A day at OMSI

Mark didn't have school on Friday, so we decided to have a fun outing to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) with some other Mommy friends and their kids. The kids had a blast, the Mommas were happy because the kids were happy, and I actually was able to get some candid pictures of Mark while he played/explored/experimented.

The kids had a lot of fun in the ball room - there are hundreds of balls, and there are air vents and detachable tubes and pipes that the kids can take apart and put together to shoot/hover/roll the balls all around. 

Mark thinking about how to attach some ramp pieces for the balls to roll down

This simple but fun contraption has a sheet of spandex that you pull down and then let go to shoot the balls in it. Much fun was had. 

Mark experimenting with a sail boat - there was a wind vent at one end of the water pool.

Mark's ship being blown by the wind (and I suspect a healthy push by his hands)

Sean hung out in the wrap most of the time while we were in the big-kid area.

Mark waiting for his turn in the rocket ship

Mark in the launching seat of the rocket. 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1... BLAST-OFF!

Sean was very happy to finally be set free in the little-kid science play area. I wasn't able to get more pictures of Mark because I was busy shadowing Sean while he played among the hundreds of other kids (I refer to the last blog post as to WHY it was necessary to shadow Sean). 

One thing that was very interesting (and sometimes frustrating, but I realize it's a normal development) is that Mark's mental "leash" has gotten a LOT longer. Before he went to school I had him 'trained' always to stay within touching range of me in the parking lot. In a museum, a large crowd of people, or a store he wasn't allowed further than maybe a few arms lengths away from me. Going to school has given Mark a new independence that means he has NO problem roaming very far away... unfortunately sometimes he didn't tell me he was moving on, so I kept having to look for him!

Aside from having to mentally adjust to being out and about with my BIG, INDEPENDENT Mark, we had a wonderful day together.