a little bit of learning, a whole lot of fun

Since the beginning of the year we've been trying to get out more and visit some new places with Bodhi on our family day. Just after the new year we made a trip to the Natural History Museum. We met up with Miles, Mason and Dahlia. I really wanted to see the Dinosaur show (oh I mean the kids really wanted to see a dinosaur). It is really actors inside a dinosaur costume, but it looks real. All of the kids stayed seated through the show watching the dinosaur. We all had a nice day walking around the museum.

Earlier this month, Bodhi and I met up with Sherry, Miles and their kids to see Noah's Ark at the Skirball Cultural Center. It is really cool. Everyone should go see it! It is completely interactive, which is great for kids. They can touch, pull, build, climb and play. Bodhi is really adventurous and loved climbing into the rafters and running across the rope bridges. Of course, I'm always a little concerned since he is still so little so I ended up their too. We loved the exhibit and can't wait to go back to see more. Oh and it was free! Every Thursday is a free day. I recently found this great blog and she has put together lists all these great things to do in SoCal with your family. I can't wait to explore some new places.

Ray and I took Bodhi to the Getty Villa on Valentine's Day. Bodhi liked looking at all of the statues and he was especially curious as to why so many were missing noses. He had fun running around outside near the pools and herb garden. We also spent some time in the family room, drawing on the ancient vases. Okay, they weren't really ancient, but we did get to draw on vases and Bodhi posed for a picture behind the silhouette screen.

This was a replica statue which was okay to touch.
It was really cold and Bodhi thought it felt nice on his face.

Another day, we met up with my sisters, Christina and Sherry and took all of our kids to the Discovery Science Center in Orange County. We spent several hours walking around checking out all the different exhibits. Everything is hands on which again is so great for the kids and it is fun for the adults too! They also have an outdoor area with a large walk-thru dinosaur and fossils hidden in the walls. We decided to get a year membership so we can come back throughout the year. We can't wait to go to bubblefest!

all aboard!

Bodhi has found a new favorite toy... trains! He probably developed his love from his cousin Mason's trains, but this really exploded when he got his own wooden train set from his Bunya at Christmas.

It's pretty cute to watch him play with it. We'll generally set up some elaborate track for him and then he'll drive the train or other little vehicles around the track. He makes little train sounds while he does it, too. He walks around and around the table where we set it up with the occasional CRASH! and the whole train goes over the side.

He's already learned how to use many of the features of the set, including the drawbridge and the crane. He's also figured out that the connection between the train cars have magnetic poles, so if it doesn't stick correctly, he turns it around to connect it the other way.

good morning

Meeting up with my friend Dahlia for a cup o' juice.

big bear trip

We headed back to Big Bear for a mini weekend (just one night). We went with Sherry and Miles and their kids and Christina and Zena. Me, Ray and Bodhi rode up with Christina and Zena. Once we got up the mountain most of the way, we were required to stop and put chains on the car.

Ray was our hero that day for putting on the chains.

Christina did a great job of supervising.

We all stayed in one cabin which was quite roomy with three bedrooms and several beds per room. We could have had the whole family come and stay. When we arrived on Sunday we dropped off our stuff inside and went outside right away to enjoy the afternoon sledding and building a fort for a snowball fight. Unfortunately Bodhi missed his nap that day and we had to go back to the cabin to rest before the snowball fight happened.

Sledding is fun!

The beginnings of a snowman.

We spent that evening making dinner together and chatting. We spent the next morning out in the snow again before packing up and heading back home.