Rachel Lillian Carpenter is Born!

 As I mentioned in the last post, I was having contractions during the Awana awards ceremony and as the night went on I had more and more of them to the point that I was sure it was time to go to the hospital.  We had all the childcare arranged for the night and the next day just in case and so at almost 1:00 in the morning we made our way to the hospital.  As it turned out, I was not dialated at that point, but after walking around the hospital for an hour from 3-4am, I was dialated to a 2 or 3 the nurse said.  This meant we got to stay rather than being sent home!!  Wahoo!

After a nice bath, I got my IV and epidural on board and then the waiting began.  My contractions slowed a bit, so they opted to give some pitocin at the lowest levels.  That made things begin again and I was able to rest a little for a while.  The epidural wasn't working super great on the right side and they tried to adjust it, but eventually I got a new epidural instead.  Every time they gave me a dose of the medicine via the epidural, I would get nauseous (not fun) and apparently my blood pressure dropped (also not fun).  And sadly, the second epidural was not covering a key area for giving birth, so I was not super comfortable as I had been in previous times when birthing my children.  Eventually, my body took over and they stopped the pitocin and I started to have some contractions that were making me shake really bad.  All these lovely symptoms definitely made me more anxious to get this party started, but still I was not ready!

Also, this was the longest labor I had ever had and it seemed to take forever for me to dialate fully and though it still wasn't as long as some, for me it seemed to be taking too long when I was used to coming to the hospital and giving birth 4-5 hours later.  FINALLY, I was told I was dialated enough to push and then I had to wait for the doctor to come from across the street at the clinic to arrive. It was really hard to wait!  However, she did make it and after 4 pushes, little baby Rachel came right out!  She was what they call "stunned" because she came out so fast and they had to try to stimulate her to cry by flicking her heel and such.  She did start to cry a little eventually and all the while Daddy was watching our little one and got to cut the umbilical cord.

She was 7 pounds and 15 ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long!  She was born officially on Thursday, May 9th, 2013 at 12:54pm.  She came out with dark brown hair (a first for our kids) and smokey gray/blue eyes.  We anticipate the eye color will change probably to something darker as time goes on.  People keep telling us that her dark hair may fall out and some blonde may grow in, but I am not so sure.  All of our kids who were blonde started off either bald or with fine blonde hair, so I think for the 5th shot here we got a dark-haired one!  

As a little side note, David's mom's name is Rachel and my mom's middle name is Lillian, so we named her in honor of both grandmas.  This was of course very popular with both grandmas!!  

When we came home, my friend EJ and her boys had helped my kiddos make this lovely welcome home banner as well as a cake, brownies and dinner for us that night as well.  It was nice to know the kids were in such good hands!   My friend Kim came in the middle of the night on Wednesday when we left for the hospital too.  Thanks friends for being there for us!  

We are very pleased to welcome this new little one into our home and her siblings have been fighting over who gets to hold her ever since!  We have never seen so much hand washing and sitting still around here!  Thankfully, baby is doing wonderfully and we are glad she is finally out here in the world with us! 

Awana Awards Night 2013

 As per usual, the Awana groups march up the aisle to their seats in the front at the beginning of the ceremony.  Caleb is leading the way here very hesitantly as you can see.  Daniel is all smiles!  Last year, they both had to hold a leaders' hand up the aisle, so they are moving up in the world it seems. 

 In rare moments, I can capture a true Josiah smile, and this is one that he gave as he looked back proudly at his parents as he walked by to go to his seat.  

 Daniel and Caleb are checking out their loot as they wait for the other awards to be handed out.  They each got a Cubby Bear cup filled with candy, a certificate, and a special ribbon that goes on their Awana vests behind the little Cubby Bear that they got last year for their first book.  These guys are now done with all things Cubby and are moving on to Sparks next year!  Naomi will have her first year of Cubbies next year too, so that will be fun to see.

