the museum of natural history

Last Thursday, we had the whole day free and the kids wanted to do something fun.

They mentioned swimming at the pool Kirsten took them to last winter.

Ei-yi-yi.  When it's 20 degrees out that seems so not fun.

They mentioned the Children's Museum.  Okay, that's about $60 and a trip halfway to Wisconsin.

We ended up at the Bell Museum of Natural History.  They grumbled and said it was boring.

WHATEVER.

It's what I can manage on this particular afternoon right before Christmas.

We had fun, even though I whispered a swear word in the parking ramp.  
The museum has gorgeous dioramas of animals.  I included this one above because besides just the fish depicted, they included the frog at the surface of the water.

 This is an otter.

The building itself is cool--curved paneled walls, marble, art deco gorgeous.

 This made me laugh a little, an inviting path into the rain forest, where they implore us not to accept.

Over my shoulder and out the other window was this--some fraternity or whatever, across a snowy street. 

Rainforest?  Meet reality?

 They had a whole elaborate display of soil.

I know, soil.  How boring!

There are like ten kinds of soil and soil is important for about a million reasons.  Some were obvious. Some not so much. 

 Back to the dioramas.

 Oh, this was a recorded presentation about mud and figuring out what happened to the planet based on mud samples.  (Yes, I know.)

Okay, this guy right here is a Fisher Cat.  This type of weasel is responsible for raiding my parents chicken coop in the summer and ripping up their chickens.

 Here we've finally made it to the Touch and See room.

This thing is a terrarium with holes in the bottom so people can stick their heads inside and see how the world looks to the critters who live in terrariums at the museum.

The kids LOVED this and were getting too carried away.

 The lady who was in charge of the Touch and See Room said kids love this thing and do get wild.

Here this sweet attendant lady is showing the kids a Milk Snake and explaining how it is not a Coral Snake.  I have more respect and tolerance for snakes after experiences in this room over the years.  They're silky and muscular, not dangerous.  Give them space. They're a little scared too. 

We get snakes in the wood pile at the lake and when they go running by, we just give them room to run away and live their harmless snake lives.

 A view of the room--see the bear?   The aquariums to the side are full of weird insects.  The kids petted a tarantula.

 Okay, and back in the day, we went here and Maria touched this moose on the nose, and I teased her on my hip, "Maria! Did you touch a moose?" 

She was shocked at her own nerve and whenever we'd ask her about touching the moose she'd cover her face and hide in my shoulder.

That's the same moose, right there:

 (Yeah, that's her laughing.)

Here are a couple girls doing art before we left.

And that is that, and what  fine Thursday it was.

Thank you kids for being mine, for all the happiness you bring to my LIFE.  love you so, Mom