Best Christmas Present EVER!

This past Christmas, we received the gift of a yearlong membership to the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science in Durham from Eric's parents (better known as GG & Pop).  It has turned out to be the best gift, truly the "gift that keeps on giving".  The Museum of Life and Science is an amazing place and has so many great exhibits, but, as is true of most museums, the admission price for non-members is pretty steep and, with 2 young kids, it's impossible to see everything in one visit.  The kids have a fantastic time for a few hours, but eventually the crankies set in, naptimes grow nearer, and the time to leave arrives sooner than you wanted.  There are so many great things about being members.  First, you get to start your visit an hour earlier than the regular opening time, which allows you to, not only beat the crowds, but the kids get to enjoy the exhibits at their happiest time of day.  If we get tired or hungry, we can leave to return another day without feeling like we've wasted our admission price.  We can spend hours in one exhibit if the kids are fascinated with it because we can always come back another day to see more.  Plus, through their museum Passport Program, you can use your membership at tons of other museums across the country (a perk we're going to take advantage of at the Baltimore Science Center on our upcoming drive to NY)!  Here are some of the fun times we've had at the museum over the last few months:

Making polymerization worms.

Mixing up some pink slime...no, not the nasty "meat" served at McD's...ACTUAL pink slime ;-)

"WOW!  SLIME!!"

Me and Ian catching grains of "sand" on our shadows.

One of their favorite exhibits: hands-on investigation of geometric shapes and volume.

They really could spend all morning at this table.  Fill. Dump. Fill. Dump...

The Mist Garden.  A brand-new exhibit this summer and an instant favorite.

Hydro-station.

The Butterfly House.  I adore this picture.  I just love the way she studies the world with quiet curiosity.

Making some noise in the music garden.

Digging for fossils with Daddy and the cousins.

Ian wants to join in the paleontology fun.

Big cousin Corbin was savvy enough with the camera joystick to find the black bears.

The boys have some fun at the erosion table while Molly takes a break in the shade.

Daddy gets in on the fun too.  I think Eric and I have just as much fun as the kids every time we visit.

Cousins Corbin and Isaiah try their hand at making smoke rings.

Pounding on the air cannon.

Our taps on the air cannon make the sequins move on the boards.  Pretty neat cause-and-effect demo, even for toddlers.

The fog table, always a favorite.  Plus, it sends Molly's curls into complete Shirley-Temple-mode.

Ian's always a fan of the animals, a huge rat snake in this case.

 So many thanks to GG & Pop for our museum membership.  We are thoroughly enjoying it!