Josiah earned the top award for Sparks and finished his third book this year as well as the review book also.  He got his Sparky plaque for finishing the third book and for each review book he got a little pin to put on the patch that goes behind his wings.  He was the only one to finish all the possible books for Awana Sparks this year and we are very proud of his accomplishments!  It might be noted here too that all throughout the ceremony, I was having contractions in hopes that baby girl might be born soon.  More on that in the next post!! 

Josiah Testing for High Red

 Josiah spent three months at red belt, and it was time for him to test on to high red at the end of January.  From now on, he will wait three months between belts rather than two.  He still has a few more to go until black belt and after he achieves that we will allow him to either continue with Taekwondo or to move on to another sport of his choosing.  We think it is a good discipline to stick with something until the end, hence why we are requiring him to finish up.  He has had his ups and downs with Taekwondo for sure, but we determined that with any sport you will have times where it gets hard and that is not a reason to quit.  Hopefully he will learn the value of sticking with something and seeing where it can lead!  Not to mention when you get your black belt you actually get a card to go in your wallet that says you have "lethal hands and feet," which is kinda cool!   

  As per usual, he had his poomsae to complete (a routine of punches, kicks and moves that lasts around 2 minutes or more depending), his sa bang chuck (a series of kicks and some punches that are done in 4 different directions), and a board break (he does these every other test). 

 

 The newest addition to his testing was to have to spar as well though!  He is pictured here in the blue doing a kick as he is sparring.  They essentially are supposed to just try and get kicks in at the chest level and they chase each other around the room trying to do just that!  Josiah is still learning how to spar well to be sure, but I really enjoy watching him do it!  

 

He is breaking his board here.  Normally Daddy comes to the test where he breaks the board and gets to hold the board for him.  David wasn't feeling well on this day, so I came with him to the test and asked Master Justin if he could find a replacement board holder, since I was pregnant and didn't really want to hold it.  He was glad to do so for me.  It was nice too because I got to film the board break and take pictures.  He broke the board this time on the second try. Be sure and click on the links in the second and 3rd paragraphs of this post to see him in action!  :)

High Purple Belt--Movin' On Up!

 

Josiah before his high belt test talking with one of the other boys about Phineas and Ferb shows.  They were getting pretty animated about it too!

Josiah is in the back on the left and they are doing some warmups before they got ready to test. 

Here are the high blues (in the back) and the high purples (in the front) doing their sa ban chuck routines. Josiah did a really fabulous job! I was very proud! Daddy got to go to the belt ceremony, but we were told after the test that he had passed. Here is a link to Josiah doing his Poomse' routine. At the end of the Poomse' video, Master Justin asked Josiah, "Where's my frosty?" Earlier in the week, Josiah was told if he did well at practice he would get a frosty, but that particular day he didn't do so good. Master Justin was just teasing him today though.

 

Afterwards, Master Justin told Josiah that he would be moving up to the "high purple and above" class and that he would need to come to class with two nunchucks.  He was REALLY excited to have a 2nd set and here I said, "Say two nunchucks," and he is pretending to twirl them here to show how ready is!  He is on the way to black belt now for sure.  Master Justin told us he could conceivably have it in about 2 1/2 years if he continues on the path.  Pretty cool!  Great job Josiah!

Awana Closing Ceremony

Daddy & Naomi walking to the ceremony.

At the end of the Awana year, they always have a big ceremony to give awards and thank-yous to all the volunteers.  This Awana group was no different than that, but this was our first with this church to experience the closing ceremony.  Naomi was tickled pink (literally) to be able to come in with us to the ceremony and I couldn't resist capturing her with her Daddy.  Precious moments!

Caleb & Daniel making their way to the stage.

All Caleb and Daniel could talk about the week before the ceremony was that they would "get to go on the stage!" Their teachers Mrs. Wally and Mr. Brett told them they would get to be on the stage to get their awards and so they were very excited.  You can see their proud faces here as they make their way to the stage.  I would like to note that our children are near the front with the leader as I am sure that was a necessary step to keep them in line! 

