ShannonAlbert.com - June 2009

Our week so far could be called "sleeping in" as that's what we seem to be doing everyday. We all slept until 11 on Saturday and finally got going at 12:30, arriving at Bob and Nicki's at 6. Ate pizza w/them, played w/the babies and off to bed. Sunday morning, Blake complained about his "tummy not feeling so well" which we knew meant he had a stomach virus. He got sick most of the day and had to stay in the basement but once he's over it, he's back to normal right away and so at 5:00, he said "let's go to the hotel" and we were off for Hutchinson, KS for our hotel. Our room has a view of the waterpark which immediately got the kids excited.

View from our room

We were off to the waterpark to play in the lazy river, water slides, water basketball, etc.



Then we were starving so we got dressed and headed off the sports bar at the motel and had some really good food and a couple of big beers. The kids wanted to go to the arcade so we headed off only to find the room completely disheveled with half of the machines unplugged and pushed away from the wall. We decided to go ahead and play which meant plugging in the token machine, plugging in the skee ball and a couple of other games and often times, squeezing between machines to play. I wish I had the camera because it was so funny. We found out later that the room was being painted on one side the next day and that was the reason for the machines being pushed together and unplugged.

Next morning, Blake woke up after 11 and by that time, the rest of us had already gotten up and showered (I know I keep mentioning sleeping in but it's such a new concept to me recently that I feel the need to keep pointing it out :) ). We were then headed off to the Cosmosphere to learn all about space.

Our kids are completely fraidy cats even when visiting the Cosmosphere. The whole time we kept hearing "are we going to the Imax? Please don't make us go to the Imax. " Both kids totally hate Imax movies and they were scared to death we'd make them go to one. You'd think we were making them actually travel to space but no...just a movie. Anyway, we didn't make them go to the Imax movie but we did see a lot of space exhibits and learned a lot. I had no idea that Germany was the origins of our space program but I do now. Some pics of the Cosmosphere...

Part of the actual wall that separated east and west Germany


The door that went out to the rocket launch simulation area. The vent above the door shot out an air curtain that kept the cold outside air from coming in and it was really loud when you'd open the door. Blake was running away from the door and had tears in his eyes but Andy ran through the door w/him quickly and he managed to survive.

The outdoor rocket launch simulation area (notice how traumatized Blake still is from the air curtain?).





From some of the exhibits...



Waiting outside of the Dr. Goddard Science Show which taught us how rockets work and what you need to make a rocket launch. We only went to this show because Blake was scared to do the planetarium (he's been to one recently) and this one scared him a little bit less than the planetarium. There were some loud noises and fire but I think we all learned from it.

Both kids making dog tag necklaces in the gift shop. The dog tags say "Cosmosphere" on them and the kids got to pick what they wanted each to say.


A few last snaps before we leave...


Kids showing their new necklaces


After that, it was off for some Target shopping, waterpark again, and sports bar again. Tomorrow, we're stopping by an Amish community, going to pickup Ali at Bob and Nicki's house and then we'll end up in Tonganoxie at some point. If I don't post before Thanksgiving, I hope everyone has a great holiday with great food and great company. Happy Thanksgiving!