Field Trips x2

I'm terribly behind with blogging, and since Christmas is just half a blink away, I'd better get moving.  

This week we managed to squeeze in two fun field trips.  First, we went with Thane's preschool group to the local fire station, which is always one of my favorite places to visit with kids.  The firefighters are great with all the littles, though I'm sure it helps that the kids are all in awe of everything firefighter related. 

First, the firefighters taught a little fire safety (3 year old appropriate), and got dressed in full gear.  Surprisingly, this didn't freak out any of our crew.  However, when they asked the kids to practice screaming (what they would need to do if they were trapped in a burning building), not a peep would they make!

This was Graham's favorite part of the visit, because he had free roam of the classroom.  He soon discovered he could turn the table into a drum, and boy does Graham love to drum.

I'm always impressed with how willing the firefighters are to let the kids mess with all their gear and equipment.  "Don't worry," one soothed a worried mom, "if we can't break it, neither can they."

Successful preschool field trip #3.

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Our second field trip of the week was with Bryce's homeschool-school (how's that for clear as mud?).  This time we drove up to Seattle to visit the Pacific Science Center.  I let Aubree play hooky and join us.  While A & B watched a planetarium show (the primary "purpose" of the trip, because Bryce is learning all about space this year), T & G played in the toddler area.  Of course, the water area is a guaranteed hit.

 Graham seemed to relish being able to play like a (relatively) big kid.  Any time I tried to carry him, he arched his back demanding to get down and walk.

 Another guaranteed winner is the butterfly house.  Considering it was a frigid 29 degrees when we arrived at the science center, everyone was eager to spend some time defrosting in the tropical exhibit.  Aubree and her friend Lena sat very, very still for a long time hoping a butterfly would land on them.  They were unsuccessful, but Bryce, who spent his time examining the plants, had a large blue butterfly land on his arm.  

 Thane was more interested in the fish.

 We hit one more fun area (that dealt with eating a balanced diet), before heading home so poor, exhausted Graham could nap.  The kids loved the interactive, technological aspects.

 Good fun all around.