Josiah making his way to the stage.

Josiah was trying to hide from me as I took a picture of him on the way to the stage, but once again Mommy wins and got a photo!  In front of him with the red pigtails is his friend Teresa who lives just down the road from us.  He has had some fun in recent days playing with her and the other neighborhood children in the afternoons and late evenings.  She is a sweet little girl and seems to like Josiah as well. 

Caleb & Daniel on the stage.

These photos aren't the greatest as they were from far away with the zoom, but you get the idea.  The boys were so proud to get their awards.  This was the twins' first year in Awana and I think they really enjoyed it!  They both got a Cubby cup with some candy and stickers in it along with a Cubby bear to sew onto their vest for completing their first book.

Josiah on the stage.

Josiah got a Sparky cup and candy and stickers in his cup as well as a reward for a good year in Awana.  He already got his 2nd book ribbon earlier in the year and will be moving on to his 3rd and final Sparky book next year.  

Naomi peeking at her little buddy behind her.

Naomi was sitting with us in the audience and she found a little buddy to peek at over the seats.  They were so cute looking at one another!

Daniel boy!

After the ceremony, they had cake downstairs to celebrate.  Daniel posed for me in his Cubby vest.  

Caleb boy!

And Caleb boy of course gave me his happy Caleb smile as well in his Cubby vest.

Josiah boy!

Josiah as usual had to be caught in a picture before he ran off again, but here is a close-up of him in his Sparky vest.

And lastly, Miss Naomi had to have a picture too as she will not be left out of the fun!  She is always pretty in pink!  It was fun to see the kids get their awards and I went around to thank their leaders afterward and chatted with some of the others parents also.  We will look forward to the next Awana year in the fall.  Thanks to Valleypoint Church and all the volunteers who make Awana happen! 

Naomi girl!

Jo-Sizzle!!!

Josiah tested for his blue belt today and passed! He is holding his broken board, but apparently he is holding it together to "trick" Mommy into thinking he didn't pass. It took him 3 times to break the board, but he did it! He was the only green belt going for a blue belt and so had to do his Poomsee by himself. After he completed it, Master Justin said, "And THAT is why I call this boy, Jo-Sizzle!!" Josiah and I talked about making sure that he did an exceptional job, so that Master Justin would say just that, so he was very proud. When Josiah doesn't do his best, Master Justin calls him Jo-Ice Cube. It is pretty funny! Here is a link to Josiah doing part of his Sa Bun Chuck (phonetic spelling) and reciting the 3 ancient kingdoms of Korea.

Here Josiah is showing his wart (which is almost ready to fall off now after he had it frozen a few weeks ago at the doctor) to his friend Reed and Cole. I just love this picture of the three of them. Reed and Cole were testing for their orange belts and passed also, so it was a great day for the three of them! Josiah will be awarded his new belt on Saturday, March 10th and then will be working toward his high blue belt in his upcoming classes. We are very proud of our Jo-Sizzle!

Caleb & Daniel's 4-year-old Check-up

It has been a while since the twins have been in for a well child visit because we were late with their 2 year old visit and then rather than a 3 year old visit, we just brought them in when they were four. They both willingly got up to be examined by the nurse and the doctor. While we waited, they explored everywhere looking in every drawer and cupboard of course! Before the doctor came in, Caleb had to go potty, so I directed him to the bathroom kitty corner to our room. I had to kind of monitor both rooms as I had all the kids with me, so that was interesting. I got Caleb in the bathroom and closed the door figuring he knew what to do there and stood in the hallway. The doctor came in our examining room when Caleb was still in the bathroom and I got to talking to him when I heard this loud beeping sound and heard a nurse knocking on the bathroom door saying, "Are you OK?" It turns out Caleb had pulled that string that hangs from the bar for those that are very ill that calls for a nurse in an emergency in the bathroom.

