Tuesday, July 30: Da Vinci Science Center

Colin went to Carly when he saw her. He told her about his scraper truck, and also said he doesn’t like it when August also needs a hug. Carly pointed out that August has done a pretty good job of sharing her. Carly woke him up about 8:40. A bit later they were talking about how he can roll his tongue, and that comes from her genes. He was then asking about how genes work, and if when a kid grows up and has a baby if the baby would have the same genes. Colin was calling Carly a “green noo noo (noodle)” from dinner the other day.

I read animal books and part of Yertle to Colin. August wanted his iPad and got it. He was missing Vivian, who was up in her room. He was digging through Colin’s box of trucks and asked “Colin, why do you have so many trucks and Astra?” A character from Superwings. He must have watched some Superwings with them at some point. He asked who the helicopter is and Colin told him it is Dizzy.

Vivian finally came down at 10:40. She was still on her iPad, and August was grumpy, leading to a conflict with the tin cans with Colin. We got them off their iPads at 11. August and Vivian were doing karate moves. Cassie, who had gone to the store, had left an old nursing book they could rip apart. So they spent several minutes doing that. He got grumpy with Colin again and Carly went in the room with him or several minutes.

Carly then went outside with them. Didn’t last long though. I was doing something that required internet, and when that finished I went out to join them. But they came in as I headed out. August was grumpy about Colin again and Vivian once again disappeared upstairs. August relaxed by doing math by himself in the bedroom for quite awhile. Colin was grumpy with Cassie, as he wanted to be upside down, then was saying he was tired. A lot of grumpiness this morning; Vivian seemed to handle it the best, with relaxing in her room.

Finally, they ate some lunch, reluctantly, and we got packed up and left at 1. We went in the science center right at 2. August and my membership’s to the Bloomfield in Israel also covered Carly here. And Cassie bought a family membership for them. Later, she saw that the Pacific Science Center was on the list. We were busy in Seattle, so I hadn’t really thought about it. But so is the Museum of Flight, and I feel really bad for not taking August to both this summer. When I had him at the Seattle Center we should have gone straight to the Science Center. And to the museum in Everett.

Anyway, we first went into the lab area. Vivian and August went to work making rockets with Carly and Cassie, and Colin and I did a marble track. Cassie then helped him make a rocket too. Vivian did a parachute while August went over to the marble thing. He needed the bathroom, so I took him to that, then we came back and did some more.

We all moved to the main exhibits on the first floor. August followed Vivian around for a while, then he and I spent a lot of time in the space exploration area. We tried driving a rover on Ceres and did a couple other things on one of the screens, then one of the big cockpits opened up and August and I went in there. First we did a rocket launch, then we did a couple of piloting the rocket ones. We completed the first one, then August wanted to see what happens when you make mistakes (basically, the autopilot takes over).

We went and found the rest. They were playing with the blue blocks. From there they found the pin pushing thing, where they go back and forth between the two sides. I don’t remember playing with one since Korea. They had a ton of fun with that, as one of the science center employees was on the other side, pushing them all back. They did the dancing energy game/competition, then we went into the flashing light room. We drew with the light pens, then did our silhouettes on the wall several times. Vivian would then draw a face on her shadow. A big kid came in and pushed Colin out of the way and got in trouble.

From there, they took turns wearing the helmet and we took photos of them as astronauts. Then headed upstairs. Wandered around up there doing the different energy and movement things. The three of them had a lot of fun with the green screen for the weather forecast.

Back downstairs, about 4, Carly went out to get the snacks. August and Vivian drove the Mack truck. On the computer screen build-a-truck thing August built a long-haul flatbed truck, then Colin built a regional tanker truck, and made it green, of course. We then sat and ate. Vivian danced on the stage area.

Before we left we looked at the magnetic materials in fluids, looking at the different sizes of them in nanometers. We left after 4:30.

Back at the house he and I did the car track and parking garage thing with Colin. We did the tofu with BBQ sauce and rice and coleslaw food dinner, which reminded me of ordering teriyaki. Cherie and Chuck called for a short FaceTime call, although that didn’t last very long as the kids were hyper. August wanted some alone time and went under the small table, which was a good choice, but then Colin wanted under with him, and that became an issue, with August wielding his fork like a weapon. Finally, I distracted Colin, and Cassie offered to take him out to the swing, and he liked that idea.

Vivian was in the middle of telling me something, but then ran out of the room. It had gotten windy outside and there were leaves falling. She was scared for about 10 seconds, but then decided that if Cassie and Colin were still outside it was okay. I went out with her and August. They ran around in the falling leaves, then August did some digging.

Jeff was home about 7 and brought each of the kids a personalized coin of aluminum with their names on it, and the slogan “Lethality starts here.” Which was quite funny then when August used his coin inside to kill a spider.

Jeff had brought his old hakido gear for Vivian, and she and Colin put parts of it on. August and Vivian then went outside to practice a ninja routine. I jumped in the trampoline with Colin, then pushed him around the yard on the little car thing.

Vivian took August over to where their cat is buried. I heard August say “I’m going to pee outside for fun.” They were then looking for cicadas. Carly took over. I was getting attacked.

Inside he sang a “Colin! I see a big spider!” song.

He ate watermelon, then strawberries and whipped cream, like Vivian was doing. He and Vivian played with a blanket on the floor. When he went to take a bath with Vivian and play their last tea game for the summer, Colin used the blankets and pillows and Jeff helped him make a turtle home. He then played with me as he crawled in and out of it.

He and Vivian looked at the star apps. Jeff put one on her iPad, but August had to show her the other one (Night Sky, I think) that has the details of the satellites and other objects. It also has information on each of the stars, and we discussed ‘luminosity’. Vivian went upstairs, and I said good night to Carly and August about 10.

His ninja moves: