natural history museum with grandpa heiner

 Anna and Julia did their "summer reading"  Its a progam the library does where you get prizes for reading to your kid every day.  We READ to our kids with a capitol R, so we won this prize to the natural history museum (everyone who participates wins this prize too).  When anna learned we were going to the museum she immediately insisted we invite Grandpa Heiner, so we brought him along.  We are on the roof here looking out over the salt lake valley.  The clouds were fantastic.

 Here is our reflection looking back at the windows of the museum.

 Julia likes the animals because they were not living.

 We thought this picture made it look like you were really outside.

 but this one didn't turn out as well.

 I dont' know whats going on here.  I think she is pointing to the dinosaurs and trying to take my dad to them through the railing.

 We played some mind games.

 Grandpa showed Anna all the details of, well, everything.

 At the volcano exhibit.  She was nervous about the volcano we are watching explode.  This is the same exhibit that was at OMSI a year ago - Anna remembered.

 Scared of the cindercone volcano.

 This is a typical scene from the museum visit: Grandpa, really interested in something and showing it to Anna, who is interested too.  Julia wandering around.  At one point a museum lady told me I needed to keep my kid closer to me because she worries when the little one's parents aren't right there.  That's next to impossible with little miss doddly doo.

 The highlight, dinosaurs.

 julia in the left hand corner - she WOULD NOT cross this exhibit.  She was terrified.  We let her cry for a little while to see if she ever got brave enough.

 Then grandpa rescued her.  holding his hand was all she needed to get across.  my dad is chuckling.

 This is the stinky exhibit anna remembered from last time.  you push this button and a nasty smell comes out of that black dot by my dad's hand.  It is the smell of a bird eating a dead dinosaur.  notice anna covering her nose.  the smell didn't phase julia.  i guess walking around with a stinky diaper makes you insensitive to those types of things.

 At the tend we made some dinosaur hats.  Julia was so cute and such a monster.  she wanted to color (eat) the markers.  So grandpa ended up following her around while anna made a dinosaur masterpiece.

 We came home and had pesto turkey sandwiches with homemade bread, homemade pesto, homegrown tomatoes and (not homemade) turkey.  they were good.  Then grandpa read some books to the girls and we called it a night.  Thank you grandpa we love you!