on the oval.

About twice a year we get a special opportunity. We get to skate at the Pettit. The Pettit is one of only a dozen or so indoor 400-meter ovals in the world, and is an official US Olympic training facility. An interesting tidbit is that the Pettit is the only sea-level indoor oval in the US for training, so it is a key facility for athletes who will compete in the 2014 Olympics as the oval in Russia will also be at sea level (Did you know you skate faster in higher elevations than sea level? Higher altitudes have less air density - something like a 3% reduction for every 1,000 feet - which makes for less aerodynamic drag and faster speeds in skiing and skating!). All very exciting for my guys. Very exciting. ;)




Yesterday was the day. It takes some time to get the feet and ankles into the groove, but by the end of the time both boys are on the go. I cannot ice skate with my herniated discs in my back, but my husband Brice loves it and always takes a vacation day to come and skate with his boys. I get to watch and take lots of photos!




G made it around the oval a few times (400 meters may not sound so big, but it is HUGE!) and A whizzed around many more. Super fun day (and only a few blisters)!

snake day.

Snake Day is looked forward to year after year in this house. The boys ask how many more days until Snake Day, and count them down for the last few months. We leave early so we can be there the minute it opens, before the crowd. We spend hours circling around again and again.

While G loves visiting the snakes, he then likes to wander the museum. A, on the other hand, wants to stay in the room with the snakes (and turtles, alligators, lizards, etc.) all day. He doesn't want to leave. Or visit other parts of the museum. This year his recent intense phobia of the dark means he could only go in the bright areas of the museum - which is about 10% of it. He tried, but ended up covering his ears, looking down, and refusing to step deep into the dark hallways full of the exhibits. So we visited a few things (butterflies!), but spent hour upon hour with the snakes! A loves their calm quiet, G likes their silky feel.


So we begin the countdown to the next Snake Day. 364 days to go!

into the world of audio.

My boys have never really enjoyed children's museums. But science museums? Love. And I love having a family membership. Because no matter how often we go, there is always something new to look at even if the exhibits don't change.




The older they get, the more they focus on the details, they stand and read the screens, or move to areas they were not that interested in before. This trip we spent time in some of the familiar places. They love the robotics, flight simulator, aquarium and submarine. They love the bed of nails, the energy independent house, the touch tanks, the large ship hanging from the ceiling.




And then we ventured into the audio/music area for the longest ever this weekend. We banged and played and watched and listened. We made music. We made noise. We saw sound. And we learned about sound and the history of audio recording. While they still don't really care about the Les Paul guitars (Who is Robert Plant? Why is a signed guitar behind glass?), there is a lot of cool stuff in there. Keyboards, guitars, drum machines, funky interactive music consoles, sound wave generators. Not to mention a recording studio.

Like mother like sons.

s.s.snakes!

There are a few events we go to every year that are highly anticipated. Snake Day at the Milwaukee Public Museum is one of those big gotta go events. So, when the night before Snake Day the transmission suddenly starts slipping on the car, we knew we had to jump through hoops to figure out the logistics to get ourselves a rental in time to be at the museum - over 70 miles away - first thing the next morning.


And we did it! We were not there at the moment they opened, but we made it within an hour of opening, with all day to hang out. Snake Day for A is no small matter. He doesn't want to walk through and then is done. He must stay. All day. Touch all of the reptiles. Hold them. Talk to the herpetologists. Repeat.


Both boys love feeling the snakes. Some are smooth, some bumpy, all beautiful. In the sunshine the black rat snake (above) has an iridescent sheen. A even got a few kisses on his cheek by the tongue of that curious snake. He was in heaven. Ear to ear smile.


We wandered and visited the room filled with frogs, crocodiles, snakes, turtles and lizards. A spent hours with the snakes, while G visited for awhile, and then wandered the rest of the (not so busy) museum with me.


It is so interesting to see that the natural feelings almost all children have towards snakes is not fear - but awe. Every child wanted to reach out and touch. And the snakes are so fascinating to watch...and feel.


