Utah Museum of Natural History

It took an extra half hour to get there.

There are no signs. 

Luckily I heard once that it's next to Red Butte Gardens, and there are signs for that

We got quite the tour of the area around the U, but we found it

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Kezie quickly discovered the gear required for her future profession

 

     My little bugs

 There was fishing for plastic fish, and there were live native animals to see.

The eight-legged ones were in their own little room, easily avoided. The girls weren't bothered.  They have not as yet shown signs of their mothers' phobia.

Digging for dinosaur bones

While they both liked the dinosaurs, they surprised me with their favorite exhibits.  Ivy loved an interactive demonstration of the water-purifying benefits of marshes.  Kezie loved the minerals, especially the florescent ones.  They both enjoyed a snack from the cafe. 

Growing up

Quotable Ivy: (Here there be potty stories.  Ye have been warned)

We were driving home from Roosevelt one night, and Ivy was looking out the window  "The trees look like they are going to reach up and grab the moon!"

While chatting in the car: "I think Grandma is a girl, like Kezie.  And I think Grandpa is a boy, like me."
She's still working on it.  She has started asking if people are boys or girls, which is new.  For at least a year, she's been referring to everyone as "she."  This has gotten some startled responses from UPS delivery drivers and  male cousins.

Tonight, while we were talking about her accident in her underwear, she took a look at it.  She then, very seriously and with a straight face, said; "Mom, I think my poop is a poop puddle."

I was painting Ivy's toe nails, and she kept wiggling.  When I asked her to hold still, she responded, "Mom.  I can't control myself."

Ivy's math is coming along.  She gets one treat for certain potty-related activities, and two treats for--other potty related activities.  We delay any treats for the late evening and overnight until after breakfast the next morning. She is very good at adding these up and will give me her total as soon as she is done eating.

We are spending  a lot of time watching the Olympics this week.  As a family, we are especially into beach volleyball.  Ivy is confused by the whole idea.  She is convinced that the players are trapped behind the volleyball net.  She also seems to believe that the players are trying to jump over the net to escape it.  No amount of explaining will convince her otherwise.

 Growing up Kezie

A few weeks ago, Kezie heard about an opera recital at the library.  She really wanted to go, so I took her.  I thought she was bored, but afterward she asked if she could please, please go to the next one.

Kezie has now lost two teeth.  The second didn't fall out until the adult tooth had come in behind it, so she didn't get that cute gap-tooth grin.  She was pretty excited about the whole thing, and actually pulled the tooth out herself.  She did this while waiting for the pliers to be disinfected.  She wanted Shawn to use them to yank the tooth.  Brave kid, that one.

I am still getting used to the sight of Kezie sitting down to read a book.  She'll pull one out, climb into my lap, and proceed to read the whole thing with very little prompting.  

We now live very close to the elementary school, and go to view the construction work there several times a week.  Kezie is very excited to be starting first grade, and is very curious about her new teacher, three recesses a day, and eating lunch at school.  I am mostly having a difficult time with the idea that she will be gone ALL DAY. 


Kezie wants to be an Olympic gymnast.  And then a swimmer.  And when she's done with that she'll be a paleontologist and then an astronaut.  Somewhere in there she wants to have a lot of kids.  The kid has dreams.