The National Air and Space Museum

Yesterday we explored the National Air and Space Museum for the first time. We arrived just in time to stand in line and wait as class after class of students entered ahead of us. Once inside I overheard someone saying how empty the museum felt. If this was empty I shudder to think about it crowded. 

Not to be deterred we made it to the Flights of Fantasy story time and arts and crafts activity that drew my interest this morning after I realized the 50 degree rainy weather meant we were not going to start our first day of summer at the pool. The story was about surveying the earth from a plane and what it looked like from above. It might have been a tad over their heads but they loved making their own telescope and made everyone around them say "stinky diapers" as they pretended to take their picture with toy cameras that they museum folks provided. 

After that and a not so quick trip to the bathroom, also filled with a bus full of elementary school kids we headed off to explore the rest of the museum. The kids were absolutely enthralled by every single thing they saw. They couldn't believe that real outer space astronaut "stuff" was here. They had to look at every rocket, plane and cockpit available. And I must admit that after recently reading The Aviator's Wife, a book about the Lindberghs, it was pretty cool to see the Spirit of St. Louis.

On the floor examining the two story rockets

We went up and down the stairs numerous times because they thought they'd missed something. Also I learned the boys are scared of "escamalators" as Colin called them. Clearly something I need to work on, at least we got some exercise. 

All in all it was a great morning. I had no idea the kids would like this as much as they did. We clearly need to take them to the Air & Space Udvar-Hazy Center in Dulles. 

Till next time, 
Mamma, Frog & Toad