Dr. Moon was checking to see that Caleb's legs were working properly here and of course they were. He was very gentle and kind with the kids and they liked him. Caleb weighed in at 32 pounds (16th percentile) and was 38 inches tall (8th percentile), so he is still a petite little guy, but he is very strong! When he doesn't want to do something, look out! Later when it was time for their shots, Caleb was hiding under the table because he saw the suffering poor Daniel went through and I had to pretty much drag him up to the table then. He got his shots in his legs cause it was easier to hold him down that way. The nurse held his legs and I held his arms and chest. Sadly, he was the one that cried most of the way home saying it hurt really bad. Poor little guy! He got over it though! Walk it off buddy!

Daniel was very intrigued with the doctor and when Dr. Moon sat down at the desk with his laptop, straight away Daniel was breathing down his neck to look at the technology and then asked, "Where is your mouse?" The doctor didn't have a mouse, but a pen he used to touch the screen. Dr. Moon said that the mouse doesn't work very well with this computer. Daniel also was interested in all the instruments and things the doctor was using as well. He weighed in at 38 pounds (69th percentile) and was 42 inches tall (85th percentile) and so is our heftier one of the two still.

When it was time for the shots, the nurse asked who would go first and Daniel volunteered, but I am positive he didn't know what he was volunteering for! When she asked if he wanted "arms or legs" he said "arms" and then next thing he knew he had 2 pokes in either arm. When we went to the 2nd arm he was very squirmy of course and crying, so that was hard. He fussed for a while afterward, but as we were walking out of the office he says to me, "It doesn't hurt now!" He was totally fine after that, but Caleb played it up for all it was worth!

New Bed Set!

Well, for the first time since we have been married, we got a bed frame and some furniture to match in our bedroom...at least on my side for now. My mom got me a dresser and a side table and then later as an anniversary/VERY early Christmas gift, a bed frame that matched them (and a side table for David that I still need to put together). The side table and dresser came together fairly easily (which I built on different days than the bed frame), though I made a couple of mistakes on each and then there was the bed frame. (Cue scary music and an evil witch's laugh) Du-du-DUH!!

Sooo, it was supposed to be a surprise for David when he got home one evening, and I envisioned having it all made when he came home from work. Ummmm--NOT! As usual, I underestimated the project and not only did it take longer, but there were some major problems that had to be overcome. I found that near one of the last steps, I put the headboard together wrong (the sides were flip flopped) and so I had to take apart a good deal of it to fix the problem. Afterward, it was fairly easy to put the frame together and then with some help from David managed to get the Sleep Number device that hooked to the bed under the frame and made the bed ready for sleep that evening. And then (cue more scary music) Du-du-DUH...AGAIN!

I laid on the bed and....KER-PLUNK....the bed fell through the frame. So the IKEA peeps at the store told us that we did not need slats because we had a box spring for our mattress. Well, actually we have twin foundations it turns out (I forgot) and because of that, the weight was distributed differently and consequently we DID need slats. Thankfully my mom was still here at the time, and she made the trek back to IKEA to pick up slats.

Needless to say, by this time my arms were sore from wrestling with the bed, I was disappointed because the bed wasn't ready when David came home, and now I had to take the heavy mattress and foundations back off the bed in preparation for when the slats came home. I was glad to find out that putting the slats on was as easy as just laying them down, but the hard part then was to find a way to sneak the Sleep Number device under the mattress, under the foundation and now also UNDER the slats. It was hard work even with two people, but we managed to "get 'er done" and finally as my aching biceps were crying out for rest, I finally got to enjoy the bed!

The final product looks really nice though and it is nice to have them. Thanks Mom!

Conner Jones' Day

An old friend from high school's brother and his wife lost their son Conner Reed Jones to Cystic Fibrosis a year ago today. He was only 7 years old when he died and had battled this and other problems his whole life. We never met Conner, but heard about his story through my friend and then from Conner's parents on Facebook. We were invited to participate in an event to remember him by releasing red balloons on the 1st anniversary of Conner going to be with Jesus. Here they are wearing red, (for LOVE for Conner) eating some red licorice, and waving at Conner.

We got some balloons and wrote messages to Conner on them. I tried to let the kids speak in their own words and after I told them the story of Conner they dictated to me what they wanted to say. Josiah said, "I hate it when people die, but I am glad you are with Jesus now." Caleb said, "Bow to Jesus and say 'hi' to God for me." Daniel said, "Hello, my name is Daniel. Happy Valentine's Day!" (I think he thought the red was for Valentine's Day, but either way it was sweet!) For Naomi I wrote, "Jesus loves you and all you family. We miss you!" I tried to round all the kiddos up before I gave them their balloons, but by myself this was the best I could do!

Caleb let go of his balloon prematurely and you can see he is not happy about it. I told them from the start that they were not going to keep their balloons, so they knew that. I just think he wasn't ready to let it go yet. Appropriately though, he is showing the emotion I am sure that those close to Conner feel most every day that they think of him. I can't imagine how sad and difficult it must be to endure the death of your child long before their time. Please pray for this family and others like them that have gone through this!

You can see three of the balloons in this shot if you look closely. Naomi's heart balloon for Conner is visible in the foreground. It was a gloomy day today, but I know Conner is smiling on the other side of those clouds as he sees the balloons coming his way! This was a good thing for my kiddos to do today to help them think of other people and the fragility of life! Blessings and prayers go out to you Jones' family on this difficult day!

1st Lost Tooth....No It's REALLY lost!!

Josiah finally lost his first tooth as he approaches his 6th birthday here in June. It was getting really wiggly and then one morning with a pancake breakfast, he apparently swallowed the tooth with all the pancake goodness. Thankfully, we do not do the tooth fairy scenario here and so I didn't have to go on a "treasure hunt" for said tooth later on! Josiah was really excited to lose his tooth and now likes to put straws there in it's place. When we went to the dentist this last time in May, the hygienist showed me that he had 3 other loose teeth as well, so I am sure they will be soon to follow. They were all on the bottom row though. She said that either they usually lose them all on the bottom or the top first.

I thought I would also take this opportunity to post some recent "Josiah-isms" as we have been collecting quite a few of late! He likes to stand on a chair and say, "Daddy I am 40 too 'cause I am taller than you!" or for me "Mommy, I am 35 too!"

The other day Josiah had his friends Colin and Taylor over and they were dressing up at superheros. He put on a Lightning McQueen blanket for a cape with his Ironman glove and called himself, "Superpunch." I then heard as he was going up and down the hallway, "If you wanted me to save the galaxy, get out of the way Daniel!" Needless to say, Daniel wasn't super helpful on that point and I suppose the galaxy has been subsequently doomed, unreachable by the mighty Superpunch!

When we were practicing for one of Josiah's verses at Awana one week he said, "Oh how I love your law. I 'hesitate' on it all day long." Yup, meditate fits much better, but hesitate was OH so funny.

And just for me on Mother's Day Josiah said: "Today's your special day Mommy!"
Me: "Yes, it is thanks for remembering!"
Josiah: "There is another Mother's Day coming up too."
Me: "What's that?"
Josiah: "Valentine's Day is for mothers, right?
Me: "Yes, Valentine's Day is for mothers, but for other people too." (chuckling to myself)
Josiah: "But not Halloween, 'cause that is supposed to be scary."

Speaking of Halloween, that reminds me. One night Josiah prayed and thanked God for all the holidays.....except Halloween. Upon further questioning, I asked him more about his prayer and he said, "God doesn't like Halloween 'cause it is not a praising day." I liked how he was able to put in his own words something we taught him. Now mind you, I realize that other people redeem the day in their own ways, but we have chosen not to celebrate this one as a family as a personal preference.

