It's A Wonderful Life!

First day of the Smith Family Stay-cation -

We started the day by riding the light rail into Phoenix to the Arizona Science Center. The center is totally hands on for kids. Everything there is meant to be touched. We got there just in time to head to the cafeteria to eat the lunches we brought. We had tickets to the noon showing of 3D Sharks. We ate, then wandered around till it was time for the movie. The movie wasn't anything to write home about, but the kids liked the 3D effects. Once that was done, the big kids split off and we all just roamed around the museum. We stayed longer than we thought we would. The kids all did really well and had a great time.

Smith Family 2009

The ride into town was pretty relaxing, the rail was empty and very cool temperature wise, which was really nice considering how hot it was outside.

Derrick and Dalin

Rhett

Kylee, Whitley and Stephen

Katy Jo

Brooklyn and Kelsey

Nick hung out in the back and watched the two babies.

Lunch in the cafeteria

Katy, Emma and Ellie

Bo inside the big playhouse

Lookie Me, Lookie Me! Katelyn

Whitley and Stephen

Rhett

Dalin building his own house

Some of our group waiting for the movie to start

Brooklyn laying on a bed of nails

Chelsey helping the littler ones.

Brooklyn and Katy sitting on the throne of the Lego castle. They had a whole section devoted to Legos.

In this area there were dress up costumes and fun games centered around Knights and castles.
Princess Katy

Brooklyn in purple

The kids loved the huge rubbery legos

Bo crawling under the jousting station.

This was an air machine that they would hold little paper whirlie birds over and it would shoot them up in the air. Bo spent a lot of time here. Next to this section was a section on weather. They had a platform where you stood while they showed you a video sequence of weather. As each "event" would happen, you would feel heat or wind or rain or rumbling under your feet. It was really neat. Katy freaked out of course.

Cheesy Katy

Bo's very favorite thing was a big nose that you threw balls into. If you hit the 'nose hairs' hanging down, it would sneeze all the balls back out at you.

This was the greatest game of the day. Two people sat across from each other and put these bands on their heads. There was a clear tube between them with a ping pong ball in it. The goal was to get the ball to the other person's side. The way to do that - have little brain activity. There was a screen that showed your brain activity. Freaky how easily Nick could shut his down. It was really a neat little thing. The bigger kids spent a lot of time challenging each other.

Nick, Whitley and Stephen

Dalin was racing another kid in wheelchairs. He was a little too competitive. I don't know where he gets it???

Rhett being Rhett. What was funny was that he was walking up to me whining about something and when I pointed the camera at him, he did this... then went right back to complaining.

Chelsey hung out with Shyann most of the day.

Katy loved the bumpy bridge. She liked to dance on it. Whitley, Bo and Kylee were joining her.

Emma, Katy, Bo and Jake like playing the computer games.

The ride back on the light rail was not as nice. Very crowded and a little warm. By the time we got back to our cars, we decided it was time for ice cream. After a little discussion about where, we decided maybe it was time for dinner. We all went to CiCi's Pizza for all you can eat pizza and dessert. It was the perfect ending to a really great day.