A learning Weekend

This week was spring break at the university and in preparation for it my boss encouraged us to take time off. I decided to take her up on that offer so Thursday and Friday found the kids out and about with their old man. Thursday we dropped Angel off at a conference I'm Salt Lake and then visiting the Natural History Museum  at the University of Utan. I remember going there as a kid and though that they would enjoy it. We spent just over 4 hours there, including eating a packed lunch in their dinning area. They had lots of stuff there for all ages and the kids did really well. Tigger was not as fond of the dinosaurs as he thought he would be. They freaked him out. But there was lots of other things that he enjoyed.

This recreation of a first people's home was one of their favorite. Kanga would tell me what the different holes were used for and what the people did where in the home. I don't know how she knew what they were used for, but she sounded very clear and assured of her statements. They played in a stream, built walls to examine erosion, enjoyed the different colored minerals, drooled over chocolate (and it's history), enjoyed looking at the sun, and put a cell together. They were very mobile and interested in all of the hands on stuff (which was very good).

The next day my dad and brother came up and we went to a local attraction, The Bear River Bird Refuge. My father had enough binoculars for everybody and we spent the afternoon watching great blue herons, coots, geese, pelicans, a cormorant, and red winged blackbirds. There were other birds as well, but we were unable to identify them. The kids weren't too sure what to think but they enjoyed themselves in the end. My dad, as a scoutmaster, has taken scouts there before - I've been twice, but that was thirteen years ago. Since then they have built a very nice visitor's center that we stopped off at first. It was well furnished and delightful to show the kids the different birds we would see.

All in all we did a lot this weekend. The kids asked if we could go to the museum again, and I hope I can take them again as they get older. As my dad said while we were looking at birds and the Kanga asked if we could go home, "You have to work them into it." I'm glad they are patient enough with their old man to let him try to "work them into" nature, science, museums, and wildlife preserves.