Breakfast was followed by a trip to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, which was a first for the Rowe family, despite the fact that this is our fourth time visiting Atlanta. We all had a great time there, right from the get-go, when we got to pose as dinosaurs in the face-hole portrait thingies:
Madeleine couldn't get enough, and decided that after trying out a brontosaurus body, she needed to go stego:
We got to walk through the museum's special exhibit, "Extreme Mammals," which drew the girls' attention right off the bat because of their opportunity to make yet ANOTHER statue friend. He was the largest ever land mammal, who is now, of course, extinct, but that didn't stop Julia and I from trying to play with him in statue form. Julia even went all fashion-model on him; I swear, this kid can WORK IT no matter what the background:
The mammal exhibit even had interactive constructs such as a huge carapace that children could climb through, and which, for some reason, Madeleine decided to lay down in as if she were about to take a nap:
as well as tactile areas where we could touch skunk hair, porcupine quills, elephant teeth, and all sorts of other somewhat icky stuff.
Our next exhibit was a history of Georgia from prehistoric times through the present day, but we had to kind of whiz through that one because Julia was too scared of the bird sound effects that were playing from overhead in the coastal forest section.
We spent quite a lot of time in the 5 Senses room, which was nearly all interactive science stuff. We had to take a little break because Julia mistook the bubble area, in which one can dip huge bubble wands into soap and watch the way the light reflects to make rainbow colors, for a water table and dipped herself up to her forearms in soapy bubble mix. After she was able to wash down in the bathroom, we were back to action and moving along through the various science stations.
We also got to wander through an area on crystals and gemstones, as well as an exhibit on culture, which was particularly interesting for Julia, who did a huge unit on Native American cultures in her extended day program at school. Today she got to see all sorts of Native American relics like moccasins, a dress decorated with elk teeth, a canoe made out of a tree trunk, and all sorts of pottery. As I mentioned a few days ago, this vacation is definitely educational in many ways for Julia!
Finally, we visited the Nature Explorer room, which was basically just a creative-play WONDERLAND for kiddies. As soon as we set foot inside, I knew there was no way we would be able to leave the museum without tears from the girls:
And I was was right. At least half right; Julia was able to hold herself together, but Madeleine definitely had to crumple up her face with tears filling her eyes and lament, "I really really wish we could keep playing in that FUN ROOM!" as we dragged her towards the exit.
One thing that helped the girls part with the museum was their little take-home souvenirs, bought for them by Auntie Caitlyn, who came out to meet us at the Fernbank. Julia is now the happy owner of Puffy the Orca:
While Madeleine now has a pink dolphin that she named Lamby.
ME: Wait, it's a dolphin but you named it Lamby?
MADELEINE: (brightly) Uh-huh!
ME: Can I take a picture of you and Lamby for my blog?
MADELEINE: (face turning impishly stubborn) Uh, nope.
ME: Please? Just one picture?
MADELEINE: (stuffing Lamby between her legs and squeezing them together to hide her dolphin) Nope.
ME: Madeleine, just hold Lamby up for one second. I want to take her picture.
MADELEINE: Uh, no. She CAN'T come out.
ME: Okay, fine.
MADELEINE: You can only take a picture of JUST ME.
ME: I don't want a picture of just you. I want Lamby in it.
MADELEINE: (sticking Lamby's fin up from out of her legs) Mommy? Only Lamby's BUM can be in the picture.
ME: I don't want just Lamby's bum. I want ALL of Lamby.
MADELEINE: (slithering Lamby around out of her legs and up into the air) She's READY to be in a picture now!
Madeleine and Lamby.
Tonight Ethan and I get to go out on a dinner date while Aunties Shannon and Caitlyn baby-sit the girls, and I think *everybody* involved is really excited. I am sure the girls will be in for yet another late bedtime, but hey, it's vacation, right?!
More updates to come tomorrow!
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