica and I took all our kids to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  We've been there on multiple occasions, but it's always fun to take the kids.  We were planning on the zoo, but decided that it was just too cold to be outside (39 degrees or so by the time we got there) and the museum is right next to the zoo.  The boys put the carseats in the van for us, so I didn't have the right to tell them that Patrick was supposed to be rear facing (we usually move Lilly's carseat to the back with Erin and Jensen and put Patrick rear facing where Lilly is.  But we forgot to tell them that).  I figured one trip wouldn't hurt, as he's nearly a year old and over the weight limit now anyway.  Don't worry, I put his seat back rearfacing into our car where the vast majority of his car riding gets done anyway.

We went to the wildlife halls first, figuring that while it wasn't as good as a zoo full of living animals, it was still cool.  Though when Jensen asked if they were real we told him they weren't.  We didn't think a 4 year old would understand taxidermy.  They liked riding on the fake llamas.

Then we went to the Discovery Health exhibit, which is all about the body and such things.  There's this light panel that plays video of rushing water, and has a balance beam across. Erin did amazingly well (when that older boy wasn't tailgating her!). 

I didn't get a picture, but she, Jensen, and Lily decided they needed to "go swimming."  Danica and I (and everyone around us) were laughing, it was very cute.  But of course, once the camera came out, they stopped.


There was a children's play area in that exhibit called "Tyke's Peak" in which Patrick practiced his climbing skills.

Then we went to the Children's Discovery Center.  Seperate exhibit, same sort of thing.  Erin and Lily were excited to go in.

They always have a different set of toys when we go and this time it was these magnetic rods. 

I don't know what it is about magnets but even Danica and I had a lot of fun playing with them!

All in all, a very good day.  Hopefully soon it'll warm up enough to go to the zoo!