set the timer, mom!

pace loves watermelon.  usually during our night prayer pace interjects, whispering, "mom, don't forget the watermelons!"  so we pray that the farmers can grow big, sweet watermelons for us to eat over the summer.  we got one at the store the other day, and pace couldn't fall asleep until he'd had a "triangle" piece of watermelon.  i went in the boy's room to check on them and pace's owl eyes looked back at me, he smiled, and said, "mom, i want to whisper something to you."  i laughed and leaned down to his bed, and he whispered, "i'm hungry."  so we ran downstairs really fast, cut off a piece of watermelon, and pace asked me to set the timer--he wanted to eat a "triangle" as fast as possible.  and then back to bed!   

it was really, really sweet the other night--pace actually asked to pray all by himself.  usually while we're saying our prayers pace will do the usual 3 year-old crazy interjections--like asking us to pray for watermelons, or trash trucks, or spooky ghosts, etc.  the night he asked to pray all by himself, i honestly don't remember ver batim what he said, but i remember it was very specific and very sweet--he thanked heavenly father for his family, for mama, daddy, paceboy, and max attack, for the fun day, and that he loved jesus.

piece of cake

 last saturday david ran the timp trail marathon.  the website said if you run a normal road marathon in 3.30, expect to finish the timp trail marathon in 6 hours.  david finished his little run through the mountains in 5.20!  he even took some nice go pro photos along the way!  we met him at the finish line and he grinned and said, "piece of cake!"  he's never looked so good after a marathon!  in his training he said running in the mountains was definitely more nourishing than pounding the pavement.  the next day, david's muscles were definitely fatigued, but not sore at all!  

the trail, uploaded on david's strava account (i think it's the website linked to his watch/heart rate monitor that also uploads everyone else that uses strava, too--you know, to compare/contrast/see who's winning...all that manly stuff...):

discovery museum

a new childrens museum opened up near the dinosaur museum at thanksgiving point, and we decided to go explore it!  david took last friday off work so he could rest up for his mountain trail marathon on saturday, so it was perfect for a field trip.  you know it's going to be good if it starts out with a "pace-size door"!  (warning:  barrage of photos...)

  

first stop:  throwing paper up fan tubes, and building with styrofoam blocks

then we went to an earth science/natural disaster room, which was pretty cool.  there was a 3-d topographic hands-on "map".  pace loved being a grapple truck to move mountains and make lakes.

max was excited when some other kids cleared out and a box stool became available

then we visited the earthquake table--we built a house, pushed the button, and---boom!--down it went!

this area also had wind tunnels--one to experience hurricane-force winds, and the other to experience a tornado.  the tornado tunnel had fog or something that you watched turn into a twister.  pace took one look at that and walked a w-i-d-e berth around that tunnel.  most kids were all clamoring for their turn with a tornado, but pace wanted to stay as far away as possible, because "tornados and hurricanes kill people, mom."  yup, that's right--national geographic has taught you well.

then on to the water wheel.  max *hates* getting sprayed/wet, so he pretty much stayed in my arms in this room, whimpering...

now for some rainforest fun...we get asked all the time if the boys are twins.  pace is obviously taller, but here's proof their weight is closer than their height!

max loved this 0-3 play area--he played with the balls and ramps for a good 20-30 minutes while pace and david took off exploring the ropes.

it's really hard to see, but pace and david are walking around and waving on this little semi-enclosed rope-walk, with a bridge to an airplane.  i think pace got a little scared, and ended up hanging on to david to cross the final bridge.

and to give you a little perspective--i'll zoom out

this deal-eo was a leopard pounce--you had to get the red light.  if you got it, i guess the leopard version of you got dinner that night.  if not, well...

this was crazy--max loves jumping on trampolines.  we go over to a friend's house to exercise together on fridays, and play in their sandbox and jump on their trampoline afterwards.  max scares me because he doesn't have a sensor yet--he runs around the trampoline like it's all the fun in the world and no edge to fall off.  i make him hold my hand if he's running circles, and he hates it.  so when we found this enclosed trampoline, he was excited to go in there and bounce around all by himself--no mama attached!  the crazy part--there were probably 3-4 levels of these elastic netting levels above the trampoline, and kids were falling and sliding through like raindrops!  didn't phase max one bit!

last stop:  kidopolis.  a city of kid-sized buildings--a laundromat, library, hospital, art studio, etc. etc.

typical laundromat scene:  kids fascinated, bored mama...ha ha...

art studio--fun lights and sand art!  phew!  are you as exhausted as i was, just looking through these photos?  ha ha...and believe it or not, but we had to carry the boys away kicking and screaming.  we agreed to trade in screams for one last time in the fan and block room before heading out the door.  i had snacks in the car waiting for us, and both the boys fell asleep on the ride home, mid-chew.  i wish i'd had the camera with me--max's face and wilting, droopy eyelids were hilarious.