Every time Josiah's friends Colin and Taylor come over (my friend Sarah's twins), I always hear some great conversations. As they were watching the movie, "Oceans," Josiah said, "These animals are extinct." (Even though technically the animals in question were really not extinct as it turns out.) Taylor (4) says, "Why do they stink?" Josiah did the "teacher Mommy" thing and insisted, "NO....they are ECK, ECK, stinked!!" Later during lunch when the kids were discussing protein, muscles and energy, Taylor said, "What happens when you don't have energy?" Me: "You will want to fall asleep 'cause you are tired all the time." Josiah, "But if you drink Pepsi, you will never fall asleep!" Clearly we don't drink coffee in this household to stay awake, but I bet you can guess what we DO drink around here!

Senior Orange Belt Ceremony

Josiah giving me his best "Tiny Tiger" face prior to the starting of the belt ceremony.

The man assisting Master Kim called all the little ones up first to receive their belts and then they came and sat down on the mat. There were two black belts that were awarded today too, one first degree black belt and one second degree. Josiah is very pleased with his new belt as you can see here. The senior orange belt is different in that it has a black stripe through the center of it. The next belt he will be going for is yellow.

Daddy is instructing Josiah to stand still here while he puts on the belt.

Daddy got to put on the belt this time, since Mommy did it last time.

Daddy working his magic to get the belt on properly.

Daddy and his silly son! Afterwards, we had a potluck and chit chatted with the adults and the kids ran around playing tag and running off their energy. Josiah was enjoying himself during that part as were all the other children.

Since it was close to Mother's Day, Master Kim had the kids bow low to their mothers as a sign of respect and love. It was very sweet. Josiah worked hard to get his senior orange belt, it will be fun to see how far he progresses in Taekwondo. We are proud of him thus far and are glad he has been able to have this experience.

Ha na-Tul-Seht, Orange Belt!

Josiah started taking Taekwondo in January and he has really been loving it and doing great. It has taken some doing on Mommy and Daddy's parts however, to convince him that he has to practice at home as well for his Taekwondo goals, but little by little he is getting more disciplined to do that as well. This picture was taken just before the belt ceremony started to receive his orange belt and as you can see he was pretty happy! At the actual test the Friday before (we forgot the camera), it was a little nerve wracking for me as I wasn't entirely sure he was ready. The master only lets them come to the testing though if he feels they can pass, so that was good, however, it was a nail biter for sure!

He goes to Taekwondo practice three times a week (half hour each time) and his instructor is really great! He sets the standard very high and challenges the children to meet it. He also encourages good behaviors at home as well (big PLUS) by sending home a chart of things to check off each month as Josiah's does various tasks (one of them is "listen to parents"). For his orange belt test, he had to do his white belt 10-step routine, master the four kinds of kicks (he numbers the various type of kicks for them to learn), and also to be able to break a board by doing a "hammer-down fist." During practice, they used a practice board (made of plastic) that he would break and that the master would then fix it back into a board for the next person. At the test, (to our surprise) they used a real board and I could hear Josiah say to the black belt helpers, "I use a yellow board with a line down it." He was able to break the real thing on the first try though and he got to take his broken board home with him.

During the test (while the many other senior belt children were testing), Josiah and the junior belt children had to wait and listen. Josiah was in his goofy, excited mode however, and was playing around with his board and trying to talk to Sydney (a green belt from his class) and no less than 3 times the black belt helper kids had to come and tell him to "cool it" while the others were testing. He finally got the message and calmed down thankfully!

When Josiah completes certain things as required by the master, he can earn stars to go on the sleeves of his uniform and when he passes various skills during practice he can earn stripes to go on his belt. Recently, he got a yellow stripe for "basic movement" mastery. He had to do his 10-step for senior orange belt in order to pass for his stripe. This class has been great in developing Josiah's listening skills as he has to be on his toes during class listening intently to the master in order to perform the proper skills in sequence and when called upon.

As per Josiah's usual, he gets really shy when he is being praised or pictures are being taken over and over. He was very proud to get his orange belt though for sure!

