Imagination Place

We've been up to up a lot of things lately!   Two weeks ago I decided that it would be a great idea to head back home to Alabama for a visit during the boys' Spring Break.  We had not been back (except me when I flew back for my grandmother's funeral this summer, which I didn't blog about) as a family since last spring.  Let me just start by saying that it's really, really hard to travel with little ones, thus, we don't usually make the drive back very often.  With kids, nursing, potty breaks, refilling juice and passing out snacks and getting gas, it turns into a 16-17 hour car ride.  Sigh.  My Mother-in-law helped me get there and my mom rode back with me to help me get us back home.  We drove half one day and then the rest another day, so it was 2 days in the car there and 2 days in the car back.  I've never wanted or needed Xanax so badly in my whole life, but I would have gladly taken it to get through traveling and stopping overnight at a hotel with little ones.  I have vowed to not drive it again by myself for a year or more because of how awful it was.  Just being honest!  Maybe as they get a little older it will become easier, but for now it's just hard!  It was an eventful, fun, long, and exhausting trip, but well worth it because both of my grandparents got to meet their THIRD great-grandson!

We really didn't do a lot while we were there, but we decided to go to the Imagination Place while my grandparents were up for a quick visit.  The Imagination Place still looks the same from when I was in 5th grade! I wish they could spiffy it up a bit because it's a neat little place with a play doctor's office, fire station, kitchen, bank, and construction zone!  I used to love going when I was a kid and I was happy I got to share it with my kids!

When we got there a man was blowing GIANT sized bubble with a wand and some rope!  It was pretty cool.  The boys were intrigued.  We do love our bubbles around here!

We explored the little kiddo area first...

but what they really liked was the construction zone area!

Construction worker John Michael!

My grandfather really enjoyed watching the boys play and he helped them with a few of the exhibits.  My favorite memory was the boys giving Papaw a "checkup" at the play doctor's office.  My nursing instincts came out and I showed each one of them exactly how to use the blood pressure cuff and fake stethoscope.  They did really well and did exactly as I showed them.  They also "listened" to Papaw's heart and I taught them the "lub-dub, lub-dub" of a beating heart upon auscultion. We also played with real x-rays and talked about the bones of the body.  I just couldn't help myself, I love anatomy and the body so much.  I hope they love science and anatomy as much as I do!

Before we left the boys had a puppet throwing fight with Papaw!  I've never heard them laugh so hard!  Can you see JM's head barely poking up above the puppet theatre sign?  They threw puppets back and forth with my grandfather and apparently it was the best game in the world!

I really should be ashamed of myself for not taking more pictures lately!  I've got my Canon lens ordered so I hope to be back to taking more pictures very soon!