February 2, 2010

Exploration Adventures...

What better to do on a cold, dreary Sunday afternoon than take a trip to Exploration Place and have an adventure?

Tyler had a side-job this weekend, and was gone all of Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday. We had a very snowy day Friday, and they even cancelled school (only in Kansas...). By Sunday afternoon, I was at my wits end and had to get out of the house. So, I coerced my Dad into making the trip to EP with us.

It had been a long while since we had been there. By my recollection, this may have been our last trip. Over a year ago! I used to take Sassy there all the time when she was a baby and we lived closer.

The traveling exhibit they are featuring is called The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head. Of course, we headed to this exhibit first. It was surprisingly crowded there. I don't quite know what I expected- it's winter and it's the weekend. We had a good time nonetheless.

Sassy spent most of her time at the build-a-potato-head table. She made some very masterful creations:



With hair-dos to match her own, of course:



Little A honed in on the slide, and the rest was history. She climbed:



And zoomed:



And whizzed:



Sassy was proud of the guys that she made:



I laughed when I saw this shrine to the Mister himself. Contemplated bowing or paying some sort of homage:



After a while, we headed to the airplane section, a permanent exhibit. Sassy got her build on. With, quite possibly, a little help from Mom:



We checked out the airplane made entirely out of licence plates:



Next, we ventured into the Kansas is Our Home area, another permanent exhibit. Little A checked out a skink or two:



We gazed out at the Arkansas River and The Keeper of the Plains. I asked Sassy if she thought the water in the river was warm or cold. Her response... warm. I don't think so...



Sassy joined another little girl in the tornado simulator. The wind speed picks up as the "experience" goes on. I though she would be terrified, but she thought it was a riot!



Honest to God, it blew her little headband right off her head and sent it flying out of the bottom of the apparatus and across the floor 15 feet. Impressive.



We also gazed at the tornado creator thingie. I do hope you appreciate my technical terminology here.



On the way to the lobby, Sassy and Little A stopped and played vet. Little A thought it was all in good fun to tear down all of the hanging lab coats...



They played so nicely together. It was adorable:



As we were getting ready to leave, there was an announcement over the PA that stated Mr. Potato Head himself was moments away from making an appearance in the lobby.

I didn't think we were too terribly interested until Sassy screamed I WANT TO SEE MASHED POTATO HEAD at the top of her lungs. I about died. Laughing, of course.

However, once she approached smashed potato head, she grew tentative. She wasn't giving that potato a hug anytime soon.



Little A had to show her how it was done:



Well, sort of.

Since we were already downtown and all, we just had to stop in at The Donut Whole for an afternoon snack sure to ruin the girls' dinner appetites. Hey, you're only small once, right?

*taken back in June. Ah, warmer days, come back to me!

Fun times had by all. Two tired, worn-out girls on a quiet ride home. Mission: Accomplished!

4 sweet tweets:

Anonymous said...

That looks like a really great time. We had fun the last time we went there also. Where is the slide though?

Heather said...

The slide is part of the Mr. Potato Head exhibit.

Anonymous said...

What a fun day you had! Isn't the little animal hospital display the greatest thing? It's kind of shoved in a corner, but the kids love it! You can now check out EP day passes from the Andover library so hopefully we'll be going more often!

Heather said...

Well, we just renewd our membership, so if you ever want to meet (especially afternoon/early evening) let me know!