Master Kim (as pictured in the 3rd picture down the blog, standing right behind me in the photo) prompted all the parents to come and get into this shot with our kiddos after they had just the kids with the Grandmaster (the man who founded this Taekwondo school--pictured in this middle of this photo). We were reluctant to join the photo shoot, but he insisted and so here it is!

We are very proud of our oranged belted-boy. As a treat after his test, we took him to DQ for an ice cream treat. I am glad he has this outlet for his boundless energy! I look forward to seeing how he will progress in the future.

NOTE: On the post title, the first three words are how you count "1, 2, 3" in Korean. They have to learn how to count in Korean and many Korean terms to learn Taekwondo. We also discovered that when they earn their black belt that they actually receive a letter written in Korean and an offical card to signify that they are approved to receive their black belt from the main Taekwondo Academy in Korea.

Science Center Field Trip

For those of you who may not know, Josiah is enrolled in a homeschooling option that is funded through the public schools. It is a program called Columbia Virtual Academy. They offer various field trips throughout the year and this was one we wanted to participate in that was local. They had over 200 kids plus one chaperone (minimally) for each kid and so we were quite a crew! Josiah is posing at the "big table and chairs" display there outside one of the IMAX theaters.

Before we left for the Science Center, Josiah told Daddy in the morning, "I am going to the Science Center, it is going to be so fun!" Daddy said, "How do you know it will be fun, you have never been there!" He replied, "It just feels fun!" I think he was most excited to go without the brothers in tow! Miss Naomi accompanied us though as she is still needs her Mommy at this young age.

We came in through the dinosaur exhibit and then made our way through the solar system exhibit. Josiah is looking at "earf" (earth) here. There was a display to show how may Jupiters would fit in the sun and how many Earths would fit in one Jupiter as well as a place to weigh yourself to see how much you would weigh on various planets. I think next time I will step on the scale I will hope it is on Pluto. :)

They had a real meteorite between two chains for people to try and lift and Josiah enjoyed showing his strength to lift it up. After this display, we went into the live bug area and saw many interesting insects and bugs. Some were dangerous and poisonous and others (in my opinion) were just gross! I was interested to discover that the "bees" that invaded our cable box a while back where actually called "paper wasps." And it was also very interesting to see how BIG wasps can be! It puts the accounts from the Bible into perspective when it says there was (or will be) a plague of wasps. ICK!! We went into the butterfly house as well and the guide told us that there were 800-1100 butterflies there. Josiah was VERY careful to follow the rules and was even warning other children not to step on the butterflies that landed on the ground. It was REALLY warm in there, so much so that I was feeling sick and had to leave the room at one point. I got a few pics of the butterflies, but didn't include them here.

Josiah was thrilled to see they had a tide pool there and jumped right in to feel the animals. Following this display he also saw how a toilet worked (it was cut in half and put in a case). He remembered this and told Daddy about it when he saw him later.

One of Josiah's favorite parts though was at the tot area where they had a water display with water toys to play with. I think this was meant to be more fun than science, but he really liked it! They had these water bibs for the kids to wear, so he didn't get super wet playing in the water.

This was a helicopter in the tot play area. I love his expression here!

Also in the tot area, they had a little enclosed music room with these quasi-Orff instruments, tone blocks, bowls to bang, etc. Josiah came back to this room twice and really enjoyed playing all the instruments. I had to laugh that it smelled exactly like every general music room I have ever entered!! That dusty wood smell...gotta love it!

Here he is sitting in a replica of the Gemini spaceship. It had lots of knobs and buttons and a screen with pictures on it to view. At the end of the time there, we went outside and played with the water displays and then went to see the movie "Bugs." Josiah was resistant to seeing the movie, as I think he was tired and just wanted to go home. We sat through it though and there were points where he was interested and other points where he leaned over and said, "I'm bored." Overall, it made an impression though and I think he had a good time exploring the center.