Sunday, August 27, 2017

Barry Turns 6

Birthdays are such a lovely excuse for a lot of family to get together and watch a big mess of present opening and eat cake.  
It is always extra special to have photos of the shenanigans of a year-old toddling cutie.  
You know they always say that no woman would ever have the dimensions that a Barbie doll has...
Well, little Miss Paislee has no trouble fitting through the Barbie house door.





She also lay claim to a few of Barry's prize gifts.


It is a bit unfair to focus all the attention on Paislee, and the other boys were very much interested is many of his gifts which included Pokemon cards, which are back in style, sad to say.  We went through this last generation.



This was a neat candle.  After lighting it opens up into a BIG candle.








Barry starts Kindergarten this fall. 

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Barry's Trip

Three years ago we took Zane on a little trip with us to the Strategic Air Command Museum and the Wildlife Safari Park.  We took Barry this summer, even though he had just been to the Safari Park a few weeks before with his folks. 

He stayed overnight Friday night with us, so we could get an early start.  It takes nearly three hours to get there from here and even with a few new things to play with, the drive was tedious.
We made one stop and I bought one of those "stackables", those big eyed creatures that are everywhere just now.  These look like a stuffed tube and you can only tell the different animals by fur color, little felt tails and feet and prehaps ear shape.  Anyway, there are cute, and I've been wanting to buy one.  Barry was absolutely thrilled and spent the rest of the trip playing with it.  It flew and scampered and fought and had a good time with Barry.


Safari Park 

Elk 


Deer



Pelicans 


There is a spot to walk around and see the goats.  They have a couple of bald eagles and from here trails go up to see caged owls, bears and wolves. 

Barry didn't want to try this, but he sure wanted Papa too!


He's trying out the levers.








Up the trail.



We took a longer trail around to get back to the starting point.  The map said there was a pretty steep place, but I thought I could do it.  
I could with a helping had and a rest on a bench provided at the top.



And the rest was downhill all the way.

Barry is very observant.  He noticed the acorns on the path, the insects and spiders that are ubiquitous to any outside fun, but the most enjoyable part for me was when he heard a bird song and instantly looked up to see it. 
He loves to be outside. 

SAC Museum

Inside the cockpit.


Flight Simulator



Barry at the controls.



Along with all the planes and history in the museum, there is a "learning place" for kids. 
Barry is demonstrating the power of air pressure -- thrust, in the flying world.  He pulls the ball up in the tube on the left, and when it falls it propels the tennis ball in the tube on the right; up, up, over two stories to fall back down in the net and back to the tube to do it all over again. 



Build your own Lego car to race.



There was also a place to play with plastic balls and blowing air.

The display areas have lots of space for a little boy to run. 




Barry enjoyed his time here, but the highlight of the visit was the escalator.




It beat out the elevator.


Airplanes on Display 



Missle


I would like to go back to this museum someday without children and really look at all the planes, the displays and the information.  The feeling I got when I looked at these warhorses of great battles, were shivery ones.  The battles, the sacrifices, the necessity.  It's an awesome thing.
Will it happen again?

Home again.

Supper in Burger King


Souvenirs--the Space Shuttle and the stackable, a lynx




A little bit more play before going home.  
Racing cars down a tube.