So as the boys look forward to the next Snake Day - we return the rental car and cross our fingers that the shop will tell us tomorrow that the transmission is under warranty. ;) Hope you had a great weekend!


.

sky view.

I have a fear of heights. Ever since I was a child - palms sweat, world spins, can't breathe. I have gotten through it OK for years by either avoidance or confronting it head on (which didn't conquer it but I didn't die ;)) - but certain types of things are really tough, like edges and open air hanging things.


Today my boys decided that they wanted to try an aerial tram ride. This isn't like the ski lifts I have ridden in New Mexico and Colorado - sort of high and above grass or snow. This was very high and above concrete. And on a little piddly lift (of course I was the only one who thought that, since it freaked me out), not the big deluxe ski resort kind. But if I hope for my boys to try new things and experiences and feel comfortable confronting their fears, then I should too, right?


A rode with Brice and G was with me. My death grip on him and the bar made it tough to take photos (!) but I got a few in. Of course he was oblivious to my suffering and was perfectly happy after the first few minutes of nervous and enjoyed the ride - yelling over to his dad and brother and watching the ants, I mean people pass below - he even pranced off when we were done.



Oh, the things we do for love.


(oh my, I am woozy even looking at the photos again!)

milwaukee sunday.

Yesterday we had a sunny cool Sunday full of our favorite science museum, Lake Michigan, and city waterfront walking.


We have been going to this museum for years - but as the boys get older, they delve deeper into the exhibits, read the information, ask more questions, and explore more of the small mechanical and technical stuff. We spend hours and hours each time we go, and always leave wanting to come back soon.


As A has been reading more and is interested in a lot of the new technologies, he has been interested in the exhibits there about aquaponics, vermiculture, water usage, sewage, energy, air quality, and a sustainable future. They have so many great exhibits throughout the whole museum on these topics, and we find ourselves in these areas for a long time each visit.





The past few times the boys have started trying the flight simulator too. All three of my guys have an interest in flying and this is a nice full motion simulator - it is amazing to see how smooth G is at flying and landing when it is such a challenge for so many older kids and adults!


Of course we love getting outside there too. Downtown Milwaukee is steps away, and Lake Michigan is big and beautiful. After many years living and working in Chicago so close to Lake Michigan I find myself missing it and feeling a need to just sit there and look out at the blue horizon, listen to the birds, and watch the boats go by.


As always, a wonderful day!

it's all about water.

Last weekend it was c-c-c-cold outside, so we took a day trip and visited our favorite science museum in Milwaukee!


We walked on water,


Under water,

Through water,


Dipped our arms in water,


And measured how much water our bodies contained.

We operated remote control under water cameras. We saw ships and boats, water recycling and sanitation, and water gardens. We created art in water bubbles. We looked at aquariums, the Great Lakes, and saw how sound affects water. While there were so many other things to look at - the day was definitely about water!

It is warming up - today will be 25º, and by Thursday a balmy 34º is expected. So we will head outside to enjoy this heat wave while it lasts. Have a great week!

sunday, sunday.

Today we headed to our favorite science museum to see their new exhibits. The boys always love seeing the familiar, but definitely love exploring the new. The water cycle exhibit was pretty cool. They could see where rain goes - from your roof to the water treatment plant.


We saw how much water weighed, and how far many people on the planet must carry their water every day. We read how much water people use in this country daily (ouch). We compared showerheads for water usage. We saw how plants and fish work together in aquaponics to filter and grow in a beneficial dependency.


We walked through a green built house and compared different types of insulation, paints, flooring, and windows. We looked at different light bulbs, read about fiber optic solar, and saw how much electricity a live eel was generating in a tank (cool!). The boys even got to run and produce kinetic energy...by running in what really was a gigantic hamster (uh, human) wheel. They lit up light bulbs running and running.


We explored wind turbines, hydrogen cells, nuclear power, solar power...they felt good about how much they already knew, and excited to find out more about a few new interesting things (electric eels).


A nice break from our intensive gardening efforts of the past month or so. Tomorrow more rain - the boys won't mind though, as we have a new fun game...Earthopoly...and we have some research to do on those electric